Pride and Prejudice Will Never Translate Perfectly to the Screen. Here’s Why.
There’s a crucial element missing from every film adaptation.
The Janeite world is buzzing right now with the news that Netflix is slated to adapt Pride and Prejudice for the small (laptop) screen. Or the large screen, if you have a smart TV. Or the even smaller screen if you’re watching on your phone in bed at night when the kids are asleep.
Few details are available yet. The series is probably still a long way off; it is a series, not a two-hour film; Dolly Alderton is reported to be writing the screenplay; Daisy Edgar-Jones might be playing Elizabeth Bennet. Though Netflix hasn’t confirmed this, it’s likely they’re trying to cash in on the lucrative success of Bridgerton. And it’s unlikely that they actually read any of the critical reviews of their 2022 Persuasion.
I know how cynical I sound. Honestly, I wish I COULD be excited about a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (even if I chose to ignore the fact that lots of other classics could use a new film adaptation!) but I think there’s a crucial aspect missing from every P&P thus far and that missing aspect is why no film version truly gets it right.
(I need to preface this by saying the adaptations of P&P that I have seen are as follows…
