Set against a nightmare of social unrest that would have made the industrial revolution seem like a pillow fight, Jane Austen’s timeless love story rides again in this stylish movie mash-up.
Pride and Prejudice, the original classic novel written in 1813, centres on the Bennet family, the two rich, young bachelors Mr Darcy and Mr Bingham, and the romances and drama that ensue. This time, Austen’s original love story is ready to play out again, but against the backdrop of the horrifying prospect of the entire population of England being turned into zombies. It sounds ridiculous and many would have thought so when Seth Grahame-Smith’s parody novel was originally released on April Fools’ Day in 2009. However it became a New York Times bestseller and since then more than a million copies have been sold worldwide.
As with the book, PPZ is not ridiculous. It works, and very well at that. The simple reason for this is that it is played absolutely straight and not for laughs; there are no knowing winks to the camera, it doesn’t feel like a parody at all. The film is very faithful to the tone and spirit of Jane Austen’s novel while being a Rocky Horror celebration of its timeless appeal. This does, however, result in some moments which are quite bizarre. For instance, a zombie’s head is blown clean off from short range and then we are treated to an unadulterated chunk of Austen’s perfectly preserved original dialogue.
In this adaptation, the Bennet sisters are highly skilled warriors who were trained in the Shaolin temples of China. We are told that the rich trained in Japan while the wise trained in China. Snobbery and the divisions of class are even applied to the art of survival in these darkest of times, staying true to the themes of the original novel. Naturally, Darcy’s rich associates were all trained in Japan.
It is a movie convention for the heroes or heroines to ‘tool up’ before a potential fight. We’ve seen some classics over the years: Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Sigourney Weaver come to mind, but this film trumps them all. The Bennet sisters dress for the Netherfield ball but stay on the side of caution. Bodices are laced tight; leather garters double as holsters and are given single shot pistols and long, sharp blades. Then on go the posh frocks with the white gloves, and five outwardly demure, socially accomplished killing machines arrive at the dance. Marvellous.
This is like no film I’ve seen before. The juxtaposition between a touchingly told love story and the potential ‘zombiegeddon’ is extraordinary yet surprisingly successful. The director Burr Steers is in complete control here and is directing his own script. He is helped greatly by committed performances from Lily James (Elizabeth) and Sam Riley (Darcy). These two characters have the best scene in the film together, it’s brilliantly done and epitomises why the film works so well.
The lighter moments of the film are really given to just two characters. Mrs Bennet is desperate to marry off her daughters lest they become “pathetic spinsters”. This role is played by the completely wonderful Sally Phillips, one of our most talented and prolific comedy actresses. Her scenes with Lady Catherine de Bourgh in particular are great. However, it is Matt Smith as the cringeworthy and obsequious Parson Collins who nearly steals the show with a flamboyantly funny performance.
So who is the film aimed at? If you’re looking for a zombie gore fest you may be disappointed. This is not just an action horror film. If you are a fan of Jane Austen’s work, 19th English literature in general or try to never miss a period TV drama, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a surprisingly good film. If nothing else it has potentially created a new awards category, ‘Best Adapted Screenplay of an Adapted Novel’.
Author – Simon, Norwich store
