It's time to talk about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the most enduring novels in English literature. It is a story so timeless that countless adaptations have been made - both official and not so officialapproaching the source material from all kinds of perspectives. As well as inspiring film adaptations, Austen's novel has also spawned a world of related stories, including Janet Aylmer's bestseller The Darcy Tale and the more recent Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which fuses period drama with ultra-violent zombies - horrors. .

Due to the sheer breadth of adaptations, it can be tricky to discern which one is "best". For starters, there's the mix of faithful adaptations versus those loosely inspired by the 1813 novel, such as the Bollywood-style Bride & Prejudice or the Emmy-winning The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. For the sake of simplicity, let's stick to direct adaptations, which sit firmly within the text of the novel and carve their own legacy around it.

I will argue about that the most popular the adaptation is Joe Wright's 2005 version with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen (the arm bending scene single-handedly cemented its appeal), followed by the 1995 BBC series starring Jennifer Elle and Colin Firth. The latter is truly brilliant, as it manages to bring neglected aspects of the novel to life, while offering a deliciously complex performance of Mr. Darcy, perfectly balanced by the bubbly, quick-witted Elizabeth.

However, Rotten Tomatoes ranks the 1940 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice as the best, which sporting a perfect 100% on the Tomatometer with good reason. Let's take a closer look at this Oscar winner.

Author and playwright Helen Jerome wrote a stage adaptation of Austen's novel in 1935, which premiered at the Music Box Theater in New York, starring Adrian Allen and Colin Keith-Johnston. The continued popularity of this theatrical version directly influenced the 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice, which combined elements of the novel with Jerome's interpretation, resulting in a somewhat watered-down but still commendable adaptation that deserves to be revisited again and again. again.

Big names were attached to the project, including Brave New World author Aldous Huxley, who wrote the script with playwright Jane Marfin, and Laurence Olivier, who stepped into Mr. Darcy's shoes. Prolific actress Greer Garson ("Madame Curie," "Sunrise at Campobello") takes up the mantle of Elizabeth Bennet, imbuing the character with a bursting satirical wit that takes on new meaning in this pointed comedy of manners.

While the film sticks to the basic beats of Austen's story, it has fun with the liberties it takes. For example, when news of the occupied Netherfield estate breaks, Mrs. Bennet (Mary Boland) engages in an intense chariot race against Lady Lucas (Marjorie Wood) so that she can deliver the news to her husband before anyone else. . This kinetic sequence illustrates just how far she's willing to go to secure her daughters' future (sometimes, a little too far).

Garson is delightfully charming as Elizabeth. Her characterization is a little shallow compared to the versions that succeeded her, but that has everything to do with how the script makes her seem volatile and indecisive. Olivier's Darcy has nothing of the anxious awkwardness central to most portrayals of the character: if anything, he's too friendly. The shift in perspective we're meant to experience regarding the two leads is abrupt rather than gradual, and their relationship, while worth rooting for, feels removed from the heart of Austen's throbbing world.

However, the 1940 version began a trajectory of better Jane Austen adaptations that would ultimately cement the legacy of these timeless storiesretold with shifting lenses and perspectives. If you want a fun, light-hearted take on Pride and Prejudice that ventures in new directions, this Garçon-Olivier joint is worth your time.