Few writers rethink their work as often or generously as Jane Austen (apart from Shakespeare, it’s always a special case). On stage, on screen, and in the book, her novel was rewritten as a slapstick drama, a fantasy mashup, an all-hands-on-deck hindiwood festival, and a cheeky romantic comedy. They were shipped to Cincinnati, Delhi, Fire Island, Los Angeles, modern London, and, in the case of the vampire novel Twilight, inspired by “pride and prejudice,” the sleepy town of Forks, Wash.
So why is there the latest adaptation — a spicy version of Carrie Cracknell “Persuasion,” Currently streaming on Netflix — are you sending so many viewers to the fainted couch and taking a noble attitude?For example, Dana Stevens of Slate magazine Call a movie “Not only Austin’s worst adaptation, but one of the worst movies in recent memory”? Alternatively, Philippa Snow mentions the heroine’s modern drinking habits in a New Republic review. Sniper The film seemed to be set “not only in the early 19th century, but also in wine time”.
The answer lies in the expectations that Austin fans, especially the passionate and enthusiastic crowd, bring to her work. The problem is not that the version of Cracknell is free — every iteration is free. That’s virtually important, but what kind of freedom is it?
“Persuasion” is the least flashy of Austin’s six major novels. The end of her completed book, published in 1818, claims that many austenites are her favorites, but is quieter and more introspective than her brothers who please the crowd. Anne Elliot, a 27-year-old heroine, appears to be reconciled not with the heroine of her story, but with her regrets and playing a role in supporting the lives of others.
But at that moment Trailer With the release of “Persuasion,” Austin’s purists stood up in a collective indignation. Ann was no longer modest, thoughtful, and suffering alone, but drowning in her high-performance self-pity, she spoke directly to the “Fleabag” camera and confessed to her relatives. At one point, when she talked about Captain Wentworth, who she still loves after a silly refusal many years ago, she anachronistically said, “Now it’s worse than Exe. We’re friends.” Observe
The release of the movie confirmed the anxiety of the fans. In two recent streaming series, Bridgerton and Dickinson, the quirky historical drama featuring a cheerful, cheeky, and manipulatively emotional heroine is fine, but Jane Austen felt it was. It seems that.
At Harper’s Bazaar, Chelsea Sanchez I have written The characters appeared to be “unrecognizable from their origin.”
“Will Anne Elliot turn to an audience who knows the sneaky girlboss one-liner?” She wrote. “Do we want her to do that? What else can we gain if we lose the beauty of subtext, which is Austin’s greatest storytelling strength?”
The best Austin adaptations are true to the original spirit (basic plots, how characters interact with each other and in society), and they are placed even if the world is a gay group. Men looking for love and hookups on the current Fire Island Hulu film Of that name.
Amy Heckerling “Ignorance” (1995)Beverly Hills, who transposed “Emma” to a status-sensitive high school in the 1990s, succeeded in reflecting an exquisite understanding of Australia, even in the most picayun social gradations. Alicia Silverstone, who was given the deliciously modern name of Cher Horowitz instead of Emma Woodhouse, is the noble self-esteem of her original character, how her grace spoils her charm, and her. He made his faults his own and skillfully communicated her ability to make up for it.
Similarly, Ang Lee’s Emma Thompson screenplay “Sensibleness and Sensitivity” (1995) Gives the book a feminist inclination — emphasizing primitive injustice and portraying the difficulty of being an unmarried woman with an uncertain economic future — the original emotional truth and romanticism Stay true to your potential.
And the highly stylized Autumn de Wilde “Emma” (2020) Choreographed like a Kabuki opera with a bold and witty color palette, stunningly eccentric outfits, and enhanced elements of both farce and erotic admiration, but works as intended. It features a recognizable character.
Writers and playwrights who wrestled with Austin say that the challenge of adaptation is to stay within the contours of her worldview, while clarifying what is available.
“To break the rules, you need to know the rules, and you need to clarify the rules in your work,” said the actor and playwright. Kate HamilIts adaptation to Austin’s stage includes a noisy “sense and sensitivity” accompanied by a chorus of arrogant, busy body gossip. “It must work for both those who enjoy the original book and those who have nothing to do with it.”
British writer Gil HornbyWrote two newly published novels, “Miss Austin” “God Marsham Park” — Jane Austen’s own characteristic, with some caveats, she said she is highly tolerant of fantasy adaptation.
“My instinctive view is that anything works as long as the character is preserved and the basic moral issues (snobs are rebellious, gossip is harmful, no one likes big heads) are seriously addressed. That’s what she said in an email.
She also said that the language of adaptation should adapt to the environment. One of the most unpleasant aspects of the new “persuasion” is the setting and costume of the regency, a way to bring modern colloquial expressions into what is presented as a classical historical drama. (“Dickinson”, a dream of wild heat On Apple TV + A rethink of the poet Emily Dickinson’s alternative life was able to avoid anachronisms. Because they were burned into the enterprise in the first place. Obviously, this wasn’t a 19th-century American family that none of us had ever been exposed to. )
It’s very strange to hear the characters in “Persuasion” make a geographically snide point by announcing “If you’re 5 in London, you’re 10 in Bath.”
“You can’t cross the waves,” Hornby said. “If you want to maintain your period, you need to maintain your language. It’s not saying that it should be verbatim or exactly Ostenian. Obviously, on the page For literary demands, screen realism must be taken into account. There is a middle ground — an accessible and reliable translation. “
Perhaps even more shocking, the new adaptation eliminates the long, slow burning of the novel, weakens its own melancholy tone, and allows the character to reveal emotions and motives too quickly. Ruin Austin’s careful pace. “By weaving a comedy story from a tragic story, the film goes below Austin’s goal,” Emerinkline said. Written in LitHub. “I think she wanted us to cry instead of laughing at us.”
Of course, Austin’s adaptation does not satisfy the most rigorous fans. There was also opposition to perhaps the best scene of the BBC’s six-part “Pride and Prejudice” (1995, Year of the Flag of Adaptation). When Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) emerges from a swim in the lake, his wet shirt clings to his chunky chest.
Hamil, who set the stage for another writer’s classic work, said he had received an email from Austin fans, “Why, Mr. Hamil?” In response to a play.
“Bram Stoker, Homer, and Hawthorne fans have never hit my door,” she said. “Jane Austen’s fans are very passionate.”
