i just read a washington post article on romcoms aging poorly due to the pushiness (and oft-stalkery conduct) of the male characters therein, and it got me thinking about pride and prejudice, and specifically darcy saying, “one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
because, like, that’s the seldom-portrayed romantic dream in the patriarchal hellscape that is our world, isn’t it?
a dude being willing to say, “i understand if you don’t feel the same way about me, and i’ll leave you alone forever about this if my attention is unwanted.”
so simple, yet so wonderful in its basic human decency
and dudes to this day wonder why women still swoon over darcy
Note also: Elizabeth turns down Darcy’s first proposal, and in the process, accuses him of doing some stuff he did not do (and also some stuff he totally did).
The next day, he surprises her on her walk. He hands her a letter, asks that she read it, and then takes off.
When this happened to me after I had turned someone down IN REAL LIFE, the letter contained a passionate argument to the tune of “actually you’re wrong and you do like me and you should go out with me” and it was creepy af.
Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth starts with: “Be not alarmed, Madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments, or renewal of those offers, which were last night so disgusting to you”. He goes on to set the record straight about the stuff he didn’t do (as well as the stuff he did) which is *actually relevant* to Elizabeth. And he, as promised, doesn’t romance her further.
It’s totally bizarre that even now, this can be considered unusually great dude behaviour.
Darcy’s first proposal: “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
Darcy’s second proposal: “One word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
His whole arc in the book is about learning to consider other people’s feelings and not just his own, but the fact that it’s expressed via who gets to talk and who is told to shut up is so, so telling. The first time around, he imposes his voice on her whether she wants it or not. The second time, he asks how she feels, and in exchange, offers her the gift of his silence.
And yeah, the fact that dudes still! have! not! learned! this! lesson! is exhausting.
How surprising is it that Pride and Prejudice was written by a woman, when many romantic comedies are produced and directed by men?
Answer: not at all
200 years later and the world is still full of guys who think they’re a Mr Darcy when they’re actually a Mr Collins.
i hate reading this post for the sole reason that it made me realize against my will that kermit and miss piggy are literally mr. and mrs. bennet personified and this crossover would probably work
i am disturbed by how well this works
alright now i’m just pissed off because that fits even better
like! people always reference pride & prejudice as the archetypal “normal girl falls for mysterious brooding antihero” story but they overlook the part where lizzy drags darcy so fucking hard he leaves town and then apologizes for talking to her the next time they meet even though they’re at his literal house
i just read a washington post article on romcoms aging poorly due to the pushiness (and oft-stalkery conduct) of the male characters therein, and it got me thinking about pride and prejudice, and specifically darcy saying, “one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
because, like, that’s the seldom-portrayed romantic dream in the patriarchal hellscape that is our world, isn’t it?
a dude being willing to say, “i understand if you don’t feel the same way about me, and i’ll leave you alone forever about this if my attention is unwanted.”
so simple, yet so wonderful in its basic human decency
and dudes to this day wonder why women still swoon over darcy
Note also: Elizabeth turns down Darcy’s first proposal, and in the process, accuses him of doing some stuff he did not do (and also some stuff he totally did).
The next day, he surprises her on her walk. He hands her a letter, asks that she read it, and then takes off.
When this happened to me after I had turned someone down IN REAL LIFE, the letter contained a passionate argument to the tune of “actually you’re wrong and you do like me and you should go out with me” and it was creepy af.
Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth starts with: “Be not alarmed, Madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments, or renewal of those offers, which were last night so disgusting to you”. He goes on to set the record straight about the stuff he didn’t do (as well as the stuff he did) which is *actually relevant* to Elizabeth. And he, as promised, doesn’t romance her further.
It’s totally bizarre that even now, this can be considered unusually great dude behaviour.
Darcy’s first proposal: “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
Darcy’s second proposal: “One word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
His whole arc in the book is about learning to consider other people’s feelings and not just his own, but the fact that it’s expressed via who gets to talk and who is told to shut up is so, so telling. The first time around, he imposes his voice on her whether she wants it or not. The second time, he asks how she feels, and in exchange, offers her the gift of his silence.
And yeah, the fact that dudes still! have! not! learned! this! lesson! is exhausting.
FUCK THIS MOVIE. I HATE THIS MOVIE. There is so much whack shit in this film:
the five sisters are KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, amy dunne, johanna mason, carey mulligan of ‘drive’, doctor who episode ‘blink’ and being the future mom of a mumford’s son fame, and the main girl from st trinians???? WHAT KIND OF WHITE PEOPLE PERFECTION their dad is president snow and their mum was vera in noted television procedural vera???? OKAY
DARCY IS 6’2
MR BINGLEY WAS OCTAVIUS IN ROME AND ALSO HAS THE CHEEKBONES OF A TOLKIEN ELF
JUDI DENCH
this movie is just Joe Wright Period Period Piece but it is THE EPITOME OF THIS VERY SPECIFIC GENRE. HE’S NOT GONNA TOP THIS AND HE NEEDS TO STOP TRYING the panning shot of the peak district??? ‘Liz On Top Of The World’ plays in the bg it’s the ULTIMATE.
HOT LIZARD KING WICKHAM
and okay i love how this movie shows the bennets as an actual FAMILY
like they’re messy and tactile and they talk over one another it’s so genuine
AND I LOVE THEIR HOUSE WITH THE CREEPING VINES
and okay the COSTUMES IN THIS MOVIE OH MY GODDD
everyone’s white gowns in the netherfield ball scene? YOOOOOO
honestly the production value of this movie is nuts
it’s the AESTHETIC
alright so jane austen novels are awesome and they show a lot about society and relationships in the regency era
and the thing about 2005 pride and prejudice is that it doesn’t only show the verbal sparring/tension between lizzie and darcy
but the sexual tension as well
THE SEXUAL UNDERTONES OF THIS MOVIE
OH MY GOD
IT’S SO FUCKING MUCH
like every interaction is loaded with like sexy LOOKS and body language
and like they don’t even kiss but it’s so obvious they wanna bang
THEY WANT TO BANG
SO
BAD
it’s like raw magnetism
it’s something people would write ridiculous articles in cosmo about
like that bit where darcy helps lizzie into the carriage???????
HE HELPS HER UP
(IT’S THE 1800S, PEOPLE DONT TOUCH)
she looks at him, scandalised
HE WALKS AWAY, FLEXING HIS HAND AS IF IT’S BURNING
ROMANCE
there’s this scene where lizzie and darcy are dancing in a crowded room but they’re so focused on each other the other people LITERALLY MELT AWAY
LIKE THEY’RE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE IN THE GOD DAMN UNIVERSE
(sidebar: HER HAIR IN THIS SCENE. GOD DAMN.)
also THE TRACKING SHOT THROUGH THE PARTY OH MY GOD
and okay, like
let’s not even GET INTO the declaration scene
after a heavy dose of SEXILY AVOIDING EACH OTHER’S GLANCES IN CHURCH the sexual tension crescendos
UNDER THE AWNING OF SOME ANCIENT RUIN
IN THE POURING RAIN
he advances; he admits his love
she REBUKES him
affronted, he insults pretty much everything about her
she responds but rebuking him again but WORSE
but the sexual tension’s still there
there’s just the noise of the rain
the air between them is so charged it could power like
a small city probably
THEY’RE SUPER CLOSE
NO TOUCHEY
AND THEN
HE LEANS FORWARD, EYES LOCKED ON HER LIPS
HE’S GONNA KISS HER
SHE WANTS HIM TO KISS HER
HE DOESN’T KISS HER
THE
FUCKING
TENSION
I CAN’T EVEN WATCH THIS BIT HONESTLY
and she regrets it immediately after and then he DROPS OFF THE LETTER AND SHE’S JUST SITTING THERE IN SHOCK REALLY
I KNOW BABE. I KNOW
and it’s the kind of movie you can rewatch a hundred times and it’s still as amazing as the first time and you pick up all these little things you missed
it was like my 20th watch when i realised that mary is in love with mr collins
and ok THE LIVING SCULPTURES OF PEMBERLEY SCENE
all the pemberly scenes really like when they show up and lizzie sees this bomb ass house that could’ve been hers and she’s just like, ‘hahahhahahahaha i fucked up, i fucked up. i fucked up so bad im sorry, im trash’
AND WHEN SHE MEETS GEORGIANA AND SHE LOOKS AT LIZZIE AND DARCY LIKE SMIRK.EMOJI
she knows
and the scene where DARCY AND BINGLEY PRACTICE WHAT HE’S GOING TO SAY TO JANE
REGENCY SOFT BRO AF
and the scene before when the bennets rush to make themselves look presentable and it’s sooooo awkward and forced HONESTLY THEY ARE THE BEST
AND JANE AND BINGLEY LOWKEY OTP FINALLY GETTING TOGETHER
AND JANE STANDING THERE IN THE SUNBEAM LOOKING LIKE A LITERAL ANGEL AND TEARS IN HER EYES AS SHE SAYS YES
and then
DARCY
LOOKING LIKE SOME FABIO SHIT
WALING ACROSS THE MOORS
TO HER
WHAT THE HELLLLLL
THE MUSIC SWELLS
HE’S RUGGED
‘YOU MUST KNOW… SURELY YOU MUST KNOW IT WAS ALL FOR YOU’
s t o p
and lizzie is standing there with her artfully messy hair
‘YOU HAVE BEWITCHED ME, BODY AND SOUL, AND I LOVE YOU
I LOVE YOU
I LOVE YOU’
good BYE
and she kisses his hands? NOOOOOOO
THEY GONNA BANG SO MUCH
i keep this movie on every device i have in case i need an emergency pick me up
once i watched this with dinner at night and when it finished the dvd was on a loop and it started playing again…. and i watched it again… twice
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