Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice, came to the big screen in Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation. The film is full of romance, sprinkled of humor and intelligent dialogue, keeping the audience constantly engaged. Despite the entertaining plot and well-developed characters, there is one singular and serious problem with the film, and that is its ridiculously contemporary approach. While Elizabeth's "just rolled out of bed" appearance would be acceptable for a modern setting, it remains historically inaccurate. The customs of the time were also not represented appropriately. The film's casting did a great job of portraying all the characters and supported the novel. It's no surprise that things have changed since Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice, and the 2005 adaptation didn't give this recreation the justice it deserved. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The film begins by introducing Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Since the family has no sons, Mrs. Bennet's only goal in life is to get her daughters married before Mr. Bennet's death. For their convenience, a wealthy bachelor named Mr Bingley has moved to Nethersfield and is enchanted by their beautiful daughter, Jane. Elizabeth, on the other hand, has less luck and immediately takes a dislike to Darcy when she hears him insult her. I must admit that the film's plot is anything but boring and does an exquisite job of engaging the audience. However, I refuse to give the film much credit for its excellent plot considering it is entirely based on Jane Austen's classic novel. The film, as far as historical accuracy goes, is a poor representation of the historical period and lacks research. I was disappointed in the film's lack of Regency hairstyles. It seemed the entire Bennet family didn't own a single comb or perhaps they had a rule that only allowed them one style each week. Almost every hairstyle was inappropriate, and while Elizabeth's messy hair with bangs may be justified for the modern era, it did not become popular until many years later. Elizabeth is also caught several times in society with her hair down. At the time this was considered brazen, immodest and even sinful. Women of that time were expected to pay close attention to their presentation and often had elaborate hairstyles. This image is from the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This film was much more successful in portraying the hairstyles of the period. The images below are examples of the inaccurate styles evident in the 2005 adaptation. The messy, modern hair wasn't the only look the film portrayed incorrectly. The customs of the Regency period were incredibly imprecise. Elizabeth's habit of traveling without the company of a man and of walking instead of using carriages would have been completely unacceptable in Jane Austen's time. Except for going to church or the park early in the morning, women were expected to always be accompanied by another woman or a man. In the film, Elizabeth is depicted numerous times in her nightgown, and although this would not be seen as a problem today, during the Regency period being seen in pajamas in society would be culturally unacceptable. It is also revealed that Darcy bursts into Elizabeth's bedroom without warning. Men were not allowed to enter a woman's bedroom like that, even though knocking might be nice. The intention of the film was.
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