DVD Reviews

Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition) – DVD Review

By June L. Apr 27, 2010, 17:00 GMT

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE has taken its place as one of the greatest television productions of all time. The landmark adaptation from A&E and the BBC captured the hearts of millions by seamlessly translating the wit, romance, and intelligence of Jane Austen s classic novel to the screen.With a masterful script, deft direction, and star-making performances from Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE transports viewers to Georgian England, where ...more

For those who love the Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle version of Jane Austen’s timeless classic Pride & Prejudice, the wait for perfection is over.  Out awhile back only on Blu-ray, we now have a DVD version of the digitally restored production that provides the correct details that fans have been craving. 

Accompanied by a nice selection of bonus features, this is the best DVD version available of the series. 

It has been sheer pleasure to watch this production again from beginning to end. It looks fresh and all the careful attention to period style, decoration, architecture and manners can be appreciated more fully than ever.  As noted in the blu-ray review, the colors have been corrected by taking this version directly from the negative using the most current technologies available. 

That is the first major improvement, as the characters look vibrant and lively, not overly red or strangely pale green as in earlier releases.  Additional benefits of newer technologies can be heard in the sound quality which is perfected with this restoration and scenes flow seamlessly without any interruption in the viewing experience. 

The love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy never loses its charm.  Jane Austen touches each generation with words that are exquisitely accurate, revealing depth of emotions in her characters. 

They run the gamut from love to disdain, humor to tragedy, generosity to thoughtlessness, with wondrous side moments of greed, silliness, honesty, betrayal, friendship, respect and all the facets of human nature. 

This production of Pride & Prejudice captures that elegance of language and through the superb work of the actors translates it to a visual as well as audio experience.  21st Century audiences can relate to the people and the action, even though the story was written (in its first form) over 200 years ago.

Pride & Prejudice the new DVD version is presented on two discs with a running time of 5 hours and 23 minutes for the feature presentation.  The bonuses are delightful.  The featurette Lasting Impressions is a wonderful collection of interviews and reminiscences by cast members and production crew. 

For those who want to know more about the staging and filming of the production there is a wealth of information ranging from technical challenges to very personal memories, such as Allison Steadman (Mrs. Bennet) discussing the woeful lack of mascara as the make up artists were true to the time period.

Fans may be disappointed that there are no new interviews with some of the principle characters (Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, and Susannah Harker to name a few.)  “An Impromptu Walkabout with Lucy Briers and Adrian Lukis” takes viewers to various scenes of the shoot with the actors who played Mary Bennet and Mr. Wickham, again with personal memories and insights into the production.

“Turning Point” takes a close look at Pride & Prejudice 1995 as a watermark in the filming and presentation of historical or literary dramas, and “Uncovering the Technical Restoration Process” allows viewers to see what was done in terms of technical processing to make this DVD of such high quality. 

If you have never seen this production, now it the time to own it and enjoy it for years to come, or if you know a Jane Austen fan, this will most likely be on their wish list.

Visit the DVD database for more information.