Into the Guts of Love in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

     Pride and Prejudice and Zombies tells the all too well known story of burgeoning love between Elizabeth Benett and Fitzwilliam Darcy with a twist that seems almost too modern for its own good. The film weaves Austen's rich dialogue and story telling with distinct stylistic changes that sometimes recontextualize entire scenes. Though the movie released and remains contentious for its brazen alteration of the original text, it has also seen praise for the fun it has with it as well. Many changes to the text work to fit the story in with a contemporary audience, often ramping up the raunchiness in a way that many adaptations do not.

Elizabeth and Darcy: Capable in a Different Way

 

  Pride and Prejudice features some of the most tense and rich back and forth rapport between Lizzy and Darcy for the duration of the novel up until they are together. While that sort of dialogue still exists in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, there is an added element of combat on top of it all. Because of the zombie outbreak that has spread over the entirety of Europe, and because said outbreak has occurred for quite some time by the events of the movie, many characters are seen being capable fighters. This applies both to Lizzy and Darcy. This layer of physicality adds to the absurdity of the movie's plot, but also gives an edge in adding depth to scenes -- both humorous and interesting. Whereas scenes of Darcy brooding around Elizabeth litter the pages of Austen's novel, the movie opts to place these two characters fighting sentient zombies in a kitchen where the staff has been devoured (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 0:46:46). Darcy's proposal remains relatively untouched dialogue-wise, but the movie decides to place these two in a bodice-ripping fight scene to coincide with the argument (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 1:08:00). This level of action -- and sexual tension -- is something added to fit a contemporary audience. To go along with the sexual expression in this film, there is much kissing between Lizzy and Darcy. They kiss at most moments where it is the height of a scene between them, and only in the second half of the movie. In other adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, kissing is something reserved for the second proposal. This movie features the first kiss between these two when Lizzy believes Darcy to be dead (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 1:35:10). This sort of drama, playing it up, if you will, is also commonplace for most modern/contemporary action romances. I personally feel as though I can name many movies off the top of my head where the main character shares an intimate moment with their lover perceived to be dead. 

Two Lovers: Not So Different?

    This movie, having released around 2016, fit right in with its peers of the time. Women's agency to be sexually liberal, and furthermore their ability to fight, takes the cultural attitudes of modesty and politeness of Austen's time and flips it on its head. The movie says, "would there be a place for modesty in a zombie apocalypse?" The answer is somewhere in the middle. It's actually quite funny how they choose to strike a balance in this movie. The women are still expected to dress appropriately, yet they are also expected to battle zombies in the same exact dresses and gowns which they would wear to a banquet. Even in the climactic final battle, where the zombie hordes battle against the British army and Darcy and Wickham have their final duel, Lizzy is still clad in a slightly opened coat with her hair done up. (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 1:32:15). Of course, there is some functionality in the way the women's costumes were designed. Many of them are slit up the sides, allowing for weaponry to be held in and around their stockings. This is a neat addition, and certainly reinforces that the women, too, were expected to be ready for battle. It does not help, however, that Elizabeth is still caught in the role of damsel in distress one too many times. Darcy is constantly one-upping her or saving her from death or embarrassment throughout the entire movie, sort of watering down the "equal footing" aspect the movie often seems to go for. Even in Darcy's first proposal, a scene where -- narratively -- the man loses in every regard, he still manages to get the upper hand on Elizabeth, pinning her to the floor and only ending the scene when he relents (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 1:09:33). To me, this took me out of the idea that these two were equal in any regard. Indeed, in the novel there is a battle of wits between the two that lends itself to both of their intelligence. In this movie, it simply felt like an instance where the man just had to win out every single time.

Conclusion

    My time with this movie was strange because I expected to absolutely hate it, but have fun with it as well. I actually wound up both having fun with it and not hating it. It does a much to distance itself from the original text while still keeping in line with so much that makes it one of the greats. On top of that, I think the reframing of certain scenes to fit in line with an action romance story pays dividends at some points. Gender representation has certainly come a long way since Jane Austen's time, but I was not surprised to see many of the same tropes that plague media today appear in this movie. Many movies of this time posture as though they are breaking down gender barriers, yet still adhere to the constraints of the patriarchy.

Works Cited

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Directed by Burr Steers, performances by Lily James             and Sam Riley, Sony Pictures, 2016.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Edited by Vivien Jones, Penguin Classics, 2003.