Summary: In this list of Jane Austen’s finest film adaptations we will be discussing the thematic features and whether the movies have lived up to the expectations of readers or not. These 5 films will take you through some of Austen’s most commendable works.
Jane Austen is not only known for her famous novels but due to various adaptations. She is a well known name in the modern film industry. What drives filmmakers towards her story is how timelessly she portrayed societal issues. It is worth noting that even though she belonged to the Romantic Era where many literary artists were focusing on nature and emotions, Jane was working on bringing out the reality through her works. This is one of the reasons why her works are adapted so widely.
In this list we will discuss how she has used themes of love, society, and family. And how these films have done justice to the novels. The thematic art in all of the novels of Austen deeply analyses the social barriers blending it with sharp wit and additionally combining it all together with psychological insights. Whether these movies have highlighted her literary genius on the screen or not, the regular reader of hers knows that she is one of the most important bodies in literary art.
5. Pride & Prejudice
This novel is widely popular for its sharp wit, characters, and its appeal in literature and modern media. Apart from the lead characters, Bennet sisters on the screen have also performed well. The novel focuses on the Bennet family and tells the story of how they are surviving and what kind of social norms they are being pressured into. There are themes of love and pride, both sides of the story are beautiful in their own way. There is a side of psychological aspects as well, Jane Austen is known for her themes where she focuses on the side of woman dependency on men, through marriage. Well this angle is criticised in the modern generation but when we look into it through the lens of the 18th century it gives us the glimpse of how far as a society we have come.
4. Sense and Sensibility
The main plot surrounds three girls who find themselves in poverty after the demise of their father. The sudden incident leaves the older sisters with responsibility to look after the younger ones and the house. The older sisters themselves are dealing with heartbreaks. Here we see themes of reasoning and emotions which are in conflict. In the movie adaptation the cast consists of Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, and Alan Rickman. Directed by Ang Lee, this movie was a massive success upon its release.
3. Emma
The storyline of the film revolves around the titular character Emma. She is a young, wealthy, but a bit naive woman who is trying to meddle in other people’s lives by wearing the hat of a matchmaker. There is comedy as well as heartfelt moments in this film. Like most of Austen’s work here is also the theme of social status along with marriage, love, and others. The comical part comes with the misguided matches, our protagonist needs to figure it all out in between these chaos filled matches. This movie is a relief in itself thus making it one of the must watch in Jane Austen novels.
2. Persuasion
Anne Elliot decides to give it a second chance after rejecting it previously. Her doubts about the man whom she loves are no longer the same due to the circumstances. Anne has outgrown the inhibitions that had mounted on her earlier. The story starts with Anne breaking off the engagement with Captain Frederick due to social indifference between them. And now, upon a second chance, she has to confront her past to begin a new chapter of her life with Captain Frederick. Director Carrie Cracknell has created an explicit masterpiece of Jane Austen’s book; all the actors’ contributions led to the success of the film.
Also Read: Must-Watch Orlando Bloom Movies You Can’t Afford to Miss
1. Northanger Abbey
The story is about a girl named Catherine, who is fond of Gothic literature and indulges herself in reading a lot of books surrounding the same genre. She is later invited to visit Northanger Abbey, her over enthusiastic self expects a lot of surreal activities. The story blends romance and gothic themes in a very smooth way. The satirical representation of the gothic literature in this book is really a classic one. The clever mix of comedy and goth literature makes this text a classic book in the history of literature. It stands as a reminder of Austen’s talent for turning even the most dramatic themes into meaningful stories.
Wrapping Up
To sum it all up, Jane Austen is a name which everyone knows by now. Her works are all about personal choices, and human nature. The name which was once well-known in the Romantic era is also being popularised by the movie adaptations in modern day through digital media. Most of the filmmakers prefer Jane Austen’s novels over others because all of her works show timelessness. Societal tension, a woman’s situation, or the arrogant wealthy character of a man, all of these meaningful elements are still relevant today.
Written by Kenbi Riba
