Transcript of Joe Wright's P&P DVD Commentary (Part 4)

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from parts 1-3 here

[Jane's Letter in the inn]

This is another piece of Emma Thompson writing
which is classic Emma.
The walking in and walking out bit.

It's a difficult concept to grasp,
that if your sister eloped with someone disreputable,
then your whole family would be, um...
...thrown into disrepute.
Therefore, it would become difficult
for any of the family to marry.
Darcy could never marry Lizzie
if she had a sister living in sin.

"I will join Mr Bennet and find Lydia
before she ruins the family forever"
So I regret having to put that line in,
but it's important to tell the story, I suppose.

This was again Derbyshire, which was shot at day

and treated to look like night.

I like that music because it's like
something out of an adventure film.

Which this is.
In a way.

[Mr. Gardiner's Letter]

That shot reminds me of ...
This is a really pretentious thing to say,
but, uh, it reminds me of a Picasso
painting called 'Woman in a Chemise",
which is just about skin tone
against that colour blue.

I don't know why I didn't
move the carriage away.
He just sits there like a lemon.

-----------------------

[Mrs. Bennet's Recovery]

A big speech followed

 
where Mr Bennet talked about
his own failings as a father and stuff,
but you didn't want to get into a
big speech from Mr Bennet at that point.
You want to get on with the story.

The problem is once you've brought Darcy
and Elizabeth together in Derbyshire,

that's what you want to follow,
so this whole Wickham stuff
you have to get through
to get back to Lizzie and Darcy.

[Lydia's Return]

Kitty fancies every man that comes through this film,
apart from Mr Darcy, who she really can't understand at all.

"Mr. Darcy's not half as high and mighty as you sometimes"
I love the way Lydia gets it right there.
Albeit, unknowingly. Unwittingly.



I think Brenda played Mrs Bennet
very beautifully and very honestly.
She played her as a mother who really loved her children,
who really wanted the best for them.
And I think she feels she's the only one
who really understands the predicament they're in.
Which is true, really.
Mr Bennet just doesn't get involved enough.

A reference to domestic violence there from Mr Wickham to Lydia.
 

-----------------------

[News of Bingley's return]
 

So now into the final act.

I like the three boys on the corner there.
Three vain boys on the corner.

[Bingley's visit]

This was Simon Woods's first day of shooting.

It's really a masterclass from Brenda Blethyn here.

I love that moment as well,
that she can't... she hides from him.

It's a visceral, physical shock to her.
He affects her in the solar plexus.
And she now can't breathe.
 

Rosamund Pike is obsessed with ribbons.  She carries two or three ribbons with her wherever she goes.


It's a nice gag. I like that one.

It would've been fine if Mr. Bingley
had been allowed to say what he was going to say.
But instead Mrs Bennet just steams in there.
She's just trying too hard.
It's a really difficult scene to edit.
Because there's so much going on.

And the balance between focussing on
Mrs Bennet or Bingley and Jane
or Lizzie and Darcy
is a very fine balance.

Beautifully played by Keira there.

And now he's stumped.
He hasn't seen her in... and he's
completely taken away by her beauty.
 

Again, another composition
of five rather than...

[Bingley's rehearsal]

This was all improvised,
this little section.

It was a much shorter section,
...Simon did it so well
that we, um, we extended it.

-----------------------

[Bingley's proposal]

I love Keira's reading of that line.
I'd finished shooting the scene
and she said, ''I've got an idea of how to do that line.''
And she did it so simply.
Actors are often...
overcomplicating things.



Everyone turns anti-clockwise
and Brenda turns clockwise,
and it just focuses the shot.



This next shot coming up
is one of my favourites in the film.
Just her waiting there.
Knowing what's coming. And so scared.

And the way her hands are.

And it's difficult for Lizzie here
cos she's happy for her sister,
but, at the same time,
she's wishing it was her and...
 

These two used to be boyfriend and girlfriend.
And so for Rosamund to say yes
to her ex-boyfriend in that way
was probably quite difficult
and very brave of her.

...I hope we achieved expression

of how difficult it is to fall in love,
and how painful and how terrifying
and scary to let yourself fall in love.

You're almost done, so come back for one more read ... part 5, the very last one is coming up shortly!