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Rating:  -
Everyone who just can't get enough Pride and Prejudice will LOVE this book. It's got a ton of pictures...stills, behind the scenes shots, and everything else you could possibly want. There are interviews with the cast and crew, detailed production information, and a list of filming locations...some of which you can actually visit! Several properties used, including Lyme Park in Cheshire, are owned by the National Trust, and open to visitors.
Unlike the companion book that was published for the ITV Emma movie, there is not a script included, but honestly, it won't be missed! Besides, so many of us have the dialog committed to memory, the script would be a redundancy!
Rating: -
I absolutely enjoyed looking behind the scenes of one of my favorite miniseries of all time. I have watched the series several times, and I found this book to really add to the experience. I was most surprised to see the cast photos of how they look in real life! If you enjoyed the series, I think you will enjoy seeing how it was filmed, what makeup and wigs were used, how the costumes were acquired and more!
Rating: -
Regardless of what prompted you to fall in love with the the sumptuous BBC/A&E production of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, you'll love this companion book, which fills in the background to an almost unprecedented degree.
Written in chatty style by the producer, Sue Birtwistle, and script editor Susie Conklin, the book begins with the very first idea (in 1986) of bringing one of the most loved books in the English language to the screen once again, concluding with the Christmas wedding of Eliza Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The six-hour, six million dollar production very nearly brought England to a standstill during the weekly broadcasts, as an estimated 40 million Brits were glued to the telly to see this (then) one-hundred-seventy-eight year old book brought to life. Almost no detail was allowed to be missed by the scrupulous inspection of the production crew. A few items were anachronistic, but calculatedly so; most notably, the billiard table, and Mr. Darcy's "cool-off" swim.
Each member of the technical staff -- director, casting, costumes -- speaks in his/her own voice, giving reasons for each particular choice made. Even the horse ridden by Mr. Darcy was auditioned. Contemporary pictures were used as much as possible to provide accuracy in costume and hairstyle. Meticulous attention was given to the dancing and the music, of which there is an abundance. Such minor considerations as the number of musicians employed at each dance venue exemplify the care taken with the production. Equally so, the food (of which there was more than enough to make the actors as well as the table groan) was specially prepared from recipes of the time by the appropriately-named chef for the series, Colin Capon, who specializes in period food for the BBC.
The book abounds with color photos, delineating in great detail how reality-based this production really was. In the end, however, it is the broad shoulders of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy upon which the success of the production rests. As the physical embodiment of the absolutely perfect Regency hero, he smolders wonderfully through the first three hours, sounding very like the young Richard Burton, when he does speak. A female of any age can easily be forgiven for wishing his liquid, dark and expressive eyes, as he surreptitiously follows Eliza Bennet around the room, would gaze at her in just that way. In perfect stillness, those eyes express the depth of his longing for Eliza, as well as his bewilderment by that longing, unsuitable as he deems her to be as a marriage partner.
Eventually, it is her sparkling intelligence and ready wit that win him to her, but only after she has brought him to his knees by refusing his first arrogant proposal. (Mr. Firth candidly explains how he arrived at that scene, in the ten-page chapter nine, "A Conversation with Colin Firth.") Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth was perfectly winsome and charming with her 'fine eyes', a beautiful smile, and an obvious intellect, not readily apparent in her three younger sisters.
Although the book doesn't specifically say so, attention must also have been paid during the casting process to those young ladies who were, perhaps, rather more well-endowed in the bosom department. The necklines of the various gowns are treacherously low, in some cases, which, when coupled with the very vigorous dancing, could make one understand the necessity for the close chaperonage of young women of the Regency. Not to mention those nearly skin-tight 'unmentionables' worn by all the young men!
We should all concentrate on wishing for another such production, especially if it would include the estimable 'Mr. Darcy'.
Rating:  -
A wonderful adjunct to the A&E miniseries, this book will delight anyone who liked the video. It is especially good for aspiring set and costume designers, producers, actors or anyone wanting to get more involved in film production. I especially liked the depth of the interview with Colin Firth, regarding why he took the role of Mr. Darcy, and the inner motivations he used to make his portrayal more authentic. I enjoyed the video in a renewed way after understanding Darcy's reasoning in key scenes. I would have liked more of this kind of in-depth interview from the other principal actors. Long live Pride & Prejudice, and Jane Austen adaptations as good as this one.
Rating: -
This "behind-the-scenes" book is fantastic! As an avid fan of the miniseries (I own the video, and have watched it 7 times!), as well as the book, I thought I knew all there was to know about Pride and Prejudice. I learned the error of my thinking when I bought this book. The amount of information included in this book is invaluable. From background on the costume design to words from the composer and choreographer to a very interesting interview with Colin Firth (Darcy in the film), this book covered everything I could possibly wish to know, and more. A feature I found especially fascinating was a diary of an entire day of the filming of the miniseries - no small feat, from how the diary reads! The movie stills are as gorgeous as the action film itself, and the candid photos were hilarious! I also liked how quotations from Austen's novel were included in sidebars with stills from the film to enhance the understanding of a particular area of technical work. This "making of" book is a treasure in and of itself, and a wonderful companion to the stunning miniseries.
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