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Pride And Prejudice Music Analysis

Decent Essays

Pride & Prejudice, the quintessential classic that has inspired countless iterations, returned to film in 2005 with fresh faces Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as protagonists Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Its widely lauded soundtrack, composed by Dario Marianelli, was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures category for Original Score, among other awards. If Marianelli and director Joe Wright’s objective was to evoke music of the time period, they seem to have done just that. The Classical style matches the feel of Jane Austen novels and the era in which Pride & Prejudice was written. The romantic relationship between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy is also enhanced by the music. This paper demonstrates that the soundtrack parallels the development of Lizzie and her feelings for Mr. Darcy. Lizzie’s theme is a recurring element that plots their relationship from introduction to inevitably happy end. Further, the theme of “Darcy’s Letter”, present in a number of scenes, helps to depict when Lizzie begins to feel differently about Mr. Darcy. The diegetic playing of Lizzie’s theme also offers an interesting look into the social classes of the time and how they affected relationships. The most frequently occurring music in Pride & Prejudice is Lizzie’s theme. During the opening sequence, a bright morning is shown as birds chirp. Soft piano is heard pulsing and Lizzie walks on screen reading a book. The tempo hastens slightly as Lizzie

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