My amateur history project appears to have developed into a film review blog for now. Oh well. On my last blog people commented they would like my take on some other adaptations, so here you go. Obviously this is going to contain spoilers, so if you want an unsullied first-time watching experience, click the link to the first video instead of scrolling down. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Lizzie Bennet Diaries (LBD, 2014) is a YouTube series showing a modern take on Pride and Prejudice. I think P&P is probably the hardest Jane Austen novel to modernise, as women can now have incomes and value independent of a husband, and the whole plot therefore makes no sense in modern Anglo-American culture. There is no such thing as church patronage any more, so what will Darcy deny Wickham? In a society where living together before marriage is not a scandal, what does Lydia need rescuing from? With letters hopelessly outdates, how are all those plot points communicated now?
I am aware of two different cultural takes: Bride and Prejudice (2004) and Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (2003), set in a modern Indian and Mormon background respectively. I'm not sure I could do a culturally sensitive review of those, even if I could get hold of them, as I'm not sufficiently well-versed in those cultures.
Yes, for those of you wondering: we are going to mention Bridget Jones' Diary. I'll have to admit it's been a while there. I could rewatch it, I suppose... It would be interesting to watch it just as a modern P&P. Don't expect any comparisons here.
Back to LBD. As expected, in a modern Anglo-American setting a mother's complete obsession with her daughters marrying a rich man is somewhat absurd. In the original 1800 setting, Mrs Bennet at least had a point. For educated modern daughters, not so much. It's an interesting choice leaving Mary and Kitty out (for now) but five daughters is quite rare nowadays.
We have quite an unreliable narrator in media grad school student Lizzie, as it is her video diary we're watching, but with help from fashion designer Jane, college kid Lydia and fellow student Charlotte, she re-enacts the scenes she talks about.
Absolutely loaded medical student Bing Lee has just moved into Netherfield House, with his sister Caroline Lee and friend (William) Darcy, who is heir to a media empire. Their initial meeting (with Darcy's snub) happens at a wedding, which is a good substitute for the Meryton Assembly, and various other meetings happen at a bar, which subs for daytime Meryton as everyone in this has a day job. Less of the daytime visiting and formal parties with chaperones, more bars. Wickham is a swimming coach visiting town. Lizzie and Jane's visit to Netherfield happens because of a house remodel (Lydia visits cousin Mary and Kitty turns out to be an actual cat!). Mr Collins is a primary school friend of Lizzie and Charlotte, who is working in media with venture capitalist Catherine De Bourgh. Instead of proposing marriage, he proposes a business partnership (first to Lizzie, then to Charlotte instead). Lizzie is annoyed when Charlotte takes it and moves away to join Mr Collins at her new job.
I think they have done a pretty good job on translating the personalities to the modern day characters. There may be some exaggerations, but society is less restricted nowadays, so that seems fair enough.
Good choice to make the extended visits part of the degree work, rather than the house visits of yesteryear. It gives a good excuse to visit Charlotte and then Pemberley. Here I watched a few with less attention, so we're skipping over a few plot points to the DRAMA! I like the choice of letting Georgiana tell her own Wickham history rather than having it from the letter. Speaking of letters, I like replacing the misplaced letters with a new mobile phone. The only thing relationship-wise that could be as scandalous as an elopement is indeed an online sex tape.
I think I prefer the unrepentent book Lydia in terms of drama, but it's actually nice to see the sisters get along instead. Then there's Darcy buying the website, which makes sense in this story.
It's funny how due to the changes it makes no sense for Lady Catherine to be all against Lizzie marrying Darcy (Anne is a dog in this, remember?). So using Caroline instead is a good choice, and it actually works.
I like how they gave the whole story a more modern feminist feel by not having the women abandon their careers for the men. But it's still feel-good and fluffy underneath. I feel it's kept to the spirit of the novel remarkably well in a modern setting. Definitely watch the bonus videos too, it's the equivalent of the 1995 wedding...
