Article and Analytical Writing

Below is an essay about how to take a character's inner turmoil, easily expressed through novel prose, and show it through film. I compared Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to present how he resembles themes expressed in writing and shows it through a visual medium.

Film adaptations of novels work to adapt words into visual images. They take the internal elements of characters and represent them through moving pictures. To take the narration of Jane Austen’s works and make it visual is a daunting feat that many filmmakers have attempted to undertake. In Joe Wright’s 2005 adaption, Pride & Prejudice, visual techniques such as settings in nature and close-up shots of symbols help guide the audience through the themes of the novel. In Wright’s adaptation, he focuses on Elizabeth’s earthly demeanor and how it figures into her journey of love. The reappearing close-up shots of symbols help to represent themes of marriage and innocence. Also, the camera action of circling point-of-view shots positions the viewer in the headspace of Elizabeth’s confusion or contemplation. Instead of cheesy voice-over dialogue, Wright relies on the camera to make the audience understand the emotions of the main characters. Wright has the camera act as the narrator of the story.  

At the start of the movie, only a dark screen is shown before the viewer. All that is to be noticed is the chirping of birds. A slow dissolve reveals our first visual symbol, nature. Nature in the form of a meadow at dawn as the delicate sound of non-diegetic piano keys appears. This is the establishing shot for the setting and tone of the story. It presents a hopeful tone with the rising of the sun across the meadow. As Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “We need the tonic of wildness...We can never have enough of nature” (Walden; or, Life in the Woods 319). The audience is introduced to the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, as she walks outside while reading. Reading in nature is Elizabeth’s action verb into being acquainted with the audience. If Elizabeth first appeared on the screen reading indoors she could be portrayed as a homebody or reclusive. Instead, our first glance of Elizabeth is in the serenity of the wild as she admires her book before entering the chaos of the Bennet household. Nature is a symbol of escape for Elizabeth. It is a sanctuary where she can read in peace and contemplate. The starting image of nature is a focus on the natural course this romance will play out. It also becomes an image representing Elizabeth’s own identity. She too is wild with her opinions and pride. Elizabeth is a free-spirited woman. She never has a set plan like other heroines such as Emma Woodhouse or Elinor Dashwood. Instead, she goes wherever seems right at the moment. There is no better symbol to represent a free spirit than nature.

In addition, nature is a tool of beauty for Elizabeth. When Elizabeth finds out Jane is sick at Bingley’s residence, she takes it upon herself to walk the three miles to see her sister. Upon arriving at Netherfield Park with her hem muddied and her face flushed, Mr. Darcy becomes “divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone” (70). This is an important appearance of Elizabeth as it shows her agency to take care of her sister and Darcy’s interest in her romantically. To visually portray Darcy’s interest in Elizabeth is a hard task as a lot of Darcy’s turmoil in the novel is internally oppressed. In the novel, Darcy does not act like he is infatuated with Elizabeth. His admiration is usually outweighed by his doubts. Wright decides to show Darcy’s admiration by having Darcy hesitate before rising from his seat. The proper action would be for a man to rise as the woman enters the room. However, Darcy’s pause to stand is a physical portrayal of his inner struggle to suppress his admiration for Elizabeth’s beauty. A beauty that has been bestowed by walking across the meadows to Netherfield Park.

From the opening shot, we know that Elizabeth enjoys walking outside. However, the context of such an activity needing justification is expressed by Elizabeth’s mother's and sisters' concerns as Elizabeth goes out to walk. Later on, Ms. Bingley comments to Mr. Darcy that Elizabeth “looked barbaric”. This is changed from Elizabeth “looking wild” in the books. However, “barbaric” and “wild” are both attempts to make it notable that Elizabeth is different and doesn't fit the traditional Ms. Bingley's ideals. She is willing to conquer the muddy landscape to provide comfort for her sister. It makes Elizabeth look heroic during an Austenian era. The decision to change the word to “barbaric” heightens the image of Elizabeth having heroic qualities. She is not dainty, possibly not even polished. Instead, Elizabeth is an untamable and independent young lady. 

Setting can also be a device for the director to reflect a character’s inner thoughts. Wright has stated a reason for many of the exterior shots is that it occurred to him, “that love is an elemental force, and I wanted to set it in the context of the other elements” (Indiewire). There is a sequence where Elizabeth is traveling to the Peak District with the Gardiners. The sequence begins with her eyes closed and the moving shadows of leaves passing by. The next scene opens with a grand wide shot of Elizabeth standing at the edge of a cliff looking out to the peaks. Her dress and coat flapping wildly in the wind. After Mr. Darcy, a man Elizabeth thought disliked her, has already proposed and written to her explaining his complicated history with Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth returns to her safe haven. She stands among nature to contemplate if her judgments on Darcy were too harsh. A close-up of a contemplative Elizabeth with only clouds in the background visually shows that her head is "in the clouds". The force of the elements around her like the gusty wind parallels Elizabeth's whirling confusion towards Mr. Darcy.

After a wordy battle with Catherine de Borough, Elizabeth takes refuge in the meadow where coincidentally Mr. Darcy is also walking across. This is an important scene because it is where Darcy and Elizabeth confess their love for one another. It also is the same meadow that the audience is shown in the opening shot of the movie. As the book states, Darcy reacts to Elizabeth’s profession of requited love by a “Heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him” (366). However, this is not noticeable in the movie. Instead, Darcy appears more fragile by his soft-spoken monologue and stuttering to say “I love you”. He appears shocked by Elizabeth grabbing his hand to kiss it. They rest against each other and appear at peace rather than elated. Wright has swapped elation for a moment of calm upon their confessions because of the surroundings. Nature is Elizabeth's calm place away from her chaotic family. Elizabeth has seen the struggles women around her go through to get married. Even her and Darcy’s relationship has not been the easiest. Yet, their romance is one that does not feel manufactured when compared to other couples like Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship has naturally formed through the elements around them. They are not in a garden at their engagement but in a wild meadow. Gardens are maintained and structured. Instead, the meadow parallels their own uncontrollable attraction to one another. Their romance is one that has been a wild journey to arrive at the conclusion of their admiration for one another.

The second visual symbol in the movie is Mr. Darcy’s hand. His hand symbolizes the prospect of marriage which is the main topic of Pride and Prejudice. Even Mr. Bennet makes the statement, “Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then” (167). An English woman’s main goal up until the 20th century was to marry. There was no prospect but to be a wife or else she would fall to spinsterhood. The close-ups of Mr. Darcy’s hand in the movie is a way for Wright to remind the audience of the film’s objective which is for Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to marry. The close-ups set a destiny for Mr. Darcy to marry Elizabeth. The audience is not to pay more attention to Mr. Collins, Mr. Wickham or Mr. Bingley. It is Mr. Darcy’s hand that matters because it is the one that Elizabeth is destined to hold. The first time Darcy’s hand is shot up close is when he offers it to assist Elizabeth into the carriage. This is their first time touching. It is a chivalrous step, yet unexpected. The interesting part of the scene is that the camera tracks Darcy’s hand as he walks away. Then Mr. Darcy flexes his hand. At the time of this scene in the novel Darcy’s feelings are confused, “He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention… She attracted him more than he liked” (94). While stretching out his hand is not such a dramatic proclamation as the description Austen wrote, it does provide a contrast from when he politely offered it to Elizabeth. It shows tension for his actions towards Elizabeth. The first time the audience is made to look at Mr. Darcy’s hand is in a conflicting context. It creates an obstacle for the goal- to end up married.

         The next close-up surrounding Darcy’s hand is Elizabeth and Darcy’s reacquaintance at Pemberley after she has rejected his proposal. Originally at the time of this interaction, it is noted, “that [Darcy] was asking some odd unconnected questions — about her pleasure in being at Hunsford, her love of solitary walks…” (205). In the film this understanding of her love of walks is done by Elizabeth stating, “I’m very fond of walking,” and Darcy’s eager answer with, “Yes. Yes, I know.” It seems Elizabeth is again struck by his attention towards her interests. As discussed before, nature has a special connection with Elizabeth’s soul. For him to notice Elizabeth’s love of walking is an intimate understanding of who Elizabeth is. It shows his acceptance of her wild side. More surprisingly, is Darcy still appears interested even after Elizabeth has rejected him. It is then after Elizabeth regains her composure and bids goodbye that the camera pans back to Darcy’s hand after she has walked away. As we know Darcy’s hand is an indicator of the story’s objective. The shot is a reminder that Mr. Darcy still cares to marry Elizabeth. However, unlike the first time, Mr. Darcy seems more assure of his intentions as his hand does not fidget or flex. It is dead still.

The last important shot of Darcy’s hand is when Elizabeth finally accepts it. We have talked about this scene in regards to its significant setting, the meadow. Additionally, the scene is important because finally Darcy’s hand is taken by Elizabeth, their objective is met. This is met by Elizabeth declaring in the movie, “Your hands are cold.” Darcy’s offer of marriage has been coldly received by Elizabeth but now Elizabeth accepts to keep it warm. However, this mention of Darcy’s hands is not combined with a close-up shot of his hand because the goal has been achieved. Darcy’s hand is no longer single. Instead, it is accompanied by Elizabeth’s hands. There is also playing with the weather and temperature in the romantic story. Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship in the books is rather cold but still electric with tension. However, love is warm. Once in love, it is comforting to have found someone that brings solace. The mention of Darcy’s hand being cold plays with his long journey of frigidity composed from his pride. However, with the warmth of Elizabeth’s hand that inner conflict is now resolved.

Another visual symbol that Wright has added to the movie is the appearance of a white handkerchief. This symbol is Wright’s own creation of “using staging and camera, either separately or in combination, [to indicate] to the audience that something significant has happened or foreshadows that something significant is about to happen” (Proferes 22). In the case of the white handkerchief, Wright foreshadows the Lydia and Wickham subplot. The first appearance of the white handkerchief is Lydia taking it out and throwing it out to the soldiers marching through town. Except, it is not picked up by any soldier because they all are too busy marching to pay any attention to a frilly handkerchief. The handkerchief gets trampled and dirty by the soldiers. The color white symbolizes purity and weddings. Lydia’s dirty handkerchief symbolizes her dirtied reputation by eloping with Mr. Wickham. She will soil her virginity and the chance of a pure wedding by having a quick ceremony paid for by Mr. Darcy.

However, the second time the handkerchief is shown is when Mr. Wickham picks it up to hand back to Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s white handkerchief may look similar to Lydia’s but it travels more smoothing as Wright shows it maneuvering through the wind. It looks more angelic when it falls at Wickham’s feet versus Lydia’s being trampled over. A handkerchief is used for cleaning up and in more chivalrous moments offered by men to help a fair maiden with wiping her tears. At first, Wickham presents himself a gentleman by picking up the handkerchief for Miss Elizabeth Bennet. It is a gesture symbolizing Wickham will not soil Elizabeth’s reputation. Instead, Elizabeth will remain pure, unlike her baby sister. Upon watching these moments of the handkerchief it is hard for the audience to immediately understand its significance. Yet, the audience does see there is importance with the handkerchiefs because of its staging on the screen. The handkerchief gets the same treatment as Mr. Darcy’s hand. It gets its own close-up. Close-ups are key shots to focus the audience’s eye on the details of a shot. Close-ups on faces allow the audience to see the actor’s nuances in their performance. Similarly, for a handkerchief, a close-up allows its importance to be acknowledged and the intricacies to be paid attention to. If Wright had a wide shot of the handkerchief traveling through its surrounding then the commentary would be more about innocence in that particular setting. The close-up though is making a point more closely on innocence and that who holds it.

The next technique Wright uses to portray the inner dialogue from the novels is through action with the reoccurrence of the camera spinning and swirling around Elizabeth. This is a way that the director’s “Staging makes physical what is internal…it helps make the psychology of a character more available to the audience” (Proferes 30). The first time this jarring circling of the camera is used is during Darcy and Elizabeth’s first dance. It becomes a scene of tension after Mr. Darcy says to Elizabeth in regards to the falling out between him and Mr. Wickham, “I hope to afford you more clarity in the future.” This is a moment of confusion for Elizabeth not only shown by Keira Knightley’s acting but by the motion of the camera. She becomes curious about Darcy as is shown in a surrealist moment when everybody in the ballroom disappears. They are the only two dancing because Darcy’s words are the only thing Elizabeth is focusing on. The energy of the camera going round and round is similar to the thoughts in Elizabeth’s head. Wright wants to physically manifest the circulating thoughts and emotions in Elizabeth. It also stages the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. They are always sparring with their words. Verbally, they go around one another to make their own argument and the camera emphasizes that movement of their words. It shows the rhythms of their conversations.

The second time this technique is used is while Elizabeth spins on a swing at the Bennet house. She begins to spin after her dear friend Charlotte Lucas confides in her, “Not all of us can afford to be romantic… I’m already a burden to my parents. And I’m frightened.” Once again, similar to the Peak District sequence, this shot is not described in the novel. There is no mention of Elizabeth on a swing. However, it comes after Jane has gone to London and Charlotte Lucas has married Mr. Collins. It is a cinematic way to show Elizabeth’s stagnant in her surroundings as she swivels around a muddy terrain of the Bennet house. Her contemplation is mirrored with the whirlwind of the camera through her viewpoint. Joe Wright commented in an interview with IndieWire “I was stunned by [Pride and Prejudice] really — it seemed to me the first piece of British realism. It felt so accurately observed, so carefully drawn” (Indiewire) The 360-degree viewpoint of Elizabeth shows the realism of her situation and life at the Bennet household. Some of the social realism that Wright was intrigued by is showcased with the financial situation of the Bennet’s and their not so idyllic home. The camera goes around four times giving a full view of the Bennet courtyard filled with cows, pigs, servants working, mud, and rain falling down. It is a bleak setting. The circling around of Elizabeth on the swing is a visual portrayal of Elizabeth puzzled about her own surroundings and what they mean for her future.

The last scene with this technique is when Elizabeth visits Pemberley. In the novel, Elizabeth’s visit to Pemberley is summarized by the realization, “That to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!” (259). This is first shown with Elizabeth giddy about the size of the estate as she laughs upon first arriving. However, her admiration is heightened in the sculpture gallery. The white sculptures are more dynamic to shoot than a painting gallery like in the novel. First, Elizabeth comes upon a woman veiled with roses that is symbolic of Elizabeth’s own virtue. The circling reappears to show Elizabeth surrounded by the art of the human body. Art that belongs to Mr. Darcy. The sculptures allow for more romantic undertones as Elizabeth examines the marble sculptures of nude male bodies. The circling is intensified as she examines these marvelous forms of the male physique and becomes curiously intrigued by them. Then the circling stops as she arrives at the bust of Mr. Darcy. The circulation of the camera has been a motif to represent confusion. So, when it eventually stops on Mr. Darcy, the audience comes to understand that Elizabeth is no longer confused about her opinions on Mr. Darcy. This is the last scene where the camera circles around. Elizabeth’s feelings towards Darcy are unchangeable as she understands she is in love with the man.

         Instead of relying on dialogue, Wright is able to use cinematic techniques to showcase Elizabeth’s feelings and mindset during pivotal scenes of introspection. Tones from the novel are translated into the medium of film. Settings in nature provide a calm tone to portray Elizabeth’s contemplative side. Furthermore, nature is a symbol of Elizabeth’s wildness by being an intellectually independent lady in a time where independence was not an option for women. There are also moments where inner strives of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from the books are relayed on the screen through energetic circling shots with the camera. Wright also enables the function of close-ups to point out themes and objectives from Austen’s novel such as marriage and purity. These techniques prove that words are not the only tool to manipulate an audience into feeling the same way as the protagonist. Often if adaptations do not stick to the tones of a book it can be a turn-off for fans of the original. While Wright’s version has changed many things from the book, it keeps the tones and themes of the novel. The book and movie are relatable to each other. The camera is able to tell Austen’s novel in a cinematically pleasing story.