Johnny Simmons

I’m reading “Jane Eyre” at the moment and it’s annoying me a little. I read it at a very young age, but that was one of those ludicrously abridged Illustrated Classics, reading it for an English Lit class is way more taxing – that book is long. I’m not a huge fan of the Bronte’s – save for “Wuthering Heights” which I sort of worship, sort of. We just wrapped up “Pride & Prejudice” and the parallels between Austen’s narrative and Charlotte are a bit striking if you look at it in the right perspective, and then I came across this article which amused me. It seems many are not fond of Austen, Bronte included. I’m a Jane Austen apologist, but in her defence – no one can take such simple plots and turn them into brilliant ruminations like she. “Jane Eyre”? Not so much.  After the atrocity of “Robinson Crusoe” – I refuse to retract that statement, I loathed the book - Henry Fielding and Jane Austen were welcome distractions, but now we're on to Bronte and Charlotte and her fancifulness aren’t making me very pleased. Ah, school is bland – and then we’re doing “Paradise Lost” for Poetry – ugh, not a fan of Milton....

           

Speaking of aged 18th century lit, though, I had the weirdest experience last week. I went into a library, told the Librarian that I was looking for Caribbean plays. She’s there looking and turns to me, “Oliver Twist isn’t Caribbean, is it?” W! T! F!??????????????? It’s not Caribbean, it’s not even a freakin’ play! And from a librarian? And people wonder why I have no faith in humanity. Sigh.

            

What have you been reading lately? I hope it’s for pleasure, and not for school. Scholastic reading always ends up becoming tedious...

I’m feeling foolish at the moment, or perhaps lazy is the appropriate word. Even though I spend a good deal of my holiday reading I don’t think I’m ready for literary stuff and my Novel Course this semester begins with Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. If you’ve never read Defoe, here’s a hint – the man never heard of chapters. I’m already balking at re-reading it, actually I can’t even remember it clearly so it’s like I’ll be reading it for the first time. Then on to Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding (I wish it was Tom Jones) and then Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights is the only Bronte book I like so that means, other than Pride & Prejudice I’m not looking forward to this semester of reading (and then next year, The Mill on the Floss. Ick!)  On the topic of Jane Austen, though, why do her books make for such good cinema?

          

Am I being harsh? Which of these is worth a second read? What have you been reading lately?

I’ve had Joe Wright’s 2005 debut Pride & Prejudice on my mind a whole lot recently; although – truth be told – I’ve been thinking less of the actual film and more of the lovely lady it centres on, the lovely Keira Knightley. I remember when during the awards season in 2006, before I saw the film, I was a bit confused at the choice of clip that a number of shows played for Keira, but it wasn’t until seeing the film in its entirety I was able to place the deserved value on it. This is not a BBC version of Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen’s very cadence is condensed into a perfectly little two hour piece and Wright’s choice in shooting Mr. Darcy’s first proposal is fresh and original. I like, for example, how he chooses to have it done immediately after Elizabeth learns of his role is thwarting her sister’s chance at marriage. She runs off for some solace, in the rain no less. The shot below is so picturesque. 

 

Keira is such a perfect fit for Elizabeth, it's almost ridiculous. She handles this scene so well, even before it actually begins, as she leans against the pillars she's so naturally upet, and yet never exagerrated.

 

And then of course Mr. Darcy comes to interrupt her thinking -

I said before that McFayden doesn't completely thrill me in the role, but his signs of discomfort work so well here, perhaps it's the rain...

Certainly, Darcy's first proposal is nowhere near is horrific as Mr. Collins', but I really must comment McFayden for selling some of the weirdest lines and still managing to make it sound (somewhat) romantic. I like how Keira responds with a look somewhere between aghast and confused.

Regardless of the overlying theme in her books, it's nice how Jane Austen always clings to filial love among her heroines and Keira portrays this excellently. Younger than her sister Jane, she is, but the penchant for shielding is handled so well as she rips into Darcy.

 

Of course Matthew is wise enough to realise that as bewitched as Darcy is by Elizabeth he's unwilling to lose an argument. As wrong as she is at the moment, it's nice to see Elizabeth growing...there's almost a hesitancy as if she's not too keen to denounce this man - even as she's certain that he's the cause for her sister's misfortune.

Of course, as we shall come to see, she's completely off in defending her beloved Mr. Wickham. Notice, too, how the mention of his name produces one of the rare moments of heightened life from McFayden's very dour Darcy.

As misguided a line as it is, I can't help but cheer on the line and its excelllent delivery. All leading up to Keira's own notable rant...

It's an excellent delivery of a passionate line, but am I alone in thinking that this would have led into a kiss, talk about sexual tension, eh?

And then of course he stalks off, and she's left there confused (and unkissed).

And damn, isn't she beautiful?

 

What is it about the rain...? And all that silent emoting? Why exactly is she considered to be a poor actress?

And then the scene closes with these lovely shots...

Forgotten Characters was probably the lone lucid feature that I had on my blog, even if I’ve done nothing to reignite it recently. I’m still ignoring the overwhelming chatter of Oscar predictions that abound but what better way to incite Forgotten Characters fever than by looking at someone who’s probably getting a nomination come Tuesday. A favourite of mine last year:

             

I’ve already waxed about my overwhelming affinity to Pride & Prejudice. I remarked that as far as the sisters go the show belongs completely to Ms. Knightley with Rosamund Pike as a worthy ally. The other sisters don’t get that much legwork, which of course is the reason for their forgotten status. Kitty is the youngest of the Bennett girls, most noted for being the ally of her sister Lydia, played by a pleasant Jena Malone [the fourth sister]. The film opens to the two chattering incessantly about the imminent Mr. Bingley. We see them as they shrieking anticipate the ball and along with their similarly vacuous mother go out to see the regiment marching, their own Elizabethan version of watching celebrities, I suppose.

Carey’s significant moment comes somewhere in the middle of the film, and is ridiculously silly. Lydia is offered the chance to go away for a Holiday and Kitty is both annoyed that she’s been denied a chance at this “adult” occasion and the thought of losing he rally. She descends into hysterics as Lydia maliciously chatters about the prospective experience. Carey is a good crier – as we saw in An Education – although here her crying needs to be definitively histrionic. It is. Hilariously so. Pride & Prejudice is the story of Elizabeth Bennett, not of the Bennett girls. However, Joe Wright crafts it all so beautifully that for some moment each of the girls gets their chance to shine. Nevertheless I still can’t think of Carey in it without remembering her and Jena Malone’s irrepressible giggling as Mr. Collins proposes to Eliza. And, I suppose, that’s how it should be.