5 Best Jane Austen Adaptations to Transport You Straight to 18th Century England
Who hasn't fantasized about stepping inside a Jane Austen book?
Jane Austen described the mores of her time and the problems facing women of her day. Two centuries later, her observations and remarks have lost none of their sharpness.
Filmmakers continue to turn to her novels, finding in them either a sparkling comedy or a great tragedy.
1. Pride and Prejudice, 1995
Fans of the novel consider the BBC miniseries to be the best adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The format of the series allowed the creators to treat the plot carefully, and the life, clothing and manners of the characters in Simon Langton's work generally correspond to England at the beginning of the 19th century.
Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, who play the roles of Elizabeth and Darcy, became worldwide famous right after the release. Previously, Firth was not particularly fond of Austen's work and twice tried to turn down the role. However, the character, which at first seemed flat to the actor, but was adored by the entire female half of humanity, led him to one of the most successful modernized versions of Pride and Prejudice – Bridget Jones's Diary.
2. Pride & Prejudice, 2005
Perhaps the most famous of Jane Austen's six novels, it is adapted at least once every decade. To this day, Joe Wright's version of the relationship between the observant Elizabeth and the almost perfect Darcy remains the most striking.
The role of Elizabeth was played by Keira Knightley, and her Mr. Darcy was Matthew Macfadyen, who had made his debut seven years earlier in Wuthering Heights.
3. Sense and Sensibility, 1995
1995 was the 220th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. No wonder there were so many movies made to celebrate it. Emma Thompson took on the adaptation of the novel Sense and Sensibility and also played one of the main roles.
The cast for the film version of Austen's first published work was unique. Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet looked great next to Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman.
4. Becoming Jane, 2007
This movie is not based on a novel, but on the original letters of the author. Unfortunately, after Jane's death, many of them were corrected or even completely destroyed by her sister Cassandra. The whole family then took seriously the task of preserving their good name, and all human frailties were quickly erased from Jane's biography.
The materials recovered by the researchers made it possible to recreate the love story of Jane Austen herself. Her marriage to the young lawyer Thomas Lefroy was impossible due to the low income of both families, but we always want to believe in a miracle, right? Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy gave the audience a feeling of fairy tale that could become a reality.
5. Emma, 2020
A modern adaptation of the book of the same name, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. The movie centres on the rich and beautiful Emma Woodhouse, who lives with her father. Her main hobby is matchmaking, but can she build her own happiness?
Despite the fact that the movie differs from the original source, it contains the charm of 19th century England. There are many historical references, so the attentive viewer will be completely immersed in the England of the Victorian era.