Pride and Prejudice 1995 on DVD
Before declaring my ardent love for the Blu-ray release of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice from the rooftops of Pemberley, I should say that the standard DVD edition remains a must-own for those without HD. See our review of BBC Pride and Prejudice 1995 if you are unfamiliar with the series, but suffice to say it is filmed beautifully and cast so brilliantly you will struggle to keep Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle from replacing the Darcy and Lizzy of your imagination. There was some disappointment after the BBC’s release of the Pride and Prejudice 1995 DVD, however, because of the quality of the picture and sound. It is true that the colors are a little washed out and the picture a little blurred, especially in the final scene of each episode. It doesn’t reduce the immersion of the experience or detract from the wonderful storyline and script, but did feel like something of a missed opportunity to get it right on DVD.
Hooray for Blu-ray; Lizzy and Darcy in HD
The Blu-ray edition of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice 1995 series is, on the other hand, truly the handsomest television show of my acquaintance. The Blu-ray picture has been improved over the DVD version by a new technology known, a little immodestly, as the “Fabtech” system. The system, as Vincent Narduzzo explains on a special feature documentaries, allowed the makers to return to the original “A/B negative” (I won’t pretend to know what that means!), rather than transferring from a print. In other words, for the Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray edition, they could copy the original instead of having to copy another copy. Naduzzo shows us the before and after shots and the transformation from the DVD is very impressive, even if the explanation is a little dry…
DVD Screehshot - He looks even better in Blu-ray!
It’s not just the crispness of the images that breathe new life into the BBC 1995 Pride and Prejudice series. From the individual blades of glass to the bristles of the beards, it is excessively diverting to let your eyes wander around the screen as the story progresses, but it’s the colors on the Blu-ray edition that really demand attention. Compared to the slightly muted shades of the DVD, the brightness and depth of the colors in the Blu-ray edition mean it rivals even the psychedelic Bride and Prejudice in its visual splendor. The red of the officers’ regimentals, the assortment of skin tones and the greens of the English countryside are the perfect advertisement for investment in the Blu-ray format. You can see and hear the fires crackling, and observe facial expressions that were obscured in the DVD version.
BBC Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray Special Features
The only negative aspect is that greater effort could have been made to include more special features for the Blu-ray release. There are two documentaries for the Blu-ray: one is a retrospective talking-heads documentary called ‘Pride and Prejudice; A Turning Point for Period Drama,’ and the other is Vincent Narduzzo’s explanation of the high definition rendering process for the Blu-ray release. The first documentary is interesting enough, with contributions from screenwriter Andrew Davies; drama publicist, Alan Ayres; TV critic, Baz Bamingboye, and costume designer, Dinah Collin. They all have interesting insights but it would have been nice to hear from a few of the other big-hitters for the Blu-ray release, such as Producer Sue Birtwistle or Director Simon Langton or even some cast members. There is also no audio commentary, but it’s admirable that they have included an audio explanation track for the visually impaired. (It’s also worth a listen for the visually unimpaired, since it is read by a woman with a comically sexy voice that would be perfect for those husky chocolate commercials!) In all seriousness, the lack of new special features is only a small quibble next to the Blu-ray edition’s beautiful re-rendering of the pictures and sound.
