Have been watching BBCs version of pride and prejudice – a stunning drama. The series inherits a good story by Jane Austen, and so is made of very good material. The good news is that the director and the actors have done a very good job of it as well. The main character – Elizabeth is beautiful in a quite way and expresses a large range of emotions without ‘expressing’ them – atleast as it would be socially desired. Little winks and twitches of the eyebrow and other subtle gestures are all that she uses to communicate the essence of the story. The intimacy between the sisters Jane and Elizabeth, the father and the other characters in the story line are lively and life like – barring the mother, perhaps. The mother with her tantrums and crying and other gestures is a little out of place – but by design.

One compelling aspect of the drama is the characterization of people in it. There’s a wide variety of them and the richness of the central character cannot be revealed without the diversity of people around her. Those around her become her motivation, discouragement, irritation, joy, disillusionment and all that she is. The story of a woman could perhaps not be understood without understanding those around her. Pride and prejudice is not just a story of some individuals, but of individuals in their social context.

Beautiful outdoors, stunning buildings make the picture even more worth watching. The series is 300 minutes long and worth every minute of it.