@@julia_btfl Without the eye-rolling of Jennifer Ehle. I cannot forgive her that. Lizzie would NEVER have done such a thing, either in private or, Heaven forfend, in public! IMO, the Ehle 1995 version gets so much love because it appeals to people who haven’t read the book more than the obligatory once, in high school or a freshman year college Intro literature course. And most likely, the vast majority of this audience hasn’t read any more Austen than P&P, and probably not much more 19th-century Brit Lit. I’m not being a snob, I’m just better informed. One of my assignments when I studied at Oxford was to read Middlemarch. We had one week. Thus began a lifelong love affair with that book, starting way back in 1973.
Yes, Elizabeth Garvie is the finest Elizabeth Bennett on film, and the 1980 Pride & Prejudice is the best version currently available. I watch it on DVD at least once a year. I'm thankful for the BBC for having filmed Fay Weldon's dramatization, even if the low budget affected the dance scenes and other aspects of the film.
I love this adaptation! The 1995 version is still my favourite, but I appreciate the understated quality of this one. Elizabeth and Darcy are more subtly acted, and I think their dynamic is closest to the one in the original novel. Greatly enjoying these--as a fellow ECD-er, I appreciate ypur critiques. Looking forward to Northanger Abbey!
I SO agree! The 1980 version is the best - frankly, I don’t give a damn about the dancing, and not just because of Elizabeth Garvie. Irene Richard’s Charlotte Collins is a favorite of mine, Wickham is appropriately two-faced and, like wife Lydia Bennet, utterly shameless. As an Aspie, I prefer this Darcy to any other, and Colin Firth’s shirt-shedding and pond-diving absolutely infuriate me - SO un-Darcy-like! I don’t even approve of the one chaste kiss between Lizzie and Darcy in this version, as well as the one chaste kiss in the 1995 Persuasion. But isn’t Ciarán Hinds THE BEST Wentworth?! I’m also crazy for Sophie Thompson’s Mary Musgrove. Sir Walter Elliott’s costumes are absolutely fabulous, don’t you think?
I’m Sorry to go off-topic from Regency Dancing (which I enjoy, obviously) to Actors portraying JA characters, but the necessary video clips make it difficult for me to resist commenting. To my eye, there is only one portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett and that is Ms. Garvie’s in the 1980 version. In her acting, she becomes Lizzie in wit, intelligence, conversation, looks and Most Especially in her attitude of 'loving to laugh.' It’s written on her face in nearly every scene. Bravo Elizabeth Garvie! 👏
Mine too! I watched it on PBS when I was a kid. It was my first introduction to Jane Austen and her masterpiece "Pride and Prejudice". Afterwards, I had to read the book and the rest is history! The 1980 version is subtle, almost performed like a play. It is my favorite version, although I love the 1995 version too!
I absolutely love 1980's P & P. To me, Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintaul are the quintessential Elizabeth and Darcy! This production will always be my favorite. The dances perhaps aren't up to par to an expert's eyes but I've always loved it. One thing that I've always wanted to know is what is the name of the tune that Lizzy and Darcy dance to at the Netherfield Ball! To me their dance was charming - I hope someone out there knows the name of the tune! At first I thought it was Mrs. Winter's Jump, but that isn't right either.
Side note- I love your dress and you look absolutely lovely! I never realized there were so many dance mistakes in this one! I find this to be the second best adaptation after the 1995 one because the Lizzie character is so well realized.
I believe Joe Wright never saw the 1995 version before he directed the 2005 version, but commented on an older version that he disliked that the actors were all too old - the characters are young people and their actors or their actors' portrayals should depict that?
Nerver the less my family enjoys the 1980 version the best, and you didn't review 1940s version yet. My favorite Mr. Darcy. :-) But, I love your videos and all your snark.
My sisters and I used to watch this version over and over, (we would check it out of the library.) I do remember, even though I did folk dancing, thinking people in Jane Austen's world must have led excessively boring lives to enjoy that kind of dancing. It wasn't until I saw the TV movie of "Emma" that I got excited about ECD and started to learn it. We eventually started hosting our own "Assemblies" for our Homeschool group in full Regency regalia of course!
I watched this version many years ago, even before I watched the Colin Firth/ Jennifer Ehle version. I remember liking them both equally at the time. Thanks for this review as well as your others. It's very interesting to hear how the dancing stacks up from somebody who knows what they're talking about! P.s. Will you be continuing this series? I've enjoyed what you've done so far!
They obviously didn't have sufficient time to teach those actors and actresses how to dance well. As was said, back then people learned to dance as children . . .
Including a bad take instead of doing it again is just the cherry on top of all these dancing mistakes, which is funny in a sad sort of way. At least the actors portraying their characters so well makes up for it lol.
I watched this version several years ago and didn't really like it much. So while I've rewatched the 1995 P&P way more than 50 times by now (I'm not even joking) and rewatched most of the other Austen adaptations at least a couple of times (I even tried rewatching the 2005 P&P but had to take a break at the melodramatic all wet proposal and finally turn it off when Lady Catherine barges in at Longbourn in the middle of the night and the entire Bennet family decides to eavesdrop at the door for the conversation between her and Lizzie) I never felt any inclination to rewatch the 1980 version. But maybe I might be ready to now. I think what mostly left me rather bleh about the 1980 version was how David Rintoul seemed to deliver his lines without really caring much how they fit in with the other actor's. He seemed to just blurt them out as soon as his co-actors stopped talking and that left no room for my suspension of disbelief. I simply couldn't believe him to be Darcy, saying things that formed in Darcy's head - to me he was all too clearly an actor, saying lines that had been handed him in a script. And P&P cannot rest on just a good Lizzie or a good Darcy - it needs both. I guess I'll see if I still feel the same about it if I get around to rewatching it.
I liked the 1980 version for the brilliant portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet by Elizabeth Garvie and the generally faithful book to TV adaption. I did not like the stiff way that David Rintoul portrayed Mr Darcy and we only see him smile at the end of the series. On the other hand, he does look proud and insufferably arrogant. I wasn't aware of how dancing was shown in Austen films and TV so I thank you for alerting us to the subtle nuances. PS I have the 1995 Pride and Prejudice DVD and used to watch clips every so often.
_I’ve posted this Question on Mistress of Pemberley’s channel, as well as others trying to find out the name of the song Elizabeth attempts to play at Rosings before Darcy approaches the piano (1995). Mrs. Hurst is also attempting to play it at Netherfield (1980) while Elizabeth is caring for Jane. Any idea? Not knowing is really bugging me🥺I can remember where I’ve heard it, can’t seem to be able to Google it and no one is responding to my post_
I love this version of P&P but it does have it's faults. It's amusing that the dance tunes are too old. When Lizzie sings (and sings so beautifully, it's lovely to listen to) they give her a song that is too modern for the Regency.
The lady with the green dress (min 7:46 to 7:59), seems like she is not having the fun that she deserves. Not only she have lost the steps of the dance but also appears annoyed because of that. It makes me laugh because I noticed the lack of style and chaos in the dances of this tv show the first time I watched it.
No matter how badly inaccurate are the Jane Austen adaptations there was an obscure US film set in Verrsaille on 1709s probably under Louis 14th when courtiers in 3 corner hats and panniers were in a circle, they danced a 20th century waltz. !!! Anti historical madness!! Hopefully first and last one?? I deliberately refused to learn the title. The next films have to be beterb n
Interesting... I mean, they're both dreadful in different ways. I think 2020 Emma is more cringe, and harder for me to watch. The only reason Emma got a higher score is because they used one Regency tune and the dances were functional triple minors. Honestly, though, I can tune out the bad stuff in the 1980 P&P more easily. It's one of the weird things with 2020 Emma where the sum of its parts makes it seem less awful than it actually is.
@@teawithcassiane8431 I agree the Emma 2020 is more cringe-worthy and more difficult to watch and I also find it easier to tune out the annoying parts of the P & P 1980. I just think the Emma 2020 should be treated more severely because they have the internet, better and more accessible research now. There was not internet in 1980. Emma 2020 could have done a much better job. However, I understand your reasoning.
Loved this! Wow, the dancing really was painful in this one. I saw this adaptation a number of years ago and didn't like it, but maybe I'll have to give it another shot!
I'm actually old enough to have watched this. This version really was quite bad, and helped turn students off of Austen. In spite of that, the costuming and hair were better than the 2005 version. I had forgotten how sloppily many of the scenes were staged. I find, in general, that older BBC versions have a "just get it done so it's on the record" quality about them. The actress for Elizabeth (Elizabeth Garvey) did a good job in spite of the terrible characterization of Darcy (David Rintoul acts like he'd had his whole face botoxed so that it was frozen).
The inaccurate arm and hand levels turn out to be accurate for South American and Caribbean versions of some Euro dances- for examples the Renaissance Romeo and Giuletta hand hold level is used in an or the AfroCuban version of contradanza (English longways), in Colombia at least 2 version of 1700s style uses turn for 2 above heads like underarm turn level. In Cuba at least 1 of several EuroCuban contradanzas in Cuba's most famous opera Cecilia Valdes women do right hand star while raising their hands with fans perhaps touching. , above their heads. However a South American influence in an English historical film seems most unlikely. So---??? (Both are on internet)
I wish I could. but the BBC are really overzealous about copyright, and their bots will ding me if I have the music at any more than a faint whisper. It's been really vexing...
i love Elizabeth Garvey as Elizabeth and I love this version
Yes, she is the only actress able to portray the wit and the liveliness of Elizabeth
My favourite adaptation by far.
@@julia_btfl Without the eye-rolling of Jennifer Ehle. I cannot forgive her that. Lizzie would NEVER have done such a thing, either in private or, Heaven forfend, in public! IMO, the Ehle 1995 version gets so much love because it appeals to people who haven’t read the book more than the obligatory once, in high school or a freshman year college Intro literature course. And most likely, the vast majority of this audience hasn’t read any more Austen than P&P, and probably not much more 19th-century Brit Lit. I’m not being a snob, I’m just better informed. One of my assignments when I studied at Oxford was to read Middlemarch. We had one week. Thus began a lifelong love affair with that book, starting way back in 1973.
Yes, Elizabeth Garvie is the finest Elizabeth Bennett on film, and the 1980 Pride & Prejudice is the best version currently available. I watch it on DVD at least once a year. I'm thankful for the BBC for having filmed Fay Weldon's dramatization, even if the low budget affected the dance scenes and other aspects of the film.
@@friendofenkidu3391 Agree totally
I love this adaptation! The 1995 version is still my favourite, but I appreciate the understated quality of this one. Elizabeth and Darcy are more subtly acted, and I think their dynamic is closest to the one in the original novel. Greatly enjoying these--as a fellow ECD-er, I appreciate ypur critiques. Looking forward to Northanger Abbey!
I SO agree! The 1980 version is the best - frankly, I don’t give a damn about the dancing, and not just because of Elizabeth Garvie. Irene Richard’s Charlotte Collins is a favorite of mine, Wickham is appropriately two-faced and, like wife Lydia Bennet, utterly shameless. As an Aspie, I prefer this Darcy to any other, and Colin Firth’s shirt-shedding and pond-diving absolutely infuriate me - SO un-Darcy-like! I don’t even approve of the one chaste kiss between Lizzie and Darcy in this version, as well as the one chaste kiss in the 1995 Persuasion. But isn’t Ciarán Hinds THE BEST Wentworth?! I’m also crazy for Sophie Thompson’s Mary Musgrove. Sir Walter Elliott’s costumes are absolutely fabulous, don’t you think?
I’m Sorry to go off-topic from Regency Dancing (which I enjoy, obviously) to Actors portraying JA characters, but the necessary video clips make it difficult for me to resist commenting. To my eye, there is only one portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett and that is Ms. Garvie’s in the 1980 version. In her acting, she becomes Lizzie in wit, intelligence, conversation, looks and Most Especially in her attitude of 'loving to laugh.' It’s written on her face in nearly every scene. Bravo Elizabeth Garvie! 👏
ITA!
I hadn't seen the 1980 version of P&P; this makes me want to see it! For the acting, though, not for the dancing!
SAME but i dont know where to watch it :(
@@estherqin3080 amazon prime
I wasn't impressed.
I'm SO glad you included this tv adaptation of P&P! This is how my life-long fascination with KA/Recency period came about! Thank you!
Until your analysis, I had NO idea how badly done this adapation was in the key ballroom scenes! I'm literally horrified!
Mine too! I watched it on PBS when I was a kid. It was my first introduction to Jane Austen and her masterpiece "Pride and Prejudice". Afterwards, I had to read the book and the rest is history! The 1980 version is subtle, almost performed like a play. It is my favorite version, although I love the 1995 version too!
I absolutely love 1980's P & P. To me, Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintaul are the quintessential Elizabeth and Darcy! This production will always be my favorite. The dances perhaps aren't up to par to an expert's eyes but I've always loved it. One thing that I've always wanted to know is what is the name of the tune that Lizzy and Darcy dance to at the Netherfield Ball! To me their dance was charming - I hope someone out there knows the name of the tune! At first I thought it was Mrs. Winter's Jump, but that isn't right either.
Austentatiously: ha! That went right by me in your 1995 and 2005 videos.
Side note- I love your dress and you look absolutely lovely!
I never realized there were so many dance mistakes in this one! I find this to be the second best adaptation after the 1995 one because the Lizzie character is so well realized.
I believe Joe Wright never saw the 1995 version before he directed the 2005 version, but commented on an older version that he disliked that the actors were all too old - the characters are young people and their actors or their actors' portrayals should depict that?
Nerver the less my family enjoys the 1980 version the best, and you didn't review 1940s version yet. My favorite Mr. Darcy. :-) But, I love your videos and all your snark.
My sisters and I used to watch this version over and over, (we would check it out of the library.) I do remember, even though I did folk dancing, thinking people in Jane Austen's world must have led excessively boring lives to enjoy that kind of dancing. It wasn't until I saw the TV movie of "Emma" that I got excited about ECD and started to learn it. We eventually started hosting our own "Assemblies" for our Homeschool group in full Regency regalia of course!
I watched this version many years ago, even before I watched the Colin Firth/ Jennifer Ehle version. I remember liking them both equally at the time. Thanks for this review as well as your others. It's very interesting to hear how the dancing stacks up from somebody who knows what they're talking about! P.s. Will you be continuing this series? I've enjoyed what you've done so far!
They obviously didn't have sufficient time to teach those actors and actresses how to dance well.
As was said, back then people learned to dance as children . . .
Including a bad take instead of doing it again is just the cherry on top of all these dancing mistakes, which is funny in a sad sort of way. At least the actors portraying their characters so well makes up for it lol.
I watched this version several years ago and didn't really like it much. So while I've rewatched the 1995 P&P way more than 50 times by now (I'm not even joking) and rewatched most of the other Austen adaptations at least a couple of times (I even tried rewatching the 2005 P&P but had to take a break at the melodramatic all wet proposal and finally turn it off when Lady Catherine barges in at Longbourn in the middle of the night and the entire Bennet family decides to eavesdrop at the door for the conversation between her and Lizzie) I never felt any inclination to rewatch the 1980 version. But maybe I might be ready to now.
I think what mostly left me rather bleh about the 1980 version was how David Rintoul seemed to deliver his lines without really caring much how they fit in with the other actor's. He seemed to just blurt them out as soon as his co-actors stopped talking and that left no room for my suspension of disbelief. I simply couldn't believe him to be Darcy, saying things that formed in Darcy's head - to me he was all too clearly an actor, saying lines that had been handed him in a script. And P&P cannot rest on just a good Lizzie or a good Darcy - it needs both. I guess I'll see if I still feel the same about it if I get around to rewatching it.
14:04 Easter egg of the background dancers full on bumping into each other and breaking character. (Pale pink dress and gray coat for the win!)
Do you have any spotify playlist suggestions for realistic recency contemporary dance music?
I liked the 1980 version for the brilliant portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet by Elizabeth Garvie and the generally faithful book to TV adaption. I did not like the stiff way that David Rintoul portrayed Mr Darcy and we only see him smile at the end of the series. On the other hand, he does look proud and insufferably arrogant.
I wasn't aware of how dancing was shown in Austen films and TV so I thank you for alerting us to the subtle nuances.
PS I have the 1995 Pride and Prejudice DVD and used to watch clips every so often.
Haven't seen this yet, I'll have to check it out
I would love to see videos done demonstrating authentic Regency ECD called by you!
_I’ve posted this Question on Mistress of Pemberley’s channel, as well as others trying to find out the name of the song Elizabeth attempts to play at Rosings before Darcy approaches the piano (1995). Mrs. Hurst is also attempting to play it at Netherfield (1980) while Elizabeth is caring for Jane. Any idea? Not knowing is really bugging me🥺I can remember where I’ve heard it, can’t seem to be able to Google it and no one is responding to my post_
I love this version of P&P but it does have it's faults. It's amusing that the dance tunes are too old. When Lizzie sings (and sings so beautifully, it's lovely to listen to) they give her a song that is too modern for the Regency.
The lady with the green dress (min 7:46 to 7:59), seems like she is not having the fun that she deserves. Not only she have lost the steps of the dance but also appears annoyed because of that. It makes me laugh because I noticed the lack of style and chaos in the dances of this tv show the first time I watched it.
Omg the Camelot reference killed me 😂😂😂 that’s so true!
What were the tunes used for the Collins and Darcy dances?
They are original compositions for this miniseries.
Awkward Collins gif!
twitter.com/CassianeMobley/status/1274788743342256128?s=20
Third Awkward Collins gif (2005 version) twitter.com/i/status/1274789050746953728
No matter how badly inaccurate are the Jane Austen adaptations there was an obscure US film set in Verrsaille on 1709s probably under Louis 14th when
courtiers in 3 corner hats and panniers
were in a circle, they danced a 20th century waltz. !!! Anti historical madness!! Hopefully first and last one??
I deliberately refused to learn the title.
The next films have to be beterb n
Thanks for your summary of the reviews so far. I would flip the Emma 2020 with the P & P 1980.
Interesting... I mean, they're both dreadful in different ways. I think 2020 Emma is more cringe, and harder for me to watch. The only reason Emma got a higher score is because they used one Regency tune and the dances were functional triple minors. Honestly, though, I can tune out the bad stuff in the 1980 P&P more easily. It's one of the weird things with 2020 Emma where the sum of its parts makes it seem less awful than it actually is.
@@teawithcassiane8431 I agree the Emma 2020 is more cringe-worthy and more difficult to watch and I also find it easier to tune out the annoying parts of the P & P 1980. I just think the Emma 2020 should be treated more severely because they have the internet, better and more accessible research now. There was not internet in 1980. Emma 2020 could have done a much better job. However, I understand your reasoning.
Loved this! Wow, the dancing really was painful in this one. I saw this adaptation a number of years ago and didn't like it, but maybe I'll have to give it another shot!
Is there a video explaining "arming" and "the honors" etc?
I enjoyed this version of Pride and Prejudice but you are quite right that the dancing is atrocious.
I'm actually old enough to have watched this. This version really was quite bad, and helped turn students off of Austen. In spite of that, the costuming and hair were better than the 2005 version. I had forgotten how sloppily many of the scenes were staged. I find, in general, that older BBC versions have a "just get it done so it's on the record" quality about them. The actress for Elizabeth (Elizabeth Garvey) did a good job in spite of the terrible characterization of Darcy (David Rintoul acts like he'd had his whole face botoxed so that it was frozen).
Totally agree. And as you say, this is clearly a director choice, not the actor.
Is the 1980 P&P available for downloading? I didn't even realize there was one that year.
I believe it's on Amazon.
Second Awkward Collins gif (1995 version)twitter.com/i/status/1274788903392690176
The inaccurate arm and hand levels turn out to be accurate for South American and Caribbean versions of some Euro dances- for examples the Renaissance Romeo and Giuletta hand hold level is used in an or the AfroCuban version of contradanza (English longways), in Colombia at least 2 version of 1700s style uses turn for 2 above heads like underarm turn level. In Cuba at least 1 of several EuroCuban contradanzas in Cuba's most famous opera Cecilia Valdes women do right hand star while raising their hands with fans perhaps touching. , above their heads. However a South American influence in an English historical film seems most unlikely. So---??? (Both are on internet)
It’s a pity we can’t hear the music!
I wish I could. but the BBC are really overzealous about copyright, and their bots will ding me if I have the music at any more than a faint whisper. It's been really vexing...
Bless her heart, that girl in the green dress is really awful.
If I recall correctly, I think that's the gal playing Lydia. I like the dress, though.
I like this version, but it is a bit dry.