A costume romance in the context of a zombie apocalypse? Though the concept may sound like a desperate pitch, it is in fact the basis of the insanely charming PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, a mashup of two beloved genres. For the uninitiated, the film is adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 revision of the Jane Austen classic in which Grahame-Smith reimagines PRIDE AND PREJUDICE amid an undead uprising. While pretty much staying true to Austen's original storyline, the new version hilariously skews almost every other detail, creating a highly entertaining passage in the zombie catalog capable of making even the most hardcore gore hound chuckle.
I was first introduced to the revision by my brother who gifted the book to me when it first came out. He thought I would get a kick out of the genre bender, especially considering our shared predilection for splatter fare. I devoured the book and was pleased to learn a few years later that the film rights had been acquired with Natalie Portman attached to lead the cast. My inner fan girl went squeee!!!!! Flash forward a bit later when I discovered that Portman had stepped down from the starring role but was still staying on as producer. Though I'll admit that this news lowered my expectations a bit, I am beyond thrilled by how deftly the final result is executed. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES is not just a wink and a nudge at two popular genres, but a beautiful ode to each.
The film centers on the Bennet family whose social and financial future rests upon the matrimony of their five daughters. While the matriarch of the Bennet clan worries herself with finding suitors for her brood, Mr. Bennet is more focused on his girls' continued training in the Shaolin arts in order to defend themselves against the zombie plague that has decimated the idyllic English countryside. Though the younger sisters share their mother's marital ambitions, the eldest daughter Elizabeth (Lizzy) flat out refuses to surrender her weaponry for a ring-it is evident that in the 19th century the two are most definitely mutually exclusive.
Enter Mr. Darcy, the brooding, handsome, and wealthy army officer fresh from the battlefront. Darcy's distaste for British society and etiquette is as clear as his ambivalence toward courtship. When first acquainted with the eldest Bennet daughter, their mutual repellence appears completely insurmountable, however as the story progresses we see plainly how their unique attitudes are more in sync than initially imagined.
Throughout the inevitable back and forth between Darcy and Elizabeth, screenwriter/director Burr Steers never misses an opportunity to remind the audience about the dreaded context in which the budding romance is taking place. From drawing room games to society balls, the threat of the zombie plague looms large as the nobility attempt to go on with their privileged lives. What would ordinarily be a tete a tete between Darcy and Elizabeth devolves into a delightfully clever mano a mano, with each characters' incredible combat skills on full display. In similar fashion, a sibling argument that might ordinarily be conducted during embroidery lessons instead takes place in a knockdown, drag-out Shaolin training session.
Though I've already voiced my disappointment that Portman stepped down from the lead, I can now say that Lily James is a an amazing (dare I say even better?!) choice for the film's heroine. She strikes a perfect chord between feminist indignation and total badassery as the leader of the Bennet sisters. She is able to convey curiosity about Darcy without betraying her dedication to protecting herself and her family from the undead onslaught. Among many other terrific performances in the film is Matt Smith's Mr. Collins. Providing some much-needed comic relief, Smith absolutely nails a dandyish and somewhat clueless tone that provides laughs as well as endearment. As in most zombie films (made outside of Italy, that is), I am always wishing for just more good ol' zombie action, and this film does follow suite. Though the effects are digital-heavy, there is a certain quality or aesthetic about the gruesomeness that lends itself quite nicely to the beauty of the era. Highbrow gore? Sure, why not. Some of the scenes really went there, but alas, I was still left wanting a bit more.
It so fun to see a film that you can't say enough good things about, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES most definitely fits this bill. From the beautifully illustrated prologue to the gorgeous costume design (complete with just a touch of T and A, a la heaving empire-waisted cleavage and weaponry hidden in garters), every frame of the film feels like a nostalgic romp taking place in an entirely new universe. Kudos to Steers and company for pulling off an adaptation of an adaptation that might have otherwise been merely camp, instead of the fully-realized mashup that PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES has gleefully succeeded in accomplishing.
Annette Kellerman
