BRIDE AND PREJUDICE latest in film remakes of classic tales
Philippa Hawker in The Age points out that BRIDE AND PREJUDICE is not the only film to put a modern, multicultural twist on a classic tale–or even a classic Jane Austen tale.
In 2000, Sense and Sensibility was the basis for Kandukondain, a modern tale of two sisters and their differing attitudes towards love. It came not from Hindilanguage Bollywood, but from Tamil Southern India - popularly known as “Kollywood”. Its cast included Bride and Prejudice star Aishwarya Rai.
Ms. Hawker mentions the recent resurge in adaptations of Jane Austen films:
A decade later, the Austen appetite has still not been sated. In 2003, Pride and Prejudice received a Mormon makeover - in a smallscale Salt Lake City production, Elizabeth Bennet was presented as a college student and an aspiring writer dealing with college life and a snotty English guy. A bigger budget period Pride and Prejudice, with Keira Knightley (of Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean), is due for release later this year.
…and also notes that Hollywood AND Bollywood love the formula of placing a time switch or cultural change on a classic story.
Among the classics, Shakespeare, too, appears to have a perpetual screenwriting credit, whether the films are made straight, tonguein- cheek, in another language, modernised or given dance numbers and songs: Kiss Me Kate and West Side Story; Baz Luhrmann’s hyperactive Romeo + Juliet, all musical numbers, guns and sartorial style; Othello as a college basketball star (O); The Taming of the Shrew as a teen movie (Ten Things I Hate About You); Ethan Hawke as Hamlet, Al Pacino as Richard III.
March 9th, 2005 at 5:04 pm
Unfortunately the Bollywood version of Pride & Prejudice (namely Bride & Prejudice) was not able to do full justice to Ms. Austen’s book. All the obvious criticism the movie has come-in for (e.g. the lack of chemistry between its main pair, the lack of development of most of the characters especially the wit of Elizabeth Bennett) is probably due to the lack of time allowed to develop the themes.
You just cannot hope to condense the brilliance of Jane Austen’s novel into a couple of hours. That is why it is the BBC series that seem to truly capture the spirit of Ms. Austen’s work.
March 9th, 2005 at 5:24 pm
Guess you didn’t read my rather gushing review of B&P.
(I loved it. Saw it twice. Might go back again.)
March 12th, 2005 at 6:49 pm
Hey Mags, don’t get me wrong! I loved watching the movie too, but it was more because I like the whole Bollywood dance and drama thing along with the comedic fare. But to say that it was 100% true to the spirit of Jane Austen is another discussion