Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Pride and Prejudice (1940)

As an avid reader and movie watcher I long ago realized the unwisdom of comparing a movie to the book it is based on. Simply because the book has days and weeks to beguile you while the movie, if properly made, has less than two hours. The movie as a VISUAL medium, therefore, must catch you and keep your attention for two hours or it fails. The book, aimed at your mind, has more time to draw you in and takes better advantage of your imagination, a tool far more powerful than any writer's pen. Only the best moviemakers have learned to use that powerful tool, but I hope more will learn in the future.

I say this because there are a tremendous lot of comments relating that Pride and Prejudice does not follow the book. For the reasons I laid out previously I choose to disregard the bleatings of such unrealistic observers and give you my opinion that Pride and Prejudice is an excellent MOVIE that is a delight to watch, even though it is outside my normal viewing preferences, which relate more to crime drama or action than an old busybody mother trying to marry off her dowry-less daughters. Having only pretended to read the book when it was assigned in high school I can't tell whether it came close or not - but I can tell a good movie when I see one.

The story concerns the Bennet clan, parents with five daughters of marriageable age and no money or male heirs to keep the estate in the family. The family is encouraged by a couple of eligible (= rich) bachelors moving into the neighborhood.

The casting is remarkable, as it always was in the MGM golden age productions. The stable of character actors for the bit parts was better in those days than the "A" list is today; players like Edna May Oliver (Lady Catherine de Bourgh); Edmund Gwenn (Mr Bennet); Mary Boland (Mrs Bennet); Melville Cooper (Mr Collins) and many more make this a scintillating viewing experience with never a dull moment. When you layer on Greer Garson (Lizzie Bennet) and Laurence Olivier (Mr Darcy) in the starring roles you have everything you could ask for in a chick-flick.

The movie is basically a comedy with the underlying understanding that the girls, as loveable as they are, will become destitute upon their father's death due to the wretched social structure of eighteenth century England. The mother (Mary Boland) is ever plotting to marry them off to young men of means.

The title refers to the pride as modeled by Mr Darcy (Laurence Olivier), a foppish aristocrat who seems completely taken with himself and inconsiderate of the feelings of others. The prejudice is that of Lizzie (Greer Garson) who outspokenly disparages anything to do with the rich snobs like Darcy, Collins, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. As the story plays out the players have reason to slightly re-align their thinking and the ending ties everything up in a neat bundle. Greer Garson is beyond doubt the main character and she plays it for all it is worth – a true masterpiece of a performance.

The sets and costuming are fantastic with the girls all dressed in period clothing with huge bonnets. The entrance of one of the daughters with the carriage with liveried servants and horn blowing outriders has to be seen to be appreciated.

The Warner Bros DVD presents a good quality copy of the 117 minute film in B&W and 1.33:1 theatrical format. There is a cartoon and a WWII propaganda short as well as the film trailer included as extras.

More gems from the Golden Age of Hollywood –

A Tale of Two Cities
Treasure Island
David Copperfield

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie