5 thoughts on “Pride and Prejudice (1940) short review

  1. Jane Austen’s 1813 novel is actually set in the late 1790s. This means that the 2005 version with Keira Knightley and 2013’s “DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLY” (which is set six years after the end of “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE”) are the only productions that got the time period right.

    1. I am watching it now as I type, and I am positively cringing – frothing at the mouth with disgust at the whole thing. Why wasn’t it in 2120 AD – completely destroyed the feel of the story. Terrible – Hollywood arrogance.

  2. Considering that most BBC productions got it wrong by setting the story during the Regency period, I guess the British television industry was pretty arrogant, as well.

  3. This one has by far the best representation of Elizabeth Bennet’s manner that I’ve every seen. Austen labored very carefully to depict a character continually skirting the boundaries of politeness and crossing into laughing rudeness, but getting away with it by the pleasant archness of her manner. Elizabeth herself is sometimes astonished at what she gets away with.

    Most portrayals don’t even try to get that right.

  4. I hate this version…Greer Garson far too old, she should have been cast as an aunt or not at all. I know she was a big star (somehow) but no. This was just wrong and she made it unwatchable for me. I never much liked Keira in this role either as it is beyond belief that she would be “tolerably pretty”. Jennifer E. remains the best Elizabeth Bennett though even she is almost too beautiful, but she comes through better with humor of the role.

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