(no subject)
Gah. Just finished watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice. I've seen it at least ten times, and yet I always manage to foget how absolutely, positively lovely it is. After judicial consideration and after re-watching both since the new one came out I have reached the conclusion that the old one is about a billion times better. Don't get me wrong-I absolutely adore the new one and there are a lot things in it, small details and costumes and certain scenes, that are much better in it, and that ending is perfect beyond words-but the old one is still the epitome, the quintessential Pride and Prejudice, just as Colin Firth remains the epitome of the perfect man and is the quintessential Darcy. The new one is lovely and stunning and vibrant and passionate and sparks with light and chemistry and some really witty dialogue-but the old one is just straight superb all the way through. It's passed the test of fire-it's good through re-watching after re-watching and in fact gets better every time with more details and small nuances coming to light every time I watch it. I'm still amazed-this is, like I said, the tenth or so time that I've watched it, and I'm still picking up on stuff I've never seen before. For instance the small ways in which Jennifer Ehle uses her wonderfully expressive face-small eyebrow lifts with a wealth and world of meaning that changes the whole focus of a scene that I've seen a million times. And the music fits so perfectly with the way that Pride and Prejudice is and the general Jane Austen-mood. I feel quite sure that Jane Austen would have approved of this movie, and that is the highest compliment any movie can get-. Although I think she also would have approved of some of the new dialogue they came up with for the new movie, it sounds like it came straight from her mouth, especially the ball scene in which Elizabeth recommends dancing for Darcy, even if his partner is 'barely tolerable'. That is exactly the type of thing that Elizabeth would say-I was a little overawed the first time I saw the new movie by the sheer brilliance of some of the dialogue and juxtaposition(like the scene at Netherfield in which Elizabeth and Miss Bingley are walking around behind him crossing paths so that he's at the center of their radius-it's a great physical reflection of what's going on at the moment, and the irony is exquisite)
Anyway, I thought Matthew MacFadyen was absolutely brilliant in the role-but Colin Firth IS Darcy, just as surely as if he's been born him. Gah, but he's cute. Somehow I always forget how off-the-walls attractive he is. For instance of course the whole lakeside scene, which is deservedly famous(an instant icon right there, it's rather amusing actually to reflect that it was probably that scene more than any other, that two minutes of dripping-white-shirt-and dark-wet hair that established his acting career) and also fun to watch as I was just reading Bridget Jones in which they madly fastfoward to the lake scene as part of her therapy for getting over Mark Darcy(a.k.a character paralled-on-Fitzwilliam in literature and played by Colin Firth on film). During this viewing-I always end up focusing on one scene, a different one each time, and its sheer loveliness-I found myself focusing on how lovely the sword-fighting scene is. Way too short, but I'm wondering why movie producers don't more often put guys in open-necked long-sleeved white shirts plus-wearing black gloves-and being drop-dead gorgeous and have them fight a duel(whether it's a mock one or not). Witness that scenario's success in Phantom of the Opera(although more the combination of the shirt and gloves and less the fighting scene-the shirt and gloves on their own are lethal)-and in that movie Gerard Butler wasn't even playing a good guy. So imagine what they could do if they really tried to emulate that but with other good guys. Hmm-I just had a thought-one of my wise-profound-flashes of inspiration. I think Colin Firth/Darcy is the fulfillment of every woman's romantic dream and Gerard Butler/the Phantom is the fulfillment of every woman's passion-dream. Or nearly every woman. I don't claim much-just to be a spokesperson for most of the female sex.^_^
Anyway, back to Darcy. Er, I was already talking about him, wasn't I. Okay, I mean back to strictly Darcy-no more meandering with this Phantom business. He IS perfection-I'm not even kidding. After all these times and I still fall in love with him again all over again-every time. Heck, even my brothers love him(his character, that is-not strictly him) I'm proud to say that my brothers have very good taste in movies, if not in female characters and/or women, and my older brother at least is a secret sucker for romance. And they both love this movie. Of course they won't admit it and being men insist on fast-fowarding through all the parts not strictly involving the two main characters-but my younger brother, for instance, stayed up with me until 1:00 to finish watching it with me., in spite of the fact that I would harldy let him fastfoward through any parts. And he likes his sleep and has seen it before. (Just to let you know, I adore my younger brother) Of course every time that I hit the play button for a short relatively minor period I didn't let him know that I did it because it featured the briefest glimpse or scene of Darcy. I find that I especially like the scene in which he's writing the letter to Elizabeth-because it's the only really casual setting that we see him in-the only one in which he's alone, not dressed formally(lovley view of his neck, by the way)and letting his feelings show, uncloaked by his usual reserve and guardedness. He's luverly, though and through, utterly and completely. You can only really understand what I mean if you've watched the movie recently, because it's not a quality that's easy to hold on to or remember. You know that you love him but you can't quite remember why you love him so much. So here's a little something to remind you, although it really can't capture anything of the man himself...
He is perfect. So hard to describe, so impossible to be-and yet he is. I could spazz until the end of time about his gorgeousnes, his eyes, mouth, chin, hands, his smoldering reserve, his warmth and charm, his rare and stunning smile, the way the role fits him like a glove, etc.-but in the end I can sum it all up by saying that Fitzwillimam Darcy is the epitome of male perfection. The best thing about Colin Firth's character, as opposed to Matthew MacFadyen's, is his utter maturity. Matthew played a very young man, a man unsure of himself in many ways, just like Keira Knightley did with her character-with the result that they had glorious sparks and incredible passion and tenderness,etc. But their characters are essentially young and undeveloped, whereas for both Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth their characters are extremely mature and fully developed, complete human beings instead of half ones. Darcy, in this movie, is both a man and a gentleman, and utterly both, which is just about the best thing you can say. He has such incredible strength-of both mind, character,and emotion-yes he is an idiot and a fool and a proud stuck-up insufferable prig part of the time but that doesn't stop him from being completely-well, manly and gentlemanly and passionate. Like I said, I could go on forever...but I'm going to stop now. I'm sure you've all been dreadfully bored. Just wanted to stop and marvel and reconfirm the small miracle-for-women that Jane Austen and the BBC producers together produced (and, uh, just in case you haven't noticed by now, this entire thing has been a complete squee-fest. A rational and articulate squee-fest, but still, to quote Elizabeth Bennet, there you have it...:D)
Anyway, I thought Matthew MacFadyen was absolutely brilliant in the role-but Colin Firth IS Darcy, just as surely as if he's been born him. Gah, but he's cute. Somehow I always forget how off-the-walls attractive he is. For instance of course the whole lakeside scene, which is deservedly famous(an instant icon right there, it's rather amusing actually to reflect that it was probably that scene more than any other, that two minutes of dripping-white-shirt-and dark-wet hair that established his acting career) and also fun to watch as I was just reading Bridget Jones in which they madly fastfoward to the lake scene as part of her therapy for getting over Mark Darcy(a.k.a character paralled-on-Fitzwilliam in literature and played by Colin Firth on film). During this viewing-I always end up focusing on one scene, a different one each time, and its sheer loveliness-I found myself focusing on how lovely the sword-fighting scene is. Way too short, but I'm wondering why movie producers don't more often put guys in open-necked long-sleeved white shirts plus-wearing black gloves-and being drop-dead gorgeous and have them fight a duel(whether it's a mock one or not). Witness that scenario's success in Phantom of the Opera(although more the combination of the shirt and gloves and less the fighting scene-the shirt and gloves on their own are lethal)-and in that movie Gerard Butler wasn't even playing a good guy. So imagine what they could do if they really tried to emulate that but with other good guys. Hmm-I just had a thought-one of my wise-profound-flashes of inspiration. I think Colin Firth/Darcy is the fulfillment of every woman's romantic dream and Gerard Butler/the Phantom is the fulfillment of every woman's passion-dream. Or nearly every woman. I don't claim much-just to be a spokesperson for most of the female sex.^_^
Anyway, back to Darcy. Er, I was already talking about him, wasn't I. Okay, I mean back to strictly Darcy-no more meandering with this Phantom business. He IS perfection-I'm not even kidding. After all these times and I still fall in love with him again all over again-every time. Heck, even my brothers love him(his character, that is-not strictly him) I'm proud to say that my brothers have very good taste in movies, if not in female characters and/or women, and my older brother at least is a secret sucker for romance. And they both love this movie. Of course they won't admit it and being men insist on fast-fowarding through all the parts not strictly involving the two main characters-but my younger brother, for instance, stayed up with me until 1:00 to finish watching it with me., in spite of the fact that I would harldy let him fastfoward through any parts. And he likes his sleep and has seen it before. (Just to let you know, I adore my younger brother) Of course every time that I hit the play button for a short relatively minor period I didn't let him know that I did it because it featured the briefest glimpse or scene of Darcy. I find that I especially like the scene in which he's writing the letter to Elizabeth-because it's the only really casual setting that we see him in-the only one in which he's alone, not dressed formally(lovley view of his neck, by the way)and letting his feelings show, uncloaked by his usual reserve and guardedness. He's luverly, though and through, utterly and completely. You can only really understand what I mean if you've watched the movie recently, because it's not a quality that's easy to hold on to or remember. You know that you love him but you can't quite remember why you love him so much. So here's a little something to remind you, although it really can't capture anything of the man himself...
He is perfect. So hard to describe, so impossible to be-and yet he is. I could spazz until the end of time about his gorgeousnes, his eyes, mouth, chin, hands, his smoldering reserve, his warmth and charm, his rare and stunning smile, the way the role fits him like a glove, etc.-but in the end I can sum it all up by saying that Fitzwillimam Darcy is the epitome of male perfection. The best thing about Colin Firth's character, as opposed to Matthew MacFadyen's, is his utter maturity. Matthew played a very young man, a man unsure of himself in many ways, just like Keira Knightley did with her character-with the result that they had glorious sparks and incredible passion and tenderness,etc. But their characters are essentially young and undeveloped, whereas for both Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth their characters are extremely mature and fully developed, complete human beings instead of half ones. Darcy, in this movie, is both a man and a gentleman, and utterly both, which is just about the best thing you can say. He has such incredible strength-of both mind, character,and emotion-yes he is an idiot and a fool and a proud stuck-up insufferable prig part of the time but that doesn't stop him from being completely-well, manly and gentlemanly and passionate. Like I said, I could go on forever...but I'm going to stop now. I'm sure you've all been dreadfully bored. Just wanted to stop and marvel and reconfirm the small miracle-for-women that Jane Austen and the BBC producers together produced (and, uh, just in case you haven't noticed by now, this entire thing has been a complete squee-fest. A rational and articulate squee-fest, but still, to quote Elizabeth Bennet, there you have it...:D)