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#pride and prejudice 1980
thatscarletflycatcher · 5 months
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Okay you got me. Tell me about PP 1980
Okay, so XD
Imagine you had a BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that was 5 hours long, faithful to the book, and yet having a different perspective/understanding/interpretation of the characters and the story? That's P&P 1980 in a nutshell, and I think it is worth watching just for that. But here are some other concrete things it has going for it, specially in relation to other adaptations:
The casting is closer in age than 95, and on one specific important case, closer than 05 too: Lady Catherine de Bourgh is played by an actress in her mid 40s, and she nails the absolute Opinionated Facebook AuntTM thing that the character has going in the novel.
It's not the only case of closer accuracy to the book in characters: Mr Collins is a young, tall, big guy, whose main issue is being very small minded, petty, and obsequent, instead of recurring to "he's greasy or slimy" as other adaptations do.
If you agree/like the "Darcy has autism" headcanon, this is the adaptation that leans the most heavily into it (it does overdo it, in my opinion, but there's a very interesting contrast between the flat affect of his facial expression, and the richness of inflexion in his voice)
Elizabeth Garvie's Lizzy is just... extraordinary. This adaptation circumvents the Jane-as-prettier-than-Lizzy issue by casting as Lizzy an actress with big, dark, very expressive eyes, small features and a very lively, sharp countenance and manners, whereas Jane's actress is tall and graceful and has a general air of kindness and sweetness, but in a very youthful way.
Speaking of Jane, this adaptation focuses much more on the sisters as sisters, and gives special emphasis to Lizzy's love for Jane, which I appreciate a lot.
Also speaking of Jane, Jane and Bingley are the cutest in this. They are given time, and he's kind and sociable and sweet without being an idiot. This adaptation includes that great line of his about how he wouldn't mind Darcy so much if he wasn't so tall, and the following comment about how Darcy can be fastidious of a Sunday evening.
That way, this adaptation includes several fan favorite scenes/lines that don't usually make it to adaptation, such as Darcy asking Lizzy to dance a reel, Lizzy playing and singing at a party in Meryton, Caroline teasing Darcy about putting uncle and aunt Phillips on the Pemberley portrait gallery, and the "I cannot fix the hour or the spot..." line. EDIT: also, the coffee pot scene!! and the rivalry between Mrs Bennet and Lady Lucas!
I also think it balances well how awful, in different ways, both Mr and Mrs Bennet (EDIT: and she's not insufferably shrill!!!!) are as parents (unlike how 95 and 05 "pick sides"); it emphasizes how self centered her efforts are, and how lazy and callous he can be in his mockery and indolence.
The opening sequence of each episode is a roll of a hand-drawn summary of the events of the episode and that's such a lovely detail.
Mind you, the adaptation is not without its faults. The production values are not what we are accustomed to nowadays. Some acting and lines are stilted and/or awkward. It has the odd choice here and there that is involuntarily funny. But I don't think people need discouragement from seeing it. I don't even think most of the general Austen fandom is aware of its existence. For my part, it has become my favorite adaptation of P&P (that I have watched so far; I haven't gotten yet to either 1967 or the Italian one).
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mametupa · 9 months
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quenbyolson · 7 months
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Me, trumpeting the 1980 version of Pride and Prejudice while everyone else is busy fighting over 1995 and 2005. (I mean, 1980 had a Lady Catherine who was the right age! The amazing Judy Parfitt! Go off with your fights, I'll be over here with my old DVD collection.)
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anghraine · 4 months
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What are your opinions on Pride and Prejudice 1980 overall?
Would you say that it is a faithful adaptation? Would you recommend it to a P&P fan?
I'm very partial to it and I would rate it over the 1995. I know most people adore the 1995 version, though.
I love it!
I was just talking about my two favorite adaptational takes on P&P here, and the 1980 P&P is one of them.
It definitely has flaws, both as a work in its own right and as an adaptation. You were asking about how it functions as adaptation, so I'm going to focus on that, but the overall aesthetic is extremely 1979 on a limited budget. Some of the visual/narrative choices are very staid adaptationally (like showing Elizabeth reading Darcy's letter by ... literally showing Elizabeth reading the letter).
On the flip side, there are a few improbable divergences, most notably the rushed and peculiar presentation of the second proposal (though getting a glimpse of post-proposal Darcy and Elizabeth's happiness counts for a lot for me!). There's also stuff added that doesn't really change anything, but is arguably not faithful per se. And this is not always acknowledged by the fans it does still have. Personally, I love the weird instrumentation that follows Mr Collins around and Mr Hurst's anti-mountain agenda, but people's mileage may vary.
Beyond that, I love it as an adaptation that veers away from tapping into accessible (or caricatured) stereotypes the way the 1995 does. The 1980 P&P's characters really do feel to me like very specific and usually more nuanced interpretations of the original characters compared to basically every other version of P&P—not necessarily my interpretations, but I always feel like I can see where the interpretation is coming from, beyond appeals to contemporary audience sensibilities.
Elizabeth Garvie's Elizabeth is the jewel of the production for me—charming, lively, witty, vain, with a distinct tinge of sweetness that I think adaptations often lose sight of. It's honestly difficult to even say much about her because she is simply perfect to me.
David Rintoul's Darcy is probably my favorite Darcy, too. His demeanor isn't exactly what I personally imagine, to be sure (he's not as somberly brooding as Colin Firth's Darcy, but the spirited, smiling cleverness Darcy shares with Elizabeth isn't quite there for me). But I truly respect the choice to retain the general stiffness and formality of his character rather than reducing him to a more palatable love interest/sex object. He's allowed to be odd and to make us uncomfortable in a way I don't think other adaptations are willing to risk with him.
As for the others, Bingley, Jane, and Georgiana all give the impression of more substance to them than they usually get IMO. Mrs Bennet and Caroline are obnoxious but not particularly caricatured (without the adaptation seeming apologetic towards them, either). I love the stylish, younger Mrs Gardiner and Lady Catherine, and the relatively subtle versions of their personalities. Probably the only character choice that doesn't work adaptationally for me is the very harsh Mr Bennet, who lacks much of the endearing wit of the original—though even there, I can appreciate how unwilling the adaptation is to give him a pass (by stark contrast with the much cuddlier Mr Bennets of most other productions).
Would I call it faithful? Not universally, but it is the most engaged with the novel IMO. I don't think anything is so faithful that an adaptation can be a perfect interpretation that shouldn't ever be tried again and done better, but it is the most faithful P&P out there for me, still.
Would I recommend it to a P&P fan? That's a bit harder. It's aesthetically/cinematically dated and in some ways, it's better as interpretation than as television. For people who aren't used to that staid late 70s BBC approach ... idk, it can be a tough sell. I wouldn't casually recommend it, I guess, just because the contrast with the polish of the 1995 and the beauty of the 2005 is so stark. But for people who can look past that 70s BBC period drama baggage, there's a lot that's really interesting and engaging about it.
I certainly prefer it to the 1995, but since I intensely dislike the 1995, that's not saying a whole lot. It's probably more useful on my end to say that I just really love the 1980 P&P, despite having criticisms of it. I don't even know how many times I've watched it. For me, it's a joy.
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lochiels · 1 year
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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1980) ✧ Episode One
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smolfangirl · 2 months
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Finally started watching Pride and Prejudice 1980 and so far I found it quite enjoyable 😄 I'm most delighted by how bearable Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins are - not one time was I inclined to sink into the ground so far!
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veritablydumb · 13 days
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Pride and Prejudice 1980
Episode 1 | Opening Credits
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bookwormchocaholic · 5 months
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Every time I rewatch Pride and Prejudice 1980, I like it more and more.
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eveninmyh3art · 1 month
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strong defender of pride and prejudice 1980, 1940, and zombies as my favorite underrated austen adaptations btw
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nerdyrevelries · 8 months
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My requirements for a P&P adaptation are that
Mr. Collins is big and has no concept of his own awkwardness. He must think he is a gift to the world while everyone else sees him for what he is.
Mary Bennet is awkward in a lovable way that makes you like her even as she is singing badly.
Mr. Collins has a little theme song.
By these criteria, 1980, 1940, and Bride and Prejudice are all perfect adaptations.
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Pride and Prejudice (1980) Dir. Cyril Coke
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mametupa · 8 months
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appleinducedsleep · 1 year
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Pride and Prejudice (1980) 🎥
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whitelilyofrohan · 2 years
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Mr. Darcy: champion at pining from afar.
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anghraine · 11 months
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I finished some grading, so I'm celebrating by actually finishing my monologue about why my ideal adapted Darcy would be a fusion of two unpopular versions—Laurence Olivier's (1940) and David Rintoul's (1980).
I already gave my rationale on the Olivier front here; the short version is that Olivier!Darcy leans into the smiling, snappy, polished banter from Darcy that is so often overhauled into brooding. It's not all that there is to him in the book, obviously, and the Olivier version definitely gets way off track, but I do think it catches something about the character that is often lost.
The Olivier post ended: But there is also a whole other, subtler side to him that I think is really important, and that one is far better represented (IMO) by Rintoul’s Darcy. So onto my actual favorite Darcy, the infamously peculiar Darcy of the 1979/1980 P&P mini-series.
For context, I'm going to back up a bit and talk about something I've discussed many times before, but which is particularly relevant to this version. For all of canon Darcy's assurance in other ways, I think there's a distinct strain of awkwardness in his character—not shyness as such, but discomfort and difficulty in a wide range of social situations.
He avoids dancing whenever he can manage it, except with Elizabeth. When he becomes interested in her, he hangs out nearby and pays attention to her conversations with other people to work himself up to talking to her himself. He feels ill at ease around strangers and finds it difficult to identify their tones and expressions.
His own default, public expression seems to be quite low-affect. For instance, when sensible, observant Charlotte is looking for signs of interest in Elizabeth from him, she can't tell if Darcy really is interested in Elizabeth or simply absent-minded. Elizabeth completely mistakes his expressions on multiple occasions in the last third of the book as well as the earlier parts. At Rosings, Darcy says it's difficult for him to show interest. Even when he's not trying to be off-putting, he intimidates a number of other characters, from early in the book to the end of it. When he's actively being pleasant and successfully trying to make a good impression, the Gardiners still notice a certain stiff formality about him.
His early position seems to be that his discomfort negates his obligation to treat those outside his circle of friends, relatives, and dependents with courtesy. He evolves to putting in the effort to at least try to be pleasant and courteous—but the attempt does not always succeed. At the end of the novel, he remains uneasy around most of the Meryton community, and his manner towards them is easily read as stiff and cold (even to Elizabeth).
Significantly, Elizabeth evolves from wholly dismissing his discomfort to trying to shield him from the people who make him the most uncomfortable. IMO, this is part of her movement away from projecting what she wants to see onto people (Bingley, Charlotte, Wickham, Darcy) to trying to understand them in a more honest way.
Darcy was too quick to excuse himself, but I think these situations are hard for him in a way that Elizabeth initially dismissed. She ultimately comes to understand this about him, to the point of becoming actively protective of him—which reads really differently if he could handle these situations perfectly well with zero real awkwardness or discomfort if he just tried harder. But a) I prefer not to see Elizabeth's arc culminating in her becoming a doormat and b) I think Darcy's sense of unease and formal awkwardness is quite clearly established throughout the novel.
Okay. The point of all this is that the Darcy who can be stiff, formal, who struggles with expression, who is so uncomfortable that he makes everyone else uncomfortable, too—that's all there in Rintoul's Darcy, dialed up to eleven. It even pervades his demeanor at Pemberley, when he's clearly putting in effort with the Gardiners, but there's still that awkward rigidity and reserve about him.
I don't feel like Rintoul's Darcy is shy per se, and he's not awkward in the sense of being clueless like Mr Collins—I think there's a certain sophistication about Rintoul!Darcy's formality, excessive though it is. But damn is he uncomfortable. It's so relentless and so intense that he's uncomfortable to watch, because the 1980 P&P doesn't feel the need to make him relatable or a familiar romantic type. He's just this kind of peculiar person who ended up as the main love interest, and only really opens up at the very, very end, after Elizabeth accepts his proposal.
To be clear, I do think it goes too far in this direction and does lose sight of the Darcy who is clever and gets caught up quick, smiling banter. But I do respect the disinterest in shoving him into a typical male lead box and the willingness to let him be odd, even unappealing at times.
So while it would be difficult to combine these—I realize that—my ideal version would fuse the quick-witted, articulate side of his character that we see supercharged with Olivier's Darcy, with the uncomfortable and formal side that we see dialed up with Rintoul's. It's complex, but I don't think it's so complex that it couldn't be done, especially in the traditional mini-series format.
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