When one normally thinks of classic novels, thoughts are normally drawn to Victorian-era tales of romance and drama, often set on large estates. These classic stories often are adapted from print pages to film, all while featuring genre-switching adaptations, modernizations, role reversals and, on occasion, zombies.
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which originally premiered in February 2016, is not only a book-to-film adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 romance, but also a representation of a 2009 novel of the same name. The movie, as well as its accompanying book, gives a part-action, part-horror makeover to Austen’s classic romance. The novel’s main focus is on the value of marriage by love rather than solely by wealth, and also provides a word of warning against passing quick judgment on those one has just met. The movie does a relatively good job at maintaining these aspects of the source material, while also adding a slew of horror and action tropes into the mix.
“It made me want to read the actual Pride and Prejudice book,” said Claudia Patterson, a second-year studying chemical engineering and paper science engineering.
Indeed, the film managed to maintain the complex relationships between all major characters from the novel, all while adapting the characters themselves to a 19th century world in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Only one character seems to get a movie-only character revamp, which seemed to come from the movie’s need for an action-packed climax, as opposed to the original book’s calmer, more emotion-driven climax. Even the “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” book itself does not share the same ending with its movie counterpart.
The film certainly does not hold back with some of its more violent scenes, with many shots specifically meant to draw out the spectacle of Victorian-era ladies fighting zombies, although it still manages to rest comfortably in a PG-13 rating. In light of the source material, the movie does have its fair share of romance, although it is incorporated appropriately amidst the hordes of zombies constantly befalling the protagonists.
This film, although certainly not an award-winning masterpiece, is certainly recommended for any zombie-movie fans looking for a different take on the genre, as well as Austen fans interested in seeing an action-driven adaptation of one of her works. Overall, it serves as an experiment in an unusual mix of genres, and it is certainly an interesting movie to watch if one gets the chance.
The movie screening was held in conjunction with a series of events commemorating the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death. Although this version of “Pride and Prejudice” certainly has its differences from the original novel, Marian Fragola, the director of program planning and outreach for NCSU Libraries, believes that showing this version of the story does have its benefits.
“I thought it would be a fun way to reinforce the idea that Jane Austen wasn’t some stuffy author that nobody reads anymore, but that is continually adapted, and that people still are inspired by her work,” Fragola said.
In the variety of discussions and events taking place over the next two weeks, NCSU Libraries will be hosting a discussion on Austen’s book “Northanger Abbey” at Cameron Village Regional Library on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., and will be moderated by Sharon Setzer, an NC State English professor.
Additionally, NC State’s University Theatre is performing a theatrical version of “Pride and Prejudice,” with showings spanning between Sept. 21 and Oct. 1.
Although the celebration only lasts through Oct. 3 here at NC State, literature lovers across the world will continue to celebrate Jane Austen and her works until the end of the year.
