'I watched two Pride and Prejudice adaptations and one was obviously so much better'

OPINION

Period dramas are truly having a resurgence. Bridgerton fever has taken hold of TV lovers, with a fourth season firmly on the way. As someone who enjoys a good old comfort drama, I have shockingly never had the chance to sit and watch one of the all-time classics. Pride and Prejudice was never a book that I actively sought out, nor the film or TV adaptations. When I tell people about this, I usually get the same reaction: a slight gasp. Disbelief. An awkward stare.

When I heard the news that Netflix was making another version of the 1813 novel, I had to find out what the fuss was about. After doing some digging, I found out there were hundreds of previous adaptations. There's Bridget Jones and Austenland. There is even a zombie version starring Lily James and Matt Smith. You heard me correctly.

But the top two that everyone seemed to hammer on about are Joe Wright's 2005 film and the 1995 BBC mini-series. Some say that there is only one Mr Darcy and only one Elizabeth Bennett. The verdict? There was only one way to find out.

My first watch was the 2005 film starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. This was going to be my first introduction to Austen, and two hours later, I was completely floored. How had I never seen this before?

It was so aesthetically pleasing. Each film shot was like a painting, and the soundtrack score was sublime. Also, Keira kills it. Her poise is next level. Matthew was excellent as Darcy, and the scene of him walking through the field at sunrise is cemented in my brain.

I loved the little slices of life in the 2005 film, like the characters and their messy hairstyles at the end of the day, and the fact that the ballroom scenes actually look fun.

So now onto the 1995 mini-series. I appreciate different creative styles of artists paying homage to a beloved literary work, and of course, I wanted to see a wet Colin Firth emerging from a lake.

My first thoughts were that the BBC series is a much more faithful adaptation. It respects the story in a nice way, giving proper time for it with a six-episode format, and also respecting the time period. However, it didn't pull at my heartstrings enough like the film. Jennifer Ehle's version of Lizzie is played beautifully, though, but I thought Keira captured her personality better.

1995 was also so memorable that it was even referenced in the new Barbie movie. The acting is stellar, and it's now made me want to even watch the zombie version. Sign me up.

I recognise that the 2005 film isn't perfect now, but it still feels right to me as a first-time watcher. MacFadyen sure is easy on the eyes, but Colin Firth was born to play Mr Darcy.

As a hopeless romantic, the 2005 film version just pips it for me. The cinematography is glorious, and it was the perfect form of blissful escapism. The 1995 series contains much more of the story, but it didn't hit my heart in the same way.

Pride and Prejudice can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.