Pride and Prejudice (1940)

This black and white MGM film stars Greer Garson as Elizabeth and Laurence Olivier as Darcy. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Aldous Huxley (yes, that Aldous Huxley) and Jane Murfin. It was adapted from a stage play by Helen Jerome. This is the earliest surviving film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that I could find; an earlier BBC adaptation directed by Campbell Logan is believed to be lost.

What's different

QUITE a bit. Since this is the earliest existing screen adaptation, I expected it to follow the book closely. Then again, it is a movie based on a play based on a book, so plenty was probably lost in translation. Some of it can be chalked up needing a shorter timeline. For example, Wickham has already arrived in Meryton when the movie opens, and Lizzy's entire vacation with the Gardiners (including the visit to Pemberley) is omitted. Some of these for-the-sake-of-time changes are more forgivable than others.

Several scenes from the book are smushed together haphazardly, presumably still in the interest of saving time. At the Meryton ball, where Darcy first gets a reputation as a snob, he asks Lizzy to dance very soon after she overhears him insulting her, and she turns him down. In the book, this happens at a party held later at Lucas Lodge, after Darcy has started to crush on her a little. This means that in this movie, Darcy goes from dissing Lizzy to asking her to dance in a matter of minutes, which is way too fast.

"How is this possible? It surely can't be because I spent the last ten minutes insulting you, your family, and your entire way of life."

From there, his interest in her just becomes more pronounced and his behavior more solicitous as the movie goes on. His initial dislike and the slow burn of his feelings for her are over and done with so fast that you can blink and miss it.

Elizabeth's feelings toward Darcy change even more quickly near the end of the movie. Instead of writing a letter, Darcy explains to Lizzy in person his actions regarding Jane and Wickham. Once he finishes defending himself, it takes about two minutes for Lizzy to tell Jane she's in love with him now.

"Suddenly" is right!

I mentioned that Darcy doesn't write a letter in this adaptation; that's one of many small changes that have a big impact on the story. Because there is no vacation with the Gardiners, Lizzy finds out about Lydia and Wickham the second she gets home from visiting Charlotte. Because Darcy doesn't explain about Wickham until after Lydia has run off, Lizzy doesn't struggle with whether to tell her family, and she doesn't feel any guilt for having kept it to herself. These changes shorten the timeline so much that there's no time left for Lizzy to fall in love with Darcy. She just suddenly is.

Lady Catherine is also enormously changed, but you don't realize it until the end because she still acts like a bitch most of the time. This adaptation spins it as Lady Catherine actually likes Lizzy and enjoys being talked back to. Since she likes Lizzy, she's happy that Darcy wants to marry her. She still makes her visit to Longbourn to threaten Lizzy, but when she leaves, we find that Darcy is waiting outside. He sent his aunt in to find out if he has a chance with Elizabeth now! That is some middle school shit right there.

Who is this impostor? It can't be Lady Catherine de Bourgh!

What I liked

Early in the movie, before things go off the rails, a lot of the dialog closely follows the book. Mrs. Bennet's conversation with Mr. Bennet about calling on Mr. Bingley is a prime example. Mr. Bennet even says the line about all his daughters being silly, which bodes well for my wish list.

The nerve!

I'm not sure I'd go so far as liking, but I do appreciate some of the humor that was added in this adaptation. There's a funny scene near the beginning, after Bingley and Darcy arrive in town, when Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas are literally racing home so they can send their husbands to visit Netherfield first.

The Fast and the Furious: Meryton Drift

Another example of added comedy is when Jane takes ill while visiting Netherfield and is examined by a doctor. Bingley is hanging out in her bedroom during the doctor's visit for some reason, and Jane struggles to follow the doctor's directions while also minding her mother's seduction tips: "Be sure and laugh when he makes a joke... And try to sit where he can see you in profile." Poor Jane and her competing priorities! This scene adds to the impression that all the Bennet girls are silly, but it makes Jane look considerably more silly than she ever does in the book.

The highlight of the film occurs during a garden party at Netherfield, which is a needless rewrite of the Netherfield ball. The 1940 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is one of the last places I ever expected to find a savage mansplainer takedown. Darcy, in the most patronizing manner, shows Elizabeth how to wield a bow and arrow. Elizabeth silently tolerates his instruction (with a few sly glances) and then fires off three bulls-eyes in a row. The scene was so unexpected, and it's so well done, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only downside is that Laurence Olivier's Darcy is now a confirmed mansplainer, which makes him much less attractive.

I hope he learned his lesson.

What I disliked

I mentioned the speed with which both Darcy and Elizabeth's feelings change at different points in the movie, but pacing in general was an issue throughout. I was exhausted by the nonstop action of some scenes. For example, in the book, while Lizzy is staying at Netherfield to nurse Jane, she spends several evenings with the Bingleys and Darcy. In this movie, bits of conversations and activities from each of those evenings are crammed into one frenetic scene. It's only four minutes long, but it includes the conversation about women being accomplished, Darcy writing to Georgiana, Caroline asking Lizzy to walk with her, and Bingley making himself a snack (which was not in the book, but I guess they felt like this scene needed more action??).

Obviously, I dislike what was done to Lady Catherine's character. There is no way the Lady Catherine of the book would have been involved in middle school shenanigans like asking someone if they like so-and-so. The alteration in her character is completely nonsensical.

Other characters suffer, too. Mr. Collins is over-the-top silly, just really hamming it up, almost to the point of being a clown. And instead of being a clergyman, he is Lady Catherine's librarian. As a librarian myself, I would like to say on behalf of all librarians: Wow, rude.

One of the items on my wish list is for Elizabeth and Darcy to share the pride and the prejudice. I know Darcy is often seen as pride and Elizabeth as prejudice, but I didn't expect for it to be shoved down my throat in the very first adaptation I watched.

Oh no they didn't.

Oh yes they did.

Topping off all these sins is the terrible ending. The last ten minutes have no redeeming qualities, in my opinion. The segment starts with the reveal that Lady Catherine was doing reconnaissance for Darcy at Longbourn, goes on through both proposals (neither of which actually happens, it's all just implied!), and ends with Mary and Kitty suddenly also having suitors. It's sickly sweet and oh so wrong. 

Adaptation wish list

1. Is Elizabeth sassy? — Yes, but she sometimes goes too far and is just rude.
2. Is Elizabeth silly? — Yes. 
3. Does Darcy undergo real and significant change after being rejected? — No; or, if he does, we don't get to see it.
4. Are Darcy and Elizabeth each guilty of both pride and prejudice? — Nope nope nope.

Maybe I went into this movie with my expectations set too high. Do people just like it for its old Hollywood charm? Too much was changed for no good reason, and all the character development was written out. It's not a faithful adaptation, and it's just not my taste.