The Making of Pride and Prejudice (BBC)

For anyone who has enjoyed the outstanding rendition of Jane Austen's classic novel starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, this delightful, informative, eye-opening (and often humorous) behind-the-scenes book is a must have. I for one had no idea of what is involved in successfully adapting a classic period novel, and I am grateful to producer Sue Birtwistle and script editor Susie Conklin for taking us through the entire process.Chapters include "The Script," which deals with the many difficulties that had to be overcome in adapting a novel effectively to an entirely different medium, while "Pre-production" deals with casting the actors and finding and securing suitable locations (no mean feat in itself!). We also discover what many senior behind-the-scenes personnel do. "Production Design" deals with the hands-on task of getting the locations ready--whether it's designing and creating a set or stripping a real-life location of all its 20th century trimmings (from unsuitable flowers, antennae and phone lines on the exterior to central heating pipes, light switches, electric light bulbs, and inappropriate furnishings on the inside). Tremendous research was involved in both "Production Design" and "Costume, Make-Up, and Hair Design". The latter chapter deals with decisions that had to be made concerning the palettes and styles of costume and hair for each actor. One also learns about the expensive and painstaking wig-making process and discovers that not only were the costumes made, but so were the fabrics!The chapter entitled "Filming" chronicles the steps to be taken and the difficulties often incurred on the day of filming--things like checking the weather (and having contingency plans for rainy days) or requesting local air force bases not to fly over the location. With 12- to 16-hour workdays per person, the filming day is long indeed. For the actors, it's two-hours in make-up followed by 10 or 11 hours of actual filming. After filming, the crew must then prepare for the next day--with chores like washing and setting wigs, cleaning costumes, and packing up props and horses! Finally, "Post-production" deals with the months of work involved in editing, inserting sound tracks, and so on, to get the final product ready for the screen.It's always nice when the authors of behind-the-scenes' books have the full support of all involved in the production (from cast to crew), and such is most certainly the case here. In fact, the book is rife with their many quotations and anecdotes, with certain members of the crew even contributing paragraphs describing the work they do and the process by which they achieve their goals. Last but not least, there is a full nine-page "Conversation with Colin Firth," set in question and answer format, wherein Firth provides an insight into how he went about capturing what he felt was the essence of Darcy and the difficulties he experienced along the way.This is a beautiful 9 3/4" x 7 1/2" 117-page softcover

There is no denying that Sue Birtwistle's production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is an exquisite adaptation of one of the finest novels in English literature. The cast is magnificent, the script knows when to be faithful and when to adjust, the music is lovely, and the settings are lush perfection. Knowing all this, one does wonder about the many other people who brought this fine work to fruition. (If you have the DVD Special Edition, you may have met some of these individuals in the featurette "The Making of Pride and Prejudice".) This book is absolutely loaded with pictures and photographs that cover every aspect of the work behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera, from location scouting to casting, music and choreography, costumes, makeup, filming and post-production. I especially enjoyed the long conversation with Colin Firth (Darcy), the head shots of the actors (who sometimes look very different than one expects -- Jennifer Ehle with blonde hair comes to mind!), the typical day's schedule, and the locations map. I learned a lot about this production and filmmaking in general. This book is interesting, informative and very entertaining. If you like the book or the miniseries, you should enjoy this volume very much.

Regardless of what prompted you to fall in love with the the sumptuous BBC/A & E production of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, you'll love this companion book, which fills in the background to an almost unprecedented degree.Written in chatty style by the producer, Sue Birtwistle, and script editor Susie Conklin, the book begins with the very first idea (in 1986) of bringing one of the most loved books in the English language to the screen once again, concluding with the Christmas wedding of Eliza Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The six-hour, six million dollar production very nearly brought England to a standstill during the weekly broadcasts, as an estimated 40 million Brits were glued to the telly to see this (then) one-hundred-seventy-eight year old book brought to life. Almost no detail was allowed to be missed by the scrupulous inspection of the production crew. A few items were anachronistic, but calculatedly so; most notably, the billiard table, and Mr. Darcy's "cool-off" swim.Each member of the technical staff -- director, casting, costumes -- speaks in his/her own voice, giving reasons for each particular choice made. Even the horse ridden by Mr. Darcy was auditioned. Contemporary pictures were used as much as possible to provide accuracy in costume and hairstyle. Meticulous attention was given to the dancing and the music, of which there is an abundance. Such minor considerations as the number of musicians employed at each dance venue exemplify the care taken with the production. Equally so, the food (of which there was more than enough to make the actors as well as the table groan) was specially prepared from recipes of the time by the appropriately-named chef for the series, Colin Capon, who specializes in period food for the BBC.The book abounds with color photos, delineating in great detail how reality-based this production really was. In the end, however, it is the broad shoulders of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy upon which the success of the production rests. As the physical embodiment of the absolutely perfect Regency hero, he smolders wonderfully through the first three hours, sounding very like the young Richard Burton, when he does speak. A female of any age can easily be forgiven for wishing his liquid, dark and expressive eyes, as he surreptitiously follows Eliza Bennet around the room, would gaze at her in just that way. In perfect stillness, those eyes express the depth of his longing for Eliza, as well as his bewilderment by that longing, unsuitable as he deems her to be as a marriage partner.Eventually, it is her sparkling intelligence and ready wit that win him to her, but only after she has brought him to his knees by refusing his first arrogant proposal. (Mr. Firth candidly explains how he arrived at that scene, in the ten-page chapter nine, "A Conversation with Colin Firth.") Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth was perfectly winsome and charming with her 'fine eyes', a beautiful smile, and an obvious intellect, not readily apparent in her t

This "behind-the-scenes" book is fantastic! As an avid fan of the miniseries (I own the video, and have watched it 7 times!), as well as the book, I thought I knew all there was to know about Pride and Prejudice. I learned the error of my thinking when I bought this book. The amount of information included in this book is invaluable. From background on the costume design to words from the composer and choreographer to a very interesting interview with Colin Firth (Darcy in the film), this book covered everything I could possibly wish to know, and more. A feature I found especially fascinating was a diary of an entire day of the filming of the miniseries - no small feat, from how the diary reads! The movie stills are as gorgeous as the action film itself, and the candid photos were hilarious! I also liked how quotations from Austen's novel were included in sidebars with stills from the film to enhance the understanding of a particular area of technical work. This "making of" book is a treasure in and of itself, and a wonderful companion to the stunning miniseries.

I highly recommend this book for any true die-hard fans of P & P. This has got to be the mother-of-all 'making of' books! There are many quotes and interviews from cast members throughout. As well, Sue Birtwistle goes into great detail about the production of P & P (e.g. how the food on the set was preserved, etc.). I have both the DVD and the novel and I must say that this book definitely supplements the 'P & P' experience. Bravo!