Pride and Prejudice Film Review

 1)Provide a description of the film. Discuss the plot and characters and how they influenced the film. Was the plot line or character development more important? Why?
This film is based off of the classic novel by Jane Austen. It follows the lives of the Bennet Family (specifically Elizabeth), a middle class family in England and their woes involving marriage. Mrs. Bennet is eager to see her 5 daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Kitty, and Mary, get married. When the very eligible bachelor Mr. Bingley and his best friend Mr. Darcy show up, it changes the dynamic of their lives. Mr. Bingley falls for Jane, and Mr. Darcy is, at first, a terribly rude and burdensome presence. However, as the Bennet family experiences woes like the irritating Mr. Collins and deceptive Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love and end up getting married. In this film, as true to the book, the character development drive the film. Much of the story focuses not on the woes of the Bennets, but the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy and how they grow from hating each other to falling in love with each other. They are both very emotionally deep characters, and the movie captured that.
2) Think critically about how the film was shot, directed, use of lighting, etc. What do you think was effective in the making of the film? What took away or could have been done differently to enhance the film?
 The film was shot very traditionally. Nothing with the lighting really stood out to me, however, the use of camera angles and editing helped enhance the film. For example, during the scene with the ball, the way the director cut different scenes with the spinning of people, close ups of their faces, and the entire room really added a necessary element of chaos that helped describe the situation further. I also really liked the scene where Elizabeth is on the swing and spinning and then sees a person and stops. The camera angle made it feel as if you were spinning as well. To enhance the film, the director could have played with the lighting a little bit more to capture the mood of each scene.
3) What is you overall opinion of the film? Would you recommend it? Why/why not?
My overall opinion of the film is that it was really well executed. The director did a really good job of staying true to the book, which can be a difficult task. The slight changes only enhanced the plot or added necessary character development that otherwise wouldn't have been captured. Also, it was cast really well, and Keira Knightly made an excellent Elizabeth Bennet. I would recommend it, especially to those who have read it because it captures the wonderful aspects of Jane Austen's novel, and it is a great story of love and first impressions.