A Critique Paper on Pride and Prejudice

A Performance Task in Reading and Writing

Joe Wright directed the 2005 movie adaptation of the book Pride and Prejudice, which is
based on the same-named classic novel by Jane Austen. Writer Deborah Moggach wrote the
book adaptation of this movie.(“First 3 - 4 words of the article”, 2005) underscored that this
romantic-historical film was released on September 16, 2005, in the United Kingdom, and
later on it was released in different countries such as the United States and France. It has a
running time of two hours and seven minutes that every person will surely enjoy.

The movie cast includes Keira Knightley, who portrayed the role of Elizabeth Bennet, who
does not belong to an upper-class kind of family but is the epitome of an active feminist and
is renowned as someone who has strong principles when it comes to love and especially
marriage. She is a believer that in an intricate kind of marriage, social standing is not
necessary. On the other hand, Matthew Macfadyen portrayed the role of Fitzwilliam Darcy,
also known as Mr. Darcy, who belongs to an upper-class family that makes him overly proud
of his social status. And he is known as intelligent and forthright, but somehow he is harsh
and hasty and only sees himself.

As the movie begins, it illustrates the chaotic but happy lives of the Bennett sisters. They
consist of five young women named Jane Bennet, who is known as the modest. Jane Bennet,
the heroine of the siblings The next one is Mary Bennet, who loves to read a book, and lastly,
Lydia and Kitty Bennet, the youngest and known as immature by that time. All of them are
looking for suitable husbands to cater to themselves in the future, as per the persuasion of
their mother, Mrs. Bennet. The movie shows a parallel love between Jane Bennet and Mr.
Charles Bingley. The movie depicts that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were not fond of each other
because of the arrogance shown by Mr. Darcy. He spits mouthful words at Elizabeth Bennet,
whom she heard causing their hatred for each other, and it follows that Mr. Williams Collins,
the cousin of Mr. Bennet, asks the hand of Elizabeth Bennet for marriage, but Elizabeth
Bennet rejects the proposal, and later on, Mr. William Collins marries the friend of Elizabeth
Bennet named Charlotte Lucas. While, Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet, he avoids her because
of their different social statuses, but later on, they come to an understanding and are engaged.
However, Lydia, one of the youngest of the Bennet sisters, elopes with Mr. Wickham, who is
infamous for being greedy because he proposed to Mr. Darcy's sister after she received her
inheritance but left right away when Mr. Darcy declined. Going back, Lydia and Mr.
Wickham’s relations are obviously not founded on love. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy had a clear
confrontation of love for Elizabeth Bennet with the line, “If your feelings are still what they
were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word
from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell
you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love… I love..I love you.” With that, Jane
Bennet confessed her lover to Mr. Darcy also. Later on, at the end of the movie, it shows that
both of them ask Mr. Bennet for his approval of their relationship. With that, the two-hour
movie shows the roller-coaster relationship of the Bennet sisters.

To start with, the movie was an instrument to portray the lives of women in the Regency era.
During the eighteenth century, women were expected to adhere to specific standards of
behavior that ultimately defined their place in society (Haydar, 2014). For example, it was
not uncommon for women to marry for financial security and social mobility. Rather,
matrimonial bliss, or marrying for love, was an abnormal act (Haydar, 2014). With that, the
beginning of the movie shows unequal treatment between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet
with the line, "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." Therefore, it is
evident that women only see this as a spotlight on finding a husband and nothing more.
Another one is when Mr. Collins proposed to Elizabeth Bennet with the line, “You must give
me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment of believing what I say. I wish you
very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do all in my power to prevent your
being otherwise. In making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your
feelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it
falls, without any self-reproach” Looking at this line, it seems that Mr. Collins did not give
Elizabeth Bennet a chance to say what she wanted to say; rather, he kept continuing with his
motive. With that, she strongly expresses that she has the right to choose and that she has the
right to make her own decision. By doing so, she emphasizes the equality between a man and
woman in the freedom to choose their relationship. At least in this way, she has avoided the
system and stood by her feminism.

To end this, allow me to state that this movie is worth watching not just because it depicts the
love between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet but because it tackles feminism, which many
women should know, especially nowadays. As I watched the movie, I learned to not let men
decide for you, as you have your own decisions and morals. Do not let the men criticize you
as someone who is only for marrying and nothing else, because I believe women are stronger
even before; they just did not have the chance to show it because of the wide range of
superiority among men. Do not let men criticize your ability just because you are a woman;
you are more than just a woman.