Watched
the movie ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and loved it. Though I had read the Jane Austin
book a long time back, it seems I had forgotten it except a few recollections
all through. And the movie is so beautifully made that I am speechless about
the experience. It is overwhelming.
To
begin with, I like happy-ending stories and this was one. When Elizabeth and
Darcy seem to be separated, viewers can feel a simmering pain – how
unfortunate? I wished it did not happen like it happened; and indeed there were
secrets which came out and Elizabeth could see the real Darcy.
If
I talk about the characters, I don’t know why Darcy was so grave always. He did
not dance; not even smiled in the first scene when he makes an entry. And he
keeps that serious face all through. Though I think we do not get to know the
reason for apparent sadness anywhere in the plot. Was he sad over loneliness?
In the later parts when he interacts with Elizabeth, one can see his childlike
face lit up. Elizabeth appears stubborn though intelligent, and she realizes in
the end about her weaknesses. Elizabeth’s mother was such a chatty character;
she talked too much and most of the time unwanted stuff.
About
the socioeconomic conditions depicted in the story; I could not help but notice
some elements. Daughters were burden to the family in a way and parents had to
do anything to get them wedded and sent out. Though the manner in which these
parents were doing was shocking – sending daughters in front of soldiers and in
public so as to display them in the hope that some worthy man could notice
them. They were also offering for example Mr. Collins one daughter instead of
the other of his choice. This part was shocking. In India, even though
daughters are considered ‘burden’ in the same sense, but not treated in this
manner, which can be called immoral by Indian parents if they see it here. When
one of the sisters in the story eloped with a soldier who asked for a kind of pension
or compensation to marry her; and the family had to agree to his demand in
order to save their social prestige, it was shocking. It seems status of women
in society and harsh social realities have been same almost everywhere in the
world.
Anyways,
‘Pride and Prejudice’ has been an enlightening watch. How we are wrong in
understanding people and individuals and how we tend to see faults in others
while the same faults present in us are overlooked by us; is depicted very
nicely in it.
