The variety of Austen adaptations


WORDS: Lola Boorman, Jenny Duffy, Kathleen Girvan, Ciara Forristal

It has been two hundred years since the publication of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s most famous novel. The novel’s anniversary has been celebrated with the launch of a series of modernised versions of Austen novels, festivals, documentaries, stamps and more, as well as the recent film release of Austenland, based on Shannon Hale’s novel about a Darcy-obsessed New Yorker who travels to England for an immersive Austen experience. The vast array of Pride and Prejudice adaptations that have appeared on screen over the last two hundred years have given us everything from wet shirts to time travel, Bollywood and more…

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Widely considered the seminal adaptation of Austen’s novel, this classic Emmy award-winning mini-series gave us what the Guardian described as “one of the most unforgettable moments in television history”: Colin Firth coming out of that lake. What was originally intended by the screenwriters as an amusingly embarrassing moment for Mr Darcy, ended up creating an unexpected sexual energy between the leads, gaining the hitherto relatively unknown Firth a legion of devoted female admirers. “Darcy Fever” was born. The visual sexiness of this scene contrasts to the relative sexlessness of Austen’s novel. The writers, evidently, acknowledged the probability that a modern television audience would not respond to the novel’s lack of passion. What this adaptation succeeded in doing was to culturally transform Austen from a writer of biting social commentary to the ultimate romance myth-maker. To a large extent, the writers faithfully adhered to Austen’s novel, and Andrew Davies’ meticulous direction ensured that it was as authentic as possible. Yet there is still a sense that the satirical dynamic in Austen’s story is somewhat erased; its subtle nuances subsumed into an overarching, sanguine romantic theme.

Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)

This film version of Helen Fielding’s best-selling novel chronicles a year in the life of the eponymous Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger). The film humorously mirrors Austen’s novel and self-consciously (and confessionally) interacts with both Fielding and Austen novels. Fielding not only uses Pride and Prejudice as inspiration, but also draws on the 1995 BBC mini-series — the director even casts Colin Firth as Darcy, and Andrew Davies collaborates on the screenplay. Superficially it may appear that the film has little connecting it to Austen’s classic, but rather than merely imitating the plot, it projects the novel’s content into a modern setting. While the film and its corresponding novel have come up against hefty feminist criticism, it is this dialogue Fielding constructs with the Austen text which demonstrates the relevance and longevity of Pride and Prejudice and its central issues. It is one of the few adaptations which attempts to negotiate issues of female identity which is at the heart of Austen’s novel.

Bride and Prejudice (2004)

Aishwarya Rai plays Austen’s protagonist, Lalita, who crosses swords with American visitor William Darcy (Martin Henderson) who is unreceptive to Indian traditions and culture. Although Austen’s story is merely an added gloss to the typical Bollywood storyline, it demonstrates that Austen is not culturally outdated and fundamentally Euro-centric. However, the multicultural aspect of this modern adaptation re-affirms the ‘double bind’ that women from non-Western countries face in both the media and literature. Not only is Lalita pressured into marrying, she also has to endure the “Othering” of her culture at the hands of Mr Darcy. Lalita and her family are not only saved from financial ruin by her marriage to Darcy but elevated within society due to this marital connection to the West. Unlike Austen’s novel, where Elizabeth’s state of grace naturally enabled her assimilation into Mr. Darcy’s society, the inherent cultural biases present in this adaptation ensure that Lalita will struggle to be seen as an equal within her marriage.

Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012)

Lizzie Bennet Diaries has succeeded in updating Pride and Prejudice for an internet-savvy audience, while maintaining the spirit of the original text. It won an Emmy award for Original Interactive Program, recognising its engagement with different forms of social media. Lizzie Bennet is a college student, and the tale is told through her video diaries. The storyline has been updated for the 21st century — for example, Mr Collins’ proposal is one of business, not marriage. This adaptation also succeeds in enriching the character of Lydia Bennet, showing the vulnerability beneath her bold attitude, and revealing how manipulative her relationship with Wickham is. The diary format results in many of the events of the novel being related to the audience second-hand, through the use of costume theatre. As the other characters begin to appear in the videos, we get a sense of Lizzie’s prejudice. The suspense leading up to Darcy’s appearance is delightful, and the tension between the two is as strong here as it is in Austen’s text.

Austenland

Recently released in cinemas, this romantic comedy follows the exploits of Jane, an American woman who splurges her life savings on a trip to Austenland, a Jane Austen theme park in England, as a last-ditch attempt to cure herself of her all-consuming obsession with her favourite Regency author, and infatuation with Colin Firth’s Darcy (of whom she has a life-sized cardboard cut-out in her living room). While being ridiculous and slightly farcical, the film revels in its own daftness, and provides light entertainment for Austen-addicts. This film captures the symptomatic nature of the cultural phenomenon surrounding Austen, which results in women being hopeless romantics, awaiting the arrival of Darcy in the form of a brooding and seemingly complex individual behind a haughty countenance. Ironically, Elizabeth Bennet is one of Austen’s least romantically minded protagonists and has yet become the paragon of romantic love in both literature and film alike. Austenland demonstrates, perhaps unintentionally, just how far the intention of Pride and Prejudice has been misconstrued. The critique of obsessive, fervent fans becomes more potent when the audience realises how much genuine Austen elements have been erased; how we, the fans, have become so far removed from the original text.

The enduring appeal of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is apparent in its constant revival in film and television adaptations, which not only ensure that this novel appeals to new audiences but also continues to whet the appetites of Austen devotees. However, adaptations, particularly those of the modern variety, can walk a fine line between the creative innovation of the literary material and its blatant exploitation for additional gravitas. The insularity of Austen’s world has been explored in a vast myriad of forms from its origins in the regency period, to modern day Britain and America and as far as India but their best features lie in their ability to interrogate the underlying tensions, conflicts and ills within society behind the facade of traditional, cultural and societal manners and customs.

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