A few months ago, I wrote an essay comparing the various Odyssey translations and adaptations. The main question asked within that essay was “Why does the Odyssey remain so relevant today?” This question can also be asked of Pride & Prejudice. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen was originally published in 1813, as a novel in three parts. Over the last two hundred years, it has remained a classic story of first impressions, miscommunications, and societal critiques woven together in a romance. 

The novel has also been adapted and updated countless times in the last few decades, from mini-series to vlogs. After we finished reading the novel, our family watched the 1995 BBC miniseries, the 2005 feature film, and the 2012 vlog series, titled The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Readers of the original will each have their favorite adaptation, but a close look at Mr. Darcy’s first proposal scene from the original Austen and three adaptations reveals that Darcy’s first proposal from the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice is the most emotionally faithful version of this scene. For that reason, and many others, this 2005 film version is the one that I would most recommend for lovers of Austen’s original. 

How each adaptation chooses to costume their characters shows what the adaptation believes the proposal should represent in the story. A similarity between the BBC miniseries and the Lizzie Bennet Diaries is that Elizabeth Bennet always appears fairly put-together. Her hair is always done, her clothes are tidy and neat, albeit a bit plain in the BBC (the exception for the BBC is when Lizzie visits Jane at Netherfield and her dress becomes dirty.) 

However, in the 2005 version, we get to see Lizzie a bit more undone in the proposal scene; her hair is wet and becoming frizzy, the hem of her dress is dirty for the second time in the story, and her cheeks are flushed from running in the rain. Her emotions are externalized in the 2005 adaptation: in the poor weather, the music, and especially the costuming. Both she and Darcy are messy in this scene, allowing it to feel more emotionally raw and honest. 

In the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Lizzie is dressed more casually than Darcy, who wears a tie and dress shirt. Indeed throughout all the vlogs he’s in, he appears in more formal outfits than Lizzie, who remains casual apart from specific special events. This is one similarity between all of these adaptations: clothing represents social class. Darcy is dressed more formally and in presumably more expensive clothes than Lizzy, whose family’s financial problems would lead her to dress in less expensive and plainer clothing. 

In Austen’s original text, she doesn’t describe what her characters are wearing in this pivotal scene; instead she focuses the reader’s attention on Lizzie’s thoughts and dialogue. In a film version, the director and costume designers must make choices without Austen’s insight. These creative choices directly influence the feel of a scene and its impact on viewers. And without a doubt, it’s the 2005 version that leaves the greatest emotional impact.

Beyond costumes, however, acting is what really carries this dramatic scene. There are moments of silence in every version, where the actors’ emotions must fill the quiet between lines, and act as Lizzie’s internal monologue. However, some of these silences are filled in the 2005 film adaptation, which invents dialogue that very cleverly makes the scene even more honest and open than Austen’s original dialogue. 

While Colin Firth is a good actor, I think his Mr. Darcy is a bit too harsh as a character, and this makes his first proposal scene less believable that he’s really in love with Elizabeth. By contrast, Matthew McFayden’s portrayal of Darcy is much more genuine. While watching his first proposal scene, it’s clear on his face and specifically in his eyes that he cares for Elizabeth. There’s genuine concern on his face when she begins to tell him why she will not have him, and his acting fades perfectly from slight remorse at Jane’s treatment to incredulity at her defense of Wickham. The third Darcy, played by Danial Vincent Gordh, is the most stiffly awkward of the three. He’s clearly not accustomed to sharing his feelings so openly, and Lizzie immediately dives into insulting him in brutal modern language . 

For the actors portraying Elizabeth, I think both Keira Knightley and Jennifer Ehle are excellent Lizzies. With that being said, I think that the 2005 movie chose to make Elizabeth’s character a bit less harsh in this specific scene, making her insults less barbed and her incredulity at Darcy’s proposal. Jennifer Ehle has this wonderful expression of uncomfortable civility at first that dissolves into absolute irritation at Darcy and makes Elizabeth’s insults feel like natural responses. Ashley Clements is the Elizabeth Bennet of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and she goes full tilt on her harshness almost immediately. Her portrayal of Lizzie in this scene is incredibly ruthless and holds back absolutely no insults when speaking to Darcy. By using more modern language, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries makes the insults Lizzie hurls at Darcy much harsher to our ears. 

As part of this analysis, after I watched every version of this scene multiple times, I went back to Austen’s original text.  Austen’s language was only reinforced by these film versions, and I could see how the actors from each adaptation chose to bring Lizzie’s thoughts into the scene.  In Austen’s language, we can see the range of emotions Lizzie experiences during Darcy’s proposal: “In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection, and though her intentions did not vary for an instant, she was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; till roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion in anger.”  And each of the actors takes a different approach to the varied emotions of the scene and brings them to life on the screen. 

I’m glad to have watched all three, but I would most recommend the 2005 adaptation for its emotional fidelity to Austen’s writing. This is my favorite version of Pride & Prejudice—and is one of the most visually stunning films I’ve ever seen.
Next up in my Pride & Prejudice journey will be Pride & Premeditation, a murder mystery based on Austen’s original.