Film Review - "Pride and Prejudice"

Cathy Corker
Dr. James Hepworth
English 150 - Intro to Lit
14 December 2009 - Drama Review

Pride and Prejudice
(A film review)
http://clcorker.blogspot.com

This film is an A&E production of Jane Austen's classic novel published in the 1813; one of the best remakes in this viewer's opinion. It is a wonderfully romantic film released for BBC in 1995. While it lacks the high action, high violence sequences so popular today, especially with the male viewer, it has enough twists, turns, and spellbinding scenes to capture the interest of both sexes - young and old. This film takes over five hours to watch (not inclusive of the wonderfully informative bonus disc) but holds the viewer's rapt attention from start to finish. I would suggest you get your snacks in the ready prior to starting the movie.

This interpretation of the novel was written by screen playwright Andrew Davies with music by Carl Davis. Choreography was done by Jane Gibson and assisted by Jack Murphy. Film editing was done very well by Peter Colson and script editing was performed by Susie Conklin. Great attention was paid to dialect to ensure that it was not only easily spoken by the cast, but correct for the time period. Costumes, makeup, settings, and mannerisms were closely monitored to reflect accurate depictions of personas, social classes, and the era. Some female cast members actually commented about their inability to wear makeup during the filming as the ladies of the age did not adorn themselves with such vanities other than minimal lip color or light rouges for special occasions. Director Pip Short and Production Manager Paul Brodrick conspired to relay a vision of the age in this story that is both accurate in its depiction and compelling in its content. Many of the sets were actual estates found in England, still reminiscent of the time period in which this film is staged - the late 16th century. The wonderfully scenic landscapes and lavish manors were instrumental in portraying the correct atmosphere for this film. Even the dances performed on film were meticulously researched and mandated to be performed perfectly.

The story takes place in the country of rural England during the late 16th century. It portrays the social standing of a family of gentry and their lack of a highly sought after fortune. The family consists of husband, wife, and five daughters - the Bennets. With no male heir, the family must either marry money or lose their estate to a male cousin, Mr. Collins, in the event of the father's death. Mrs. Bennet, portrayed very well by Alison Stedman, is determined to remain in the family home and knows only too well that to do so, she must secure prominent marriages for her daughters. Her mission is not an easy one due, in part, to the family's lack of social standing and inherent wealth. During this time period, wealth and status were of the utmost importance when arranging betrothals. According to my interpretation, this social standing is the basis for the "prejudice" included in the title. The daughters are keenly aware of their stature in life and are in acceptance of it as being simply the way things are. Even with this acceptance, the two older sisters are adamant about marrying for love rather than money. Their "pride" places barriers to the successful marriage arrangements, especially for Elizabeth, the second oldest sister. Smitten with Elizabeth's demeanor, Mr. Darcy, a very well to do bachelor, is rebuked by Elizabeth whose pride had been injured during their introduction.

The story line is filled with misconceptions, wrongdoings, displays of arrogance and pride and yet is truly a love story liken to a fairy tale. This film rendering holds to the literary excellence of the classic novel, Pride and Prejudice while also enabling the viewer to relate to
caricatures like rebellious teenagers, scorned lovers, lusters of wealth, and seekers of prestige to modern times.

Works Cited
Pride and Prejudice. Dir. Simon Langton. Perf. Jennifer Ehle, Colin Firth. A & E, 1995

Poetry Assignment #1

Cathy Corker
Dr. James Hepworth
English 150-61 Intro/Literature Fall '09
19 Nov. 2009

Poetry Assignment #1

The following writings are responses from selected poems in the text by Kennedy and Gioia, Chapter 14.

A. Luke Havergal by Edwin Arlington Robinson

1. Who is the speaker of the poem? What specific details does the author reveal about the speaker?

At first I thought the speaker may have been God. After re-reading this poem, I believe the speaker is Luke Havergal's inner self; his subconscious. Luke's subconscious has been slowly dying since the death of his love, falling deeper and deeper into oblivion. Luke's persona is splitting in two - a dying inner self (his soul) and a shell of the man he once was. As a last effort, Luke's inner self reveals a way for him to become whole again; to find his love once more; to reunite his soul with his body.

One of the most specific details that the author uses to reveal the speaker is the stanza that states, "Out of a grave, I come to tell you this..." To me, this signifies Luke's dead or dying soul. The author speaks of God as being different from the speaker. Robinson also reveals that Luke's love will call. These two revelations indicate that the speaker is neither Luke's love nor God, but someone or something else. Only Luke's soul or inner self could know so much about his pain.

2. What does the speaker ask Luke Havergal to do?

The speaker is asking Luke to trust his faith. Instead of allowing his soul to suffer a slow death by mourning the loss of his love, the speaker asks for total surrender of life. This surrender is offered as a way for Luke to unite his own soul and his body with that of his lost love. In surrendering his life with the faith that he will be re-united with his love, Luke will be able to live on in heaven. To continue his suffering will surely mean the death of his soul and ensure his arrival in hell.

3. What do you understand "the western gate" to be?

I understand the "western gate" to mean the pearly gate, the entrance to heaven. The western gate is opposite of the eastern sky - hell.

4. Would you advise Luke Havergal to follow the speaker's advice? Why or why not?

I would advise Luke to follow the speaker's advice. Without a soul a person is just a shell. Dying inside is the worst sort of death there is. Obviously, Luke is dying inside and is trusting in faith that he can live in the afterlife with his one true love, but only after the death of his body. It is far better to live in heaven than die in hell.

B. Monologue for an onion by Suji Kwock Kim

1. How would you characterize the speaker's tone in this poem? What attitudes and judgments lie behind that tone?

The speaker's tone in this poem is condescending with sarcasm toward humankind. Suji blatantly calls the reader a "poor deluded human" and an "idiot". The writer makes the judgment that believing in truth is merely a fantasy and that the search for truth, love, and the meaning of life is a waste of time. In the search for truth and by believing in love and life, Suji accuses mankind of being shallow, desperate, and self-destructive.

2. "I mean nothing" (line 2) might be seen as a play on two senses of mean - "intend" and "signify." Is the statement true in both senses?

The word "mean" in this poem can be interpreted as true to both senses - "intend" and "signify". The onion, like the search for truth, has no significance in relation to life. The onion, (symbolic of the search), will only cause misery. No matter how hard you try, how deep you look, or how much you wish to learn of worldly things, you will never succeed - you will never find - you will never understand. The onion is multilayered but has no heart - no core. Its intention is not to harm or to cause misery, but the fact remains that harm will be caused and misery will be experienced if the attempt is made to find the heart or understand the meaning of life.

3. Suppose someone said to you, "The whole point of the poem is that vegetables have rights and feelings too, and humanity is being rebuked for its arrogance and insensitivity toward other species." How would you argue against that view?

This poem has nothing to do with vegetables or arrogance and insensitivity toward other species. The onion is merely being used as a symbolism of life and the quest for understanding. The onion is, in the writer's mind, a perfect comparison to the many layers of human existence without any heart or soul. To attempt to find truth and understanding requires searching the soul, like peeling the layers, is futile and will only cause anguish.

4. The speaker is obviously one tough onion, cutting humanity little or no slack. To what degree do you think the speaker represents the author's view? Explain your response.

The onion, as the speaker, is mimicking the author's view entirely. It's ridiculous to expect that an onion could think or feel. On the other hand, it's easy to relate the layering of the onion and the tears that peeling it causes to the layering of human feelings. Like the burning, tearful sensation a human feels when chopping and peeling onions, he or she will also suffer the anguish of discovering the innermost feelings of hopelessness when searching deep within the soul - past the outer layers of denial or ignorance.

C. A Glass of Beer by James Stephens

1. Whom do you take to be the speaker? Is it the poet? The speaker may be angry, but what is the tone of this poem?

The poet could very well be the speaker as it sounds as if he has firsthand knowledge of the turn of events. Certainly the writer harbors resentment and ill-will toward the innkeeper but doesn't appear to be directing these feelings to her. Instead, the writer is relaying the message to the reader. This reader interprets some satiric aspects in this poem in that there is humor - despite the fact that the subject feels no humor in his situation. The subject's ire is directed only to the innkeeper and not her master.

2. Would you agree with a commentator who said, "To berate anyone in truly memorable language is practically a lost art in America?" How well does the speaker (an Irishman) succeed? Which of the epithets and curses strike you as particularly imaginative?

I would agree with the commentator who believes the art of using language to berate is a lost art here in America. The use of proper vocabulary, let alone a variety of descriptors, has declined in our country over the years. The decline has given way to more violence and/or explicit cursing rather than real words. The description of the innkeeper as a "whey-faced slut" is particularly imaginative and struck me as the most amusing. Although I do not condone the use of the word "slut", to infer she is "whey-faced" is humorous. I can almost visualize the watery whiteness of her skin blotched with red as she rages at the beggar poet.

The Storm

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1337/853794958_e583057c16.jpg
[photo used for educational purposes only]

This photo represents the calm after the storm. Kate Chopin's short story "The Storm" takes place in the wake of a terrible storm. The storm not only involved thunder and rain but also reflected Chopin's literary suppression. The tone of her story reveals the writer's ability to conquer obstacles. The woman in the story, Calixta, is a happy wife and mother but allows a violent storm to lead her into the arms of another man. The storm is symbolic of the censorship Chopin suffered in her writing style - her need to show the sexual feelings of her characters. After the storm, and her sexual interlude with Alcee, Calixta returns to her normal life as mother and wife. She suffers no remorse about her behavior. Similarly, Chopin was a wife and mother who endured many 'storms' in her life like the loss of her husband and the censorship of her writing.

Cathedral

http://bp0.blogger.com/_Y9lQ_RRxe04/RqkOcNMV0QI/AAAAAAAAAM0/JmdVPtBvnzQ/s1600/write-to-think-header.jpg
[photo used for educational purposes only]


Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" is written in the first person point of view. It is a story of a sighted man who learned the true meaning of sight from a blind man. Vision is something many sighted people tend to take for granted and although they can "see", they can't "envision". Carver's blind man taught the narrator of this story to "envision" things he could see. This photo represents the power of writing (and drawing as done in the story) and its ability to enhance the senses.

A Clean Well-Lighted Place

http://www.gfn.com/sowhatsyourpoint/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/french-cafe.jpg
[photo used for educational purposes only]

This is the perfect setting for the story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway. (photo left) The old, deaf man could well have chosen one of these chairs to relax in during the quiet of the night. It is a clean and pleasant cafe and exactly matches that very description of Hemingway's cafe setting.

Greasy Lake

http://aishagrace.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/11nasty-nightmare.jpg
[photo used for educational purposes only]

To me, this photo is symbolic of something good that turns bad. This is my visualization of the symbolism posed by T. Coraghessan Boyle in his story "Greasy Lake". Boyle's story is about young boys who are typically good but decide to go renegade and have a good time during summer break. They begin their 'escapade' by defying all the rules and ignoring the good sense they were born with. What starts out as good natured fun turns to tragedy, fear, and the sad realization that having fun doesn't have to come with a high price tag. The photo is almost demonic feeling with the dark, wild skies, the dead looking tree, the disfigured people gazing off into a bleak future - perhaps the result of wild, reckless abandon and lack of perspective of right and wrong. The photo could be interpreted as an abstract of the result of these boys' wild night evolving into terror.

Miss Brill

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/niascissorhands/Vintage%20Pictures/WL433.jpg
[photo used for educational purposes only]

The photo (left) is my mental image of Miss Brill in Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill" story. I picture the character of Miss Brill as resembling the woman on the right side of the photo. She's a young, 1920's flapper who loves to stroll the streets, enjoys conversing with strangers, and revels at people watching. Miss Brill is a lonely young woman whose fur is her only true companion. She gives this raggedy, worn, dead animal humanistic qualities. Miss Brill is a loner but longs to become an invisible part of the lives of the people she watches. The author, Katherine Mansfield portrays Miss Brill as being an expert "at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute...".