Introduction
Jane Austin's novel Pride and Prejudice has been adapted in film and television several times. The two notable films adapted from the novel are 2004's Bride and Prejudice which is a bollywood crossover and 2005's Pride and Prejudice which follows the traditional Victorian setting. Both these films were very successful at the box office, achieving £121 million and £24 million respectively. Their production backgrounds differed in many ways as well as being similar in other ways, and in this blog, I will explain the ways in which both films' production contexts defined how they were received among audiences.
1. Production contexts
Production contexts differ for films, and include the time the film is made, the country it is made in and the production and distribution companies.
Pride and Prejudice was produced both in the UK and USA, being described as an 'Anglo-American collaboration'. It was produced by Working Title films which is owned by Universal, as well as by Universal itself. Production started in 2003 and finished in 2005. Therefore, as it was produced by Universal, the film was able to have a large budget and so have more opportunities and resources enabling it to become a major box office sucess. Also, Universal was able to cast major Hollywood actors, such as Keira Knightley.
Bride and Prejudice was produced around the same time as Pride and Prejudice, although it was written independently by director Gurinder Chadha, and also received funding from the British Film Institute. Miramax and Pathe were the distributors, and so these companies are not as big as universal. It wasn't completely independent as it was produced by Miramax, although it had a smaller budget and more constraints because of its funding by the BFI. However, Miramax were able to cast Aishwarya Rai who is a major Bollywood actress, and the film was also a commercial success, although not as much as Pride and Prejudice.
2. Financial determinants
Pride and Prejudice had a budget of £22 million. This was relatively expensive, but it enabled the use of high quality costuming matching the Victorian period as well as the use of locations including Chatsworth house. This was over three times the budget of Bride and Prejudice, which had £7 million. Bride and Prejudice had a small budget funded by the BFI because it was a crossover film as it combined Bollywood actors and genre characteristics with English dialogue and locations. Therefore, it was more experimental in its nature, as Bollywood- British crossover films aren't frequently produced in the UK. As the film is set in modern times, a larger budget isn't needed as much as Pride and Prejudice which is a Victorian period drama, and so needed money for Victorian costuming, props and locations.
3. Funding bodies
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice was produced and distributed by Universal studios, which is a major multinational film company. Therefore, its budget was considerably bigger than that of Bride and Prejudice, and it was also funded entirely by Universal. The main advantage of this was that Universal had full control as to how the money was spent as it wasn't funded by an external company. Therefore, the budget could be used however Universal wanted it to be used, and so there weren't any external limitations or rules, unlike Bride and Prejudice which had to comply by the BFI's rule that most filming had to take place in the UK.
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice was funded by the British Fim Institute. The BFI however made the producers of the film agree that most of the filming had to take place in the UK, as it should be a British film. This would have put restraints on production slightly, as Bride and Prejudice was a Bollywood crossover film and so was partly set in India. However, the majority of the film was set in the UK, and locations used included Stoke Park Club, Somerset House, Halton House, Turville, London Eye and the National Film Theatre in London. Therefore, these locations were iconically British and so the BFI made sure these were used to show that Bride and Prejudice was a British film.
Locations outside the UK included the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the beaches of Goa, the Grand Canyon and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. These locations had to be agreed upon by the BFI and were not to be used more frequently than the British locations.
4. Tax incentives
Tax incentives are when film producers who are making films in the UK don't have to pay any tax when spending money on production. Tax incentives are put in place to encourage producers to make films in the UK. More can be read on the British Film Institute's website, which explains the nature of tax incentives- http://www.britishfilmcommission.org.uk/film-production/uk-film-tax-relief/
Tax incentives affect the production of films, because producers don't have to spend as much money on resources. Therefore, they are able to source equipment, personell, costumes and locations for less, meaning that overall spending on production is reduced by the tax being discounted.
Pride and Prejudice
The budget for Pride and Prejudice was £22 million. Therefore, Focus Features who were the production company for Pride and Prejudice, would have been refunded between 4.5 and 5.5 million which amounts to between 20-25%, which is the amount of tax. Focus Features is an American film production company who co- produced and distributed Pride and Prejudice along with Working Title films (UK) and Universal Studios. Because Focus Features benefited from uk Tax incentives, production was likely to have been more efficient. This was because less money overall was spent on production because tax was deducted. Therefore, aspects of production such as costumes and props would have been of higher quality because the producers were able to pay for these because they were tax free.
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice which was produced and distributed by Miramax films (USA) and Pathe Distribution (UK) would have benefited from a tax incentive as well, however the budget was only £7 million and minimum spend had to be £20 million in order to get 20-25% tax refunded. The BFI did fund Bride and Prejudice, and although it wasn't a tax incentive, it did mean that the majority of the scenes in Bride and Prejudice had to be shot in the UK. Therefore, the budget for Bride and Prejudice was tighter as resources for production weren't tax free. This meant more money had to be spent on different resources such as costumes and props.6. Technologies of production
Both films have similar technologies employed, as they were both produced in the same years- 2003-2005. Therefore, technologies available at that time are very much the same as what is available during present day, although more recent equipment will be generally more advanced. Digital video cameras, tripods, jibs and cranes, editing software, the internet and digital editing software are some of the technologies which were available readily during 2000's till present day. Therefore, both films employ very similar camera, lighting and editing technologies and so there isn't much difference between the two films in terms of technological advancements.
7. Distribution and exhibition
The way films are distributed ultimately affects how successful they are at the box office. Factors which play a part in box office success include the dates of release, the number of countries the film is being released in, the number of theatres screening the film every week and the length of time the film spends at the cinema. Bride and Prejudice was distributed differently to Pride and Prejudice, and so the two films gained different amounts of revenue at the box office, and this can further be read below.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice had a wider release than Bride and Prejudice, and this ultimately enabled the film to gain $121 million at the box office. The £22 million budget also played a role in its box office success, as a bigger budget means more money to spend for distribution costs. Also, Universal Pictures was the international distributer for Pride and Prejudice, and so because it is a major global company, it meant that the film earned over $80 million outside the USA.
Below is data from IMDb which shows the distribution and exhibition of Pride and Prejudice as well as its opening weekend and cumulative gross.
The full data can be seen here-
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus
From the chart above, it is clear to see that Pride and Prejudice had a wide release, which resulted in it excelling at the box office. For example, on its opening weekend, it was exhibited in 215 screens in the UK and earned £2.5 million in total for its first week. This was achieved because the film was played on 397 screens that week. The film was also number one in the box office charts for two more weeks earning a total of £9 million by this point, and so this shows that box office success is determined by the amount of screens showing the film. Its widest domestic release was on 2 October 2005, where the film was played on 412 screens.
From the chart above, you can also see that Pride and Prejudice had a debut US weekend gross of $2.9 million on 13 November 2005, playing on 215 screens. The larger exhibition enabled it to become successful in America, as Bride and Prejudice on the other hand, was only played in 32 screens for its US opening weekend on 13 February 2005. Therefore, a wider debut release enabled a much wider audience for Pride and Prejudice as more people could watch the film in the cinema at the same time.
The film's widest release was two weeks after its debut release, where it played on 1,299 screens. All in all, it earned over $38 million in the USA, and this was because of its wide release, playing in 300 screens on average.
Pride and Prejudice was also released in 59 additional countries in its international release. This is higher than the number of countries Bride and Prejudice was released in, which totalled 42. Therefore, because Universal Studios distributed Pride and Prejudice, it enabled the film to be the 72nd highest grossing film of 2005 and the 41st highest internationally.
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice's distribution and exhibition was narrower and resulted in the film earning less at the box office. In total, the film earned just over $24 million at the box office which is considerably lower than that of Pride and Prejudice which was over $120 million. This was because Bride and Prejudice was distributed in the US by Miramax which is known for distributing foreign and independent films. Although Miramax is a fairly large company and was owned by Disney at the time (2005), it isn't as large as Universal. The budget for Bride and Prejudice was also smaller, totalling $7 million. Therefore, there was less money for distribution costs.
The full data chart from IMDb can be seen below.
As seen above, in its opening weekend, Bride and Prejudice was shown on 376 screens in the UK earning just over £1.6 million. This is slightly lower than Pride and Prejudice which was shown on 397 screens and so earned over £2.5 million. Its US opening release is significantly lower than that of Pride and Prejudice. For example, it was only shown on 32 screens, earning under $400,000, compared to Pride and Prejudice which was shown 215 screens earning over $2.8 million.
Its widest US releas was on 20 March 2005 where it was shown on 288 screens. This is still much less than that of Pride and Prejudice, which was shown on 1,299 screens in its widest US release. Again, this was because Universal owns its distribution company, and so was better able to distribute Pride and Prejudice, while Miramax bought rights to distribute Bride and Prejudice.
8. Trends
Trends influence the production of films because popular films which are high grossing are likely to follow trends of previous films and also influence films produced after them. Trends may refer to the genre of the films, the content and storylines, the characters and whether the film is an adaptation of another media product. Both Pride and Prejudice and Bride and Prejudice followed and were influenced by different trends. For example, Pride and Prejudice is one of several revivals and adaptations of Jane Austin films and other Victiorian literature, as well as of period dramas. Bride and Prejudice also follows the trend in Bollywood crossover films as explained before. Trend affect the overall outcome of films because films that follow trends are more likely to attract mass audiences and therefore achieve higher revenue. This is because audiences are attracted to what is currently trendy and fashionable.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice's success was partly due to it recognising the rising trend of period dramas and revival of Jane Austin films. Director Joe Wright was inspired by period dramas such as Sense and Sensibility (1995). This film was an extremely successful adaptation of Jane Austin's first novel, grossing over $120 million.
Although Sense and Sensibility was released 10 years before the release of Pride and Prejudice, the film still inspired Joe Wright for the production of Pride and Prejudice.
Romeo and Juliet (1996) was another period drama which inspired production for Pride and Prejudice, as Universal studios and Working Title films predicted that Pride and Prejudice would be commercially successful because of the past successes of films such as Sense and Sensibility and Romeo and Juliet
Although Sense and Sensibility was released 10 years before the release of Pride and Prejudice, the film still inspired Joe Wright for the production of Pride and Prejudice.
Romeo and Juliet (1996) was another period drama which inspired production for Pride and Prejudice, as Universal studios and Working Title films predicted that Pride and Prejudice would be commercially successful because of the past successes of films such as Sense and Sensibility and Romeo and Juliet
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice recognises the trend in Bollywood films and is a crossover film, as it combines the popularity and appeal of Bollywood films in India with Hollywood and British styles. Director Gurinder Chadha who also directed Bend it like Beckham created the script and concept for Bride and Prejudice because she felt that other Bollywood films and adaptations at the time weren't as effective or entertaining to larger audiences. For example, in her interview for Film 4 which can be read here- http://www.film4.com/special-features/interviews/gurinder-chadha-on-bride-and-prejudice, she stated;
Yeah, lots of other people started doing Bollywood stuff and I just found it all a bit too kitsch, so I went off to America and I made a film called What's Cooking. But then I came back and a friend of mine at Pathe, Cameron McCracken, kept saying, "You've got to do it, other people are doing it all wrong, you've got to do it with some affection and do it properly and don't take the mickey out of these wonderful films that do something good."
In this interview it is clear to see that Gurinder Chadha recognised the growing popularity and public interest in Bollywood films crossing over to western audiences. Therefore, Gurinder was aware of the trend in Bollywood style and genre, and so Bride and Prejudice was successful partly because it followed this trend.
In this interview it is clear to see that Gurinder Chadha recognised the growing popularity and public interest in Bollywood films crossing over to western audiences. Therefore, Gurinder was aware of the trend in Bollywood style and genre, and so Bride and Prejudice was successful partly because it followed this trend.
9. Genres and cycles
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a well known and successful adaptation of a Jane Austin Novel. Therefore, when it was released, it played a key role in the rise in victorian/renaissance period dramas and of adaptations of Jane Austin's works. As explained before, Director Joe Wright was inspired by Sense and Sensibility (1998) and Romeo and Juliet (1996).
The producers and directors of Pride and Prejudice however, were not known for period drama. For example, director Joe Wright was known at the time for his portrayal of social realism, while Working Title films were well known for romantic comedy Love Actually. Therefore, in terms of production, producing a period drama and adaptation was new to both the production company Working Title and the director Joe Wright. Pride and Prejudice's success is mostly due to the popularity of period dramas in the 2000's.
The producers and directors of Pride and Prejudice however, were not known for period drama. For example, director Joe Wright was known at the time for his portrayal of social realism, while Working Title films were well known for romantic comedy Love Actually. Therefore, in terms of production, producing a period drama and adaptation was new to both the production company Working Title and the director Joe Wright. Pride and Prejudice's success is mostly due to the popularity of period dramas in the 2000's.
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice is also responsible for the rise in British Bollywood crossover films, which is a term used for British films which draw inspiration from Indian and Bollywood genre characteristics, style and imagery. Director Gurinder Chadha also produced and directed Bend it like Beckham which was released in 2002 and was the highest grossing British financed, British distributed film at the box office until Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
Therefore, Gurinder Chadha who is a notable British Asian director is responsible for rising popularity of British Indian films through Bride and Prejudice, as it combined the traditional Jane Austin storyline with Indian Bollywood style and imagery, and in a modern multicultural setting.
For example, in her interview with Film 4 which can be seen here- http://www.film4.com/special-features/interviews/gurinder-chadha-on-bride-and-prejudice, she talks about how she wanted Bride and Prejudice to be an introduction to Indian Bollywood films for British, American and other audiences, stating;
"And so I thought about making a movie for an audience that might be familiar with the Bollywood style but wouldn't really know all the details - it could be an introduction to Indian films for an international audience. But if I wanted to make a Bollywood film for audiences that liked Bend It Like Beckham around the world - Australia, America, Europe, here in Britain and in Asia - I would need to find a really good story. Something familiar so that people wouldn't get freaked out by all the Bollywood stuff: all the singing and dancing, big musical numbers, bright colours, big emotions"
From her response above, it is clear to see that Gurinder was influenced by the Bollywood genre when writing and producing the film. For example, she explains how she wanted to continue with the crossover genre of her previous film Bend It Like Beckham, as she said that audiences in the UK, USA and Australia would be more familiar with this fusion genre where Bollywood influences are apparent in the films but English speaking audiences are still able to understand them. Therefore, she wanted to introduce western audiences to the Bollywood genre and Indian culture, and so redefine the Bollywood genre to western audiences.
In her interview with Film 4, she also explained how she wanted the film to be multicultural rather than purely Bollywood and set only in India. This is because she wanted western audiences to be able to connect with and understand the film.
Well, the setting of course! I didn't want to just make it Indian, I wanted it to be international because I wasn't interested in making a film just in India. [The film is set in Amritsar, London and Los Angeles.] I wanted to update the Bollywood genre with my own vision and the way I see the world, which is much more international than nationalistic.
Therefore, Gurinder Chadha who is a notable British Asian director is responsible for rising popularity of British Indian films through Bride and Prejudice, as it combined the traditional Jane Austin storyline with Indian Bollywood style and imagery, and in a modern multicultural setting.
For example, in her interview with Film 4 which can be seen here- http://www.film4.com/special-features/interviews/gurinder-chadha-on-bride-and-prejudice, she talks about how she wanted Bride and Prejudice to be an introduction to Indian Bollywood films for British, American and other audiences, stating;
"And so I thought about making a movie for an audience that might be familiar with the Bollywood style but wouldn't really know all the details - it could be an introduction to Indian films for an international audience. But if I wanted to make a Bollywood film for audiences that liked Bend It Like Beckham around the world - Australia, America, Europe, here in Britain and in Asia - I would need to find a really good story. Something familiar so that people wouldn't get freaked out by all the Bollywood stuff: all the singing and dancing, big musical numbers, bright colours, big emotions"
From her response above, it is clear to see that Gurinder was influenced by the Bollywood genre when writing and producing the film. For example, she explains how she wanted to continue with the crossover genre of her previous film Bend It Like Beckham, as she said that audiences in the UK, USA and Australia would be more familiar with this fusion genre where Bollywood influences are apparent in the films but English speaking audiences are still able to understand them. Therefore, she wanted to introduce western audiences to the Bollywood genre and Indian culture, and so redefine the Bollywood genre to western audiences.
In her interview with Film 4, she also explained how she wanted the film to be multicultural rather than purely Bollywood and set only in India. This is because she wanted western audiences to be able to connect with and understand the film.
Well, the setting of course! I didn't want to just make it Indian, I wanted it to be international because I wasn't interested in making a film just in India. [The film is set in Amritsar, London and Los Angeles.] I wanted to update the Bollywood genre with my own vision and the way I see the world, which is much more international than nationalistic.
Therefore, Gurinder aimed to redefine a fusion genre of Hollywood and Bollyood and also ensure that her film was still entertaining and understandable to western audiences. Gurinder is also likely to have influenced the later film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) directed by Danny Boyle, which is also a British Bollywood crossover film.
10. Stars
Casting stars in a film influences both production and distribution. Both Pride and Prejudice and Bride and Prejudice have cast famous actors, including Keira Knightley and Aishwarya Rai respectively. These actors are very well known among public audiences, and so casting them meant that their public appeal and image would also promote the films, as films with famous stars in them are more likely to appeal to audiences. Also, these actors have also helped other actors in the film become established, as audiences will become aware of other actors in the film because of the famous ones. Also, casting famous stars means that their portrayal must appeal to their fan base. Therefore their dress and language may be altered in production to appeal more to fans.
Pride and Prejudice
Keira Knightley is famous for her role in Pride and Prejudice. Prior to this film, she was well known to the public and to the film industry for her roles in Bend it like Beckham and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Therefore, director Joe Wright had cast her because of this, as well as because of her acting skills.
Because Keira Knightley is an actress who has global recognition, most notably from Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean it meant that Mathew Macfayden who wasn't well known internationally at the time to be cast.
For example, Director Joe Wright explained how casting Keira Knightly for her role as Elizabeth meant that Matthew Macfayden was able to be cast.
The full interview by Movie Freak can be read here-
http://www.moviefreak.com/features/interviews/joewright.htm
"No, they were incredibly supportive in that sense. I think Matthew [MacFadyen] is obviously less of a star than Keira and so if she hadn’t been playing Elizabeth I’m not sure I’d been allowed to cast Matthew [as Darcy]. So, it kind of worked like that. You try to balance it out as much as you can"
From Joe Wright's response above, it is clear to see that casting Matthew Macfayden was made easier because Keira Knightley was a well known actress. Therefore, the film would have more public appeal because Keira is a famous actress.
Also, casting him in Pride and Prejudice ultimately kickstarted his film career, as it was his debut role. Therefore, his international film career and role in Pride and Prejudice was achieved through casting Keira Knightley who was an established and well known actress.
As well as Keira Knightley's role helping Matthew Macfayden become internationally recognised and make the film have more public appeal, director Joe Wright also talked about his reasons for casting younger actors to portray Mr Darcy and Elizabeth as opposed to the 1940's film and other previous adaptations which had older actors for these roles.
"J/W: I wanted to make something that is about young people, about young people experiencing these emotions for the first time and not understanding the feelings they are having. If you have a 40-year-old man as your star not understanding the feeling he's having then it becomes a bit unbelievable and suspect, rather like The 40-Year-Old Virgin or something instead of Pride & Prejudice".
From his response above in the interview, it is clear to see that his reasons for casting younger actors for the leading roles helped make the film more relevant and appealing to a younger audience. Therefore, casting Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden who are both in their 20's helped make the film have a wider audience, as Keira Knightley is young and glamorous. It also made the film have relevance to young people's relationships.
From his response above in the interview, it is clear to see that his reasons for casting younger actors for the leading roles helped make the film more relevant and appealing to a younger audience. Therefore, casting Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden who are both in their 20's helped make the film have a wider audience, as Keira Knightley is young and glamorous. It also made the film have relevance to young people's relationships.
Bride and Prejudice
Aishwarya Rai was cast as a leading role for Bride and Prejudice as the equivalent character to Elizabeth in Jane Austin's novel. She is one of the most famous and well known Indian Bollywood actresses of all time, being recognised globally as well as Bollywood film audiences in the UK. Therefore, casting her enabled the film to achieve box office success because of her fame and public appeal, as she was a well known and admirable actress.
As Aishwarya Rai is an Indian Bollywood actress, casting her meant that she had to appeal to her Bollywood audience as well as crossover British and international audiences who hadn't watched Bollywood influenced films before. In her Bollywood films, she speaks Hindi as the majority of audiences in India and British Asian audiences understand this language. However, as the film was British crossover, she had to speak English along with the other Indian actors so that British and American audiences can understand.
11. Social and political issues
These refer to the public and political situations at the time the film was made, not when it is fictionally set. In Pride and Prejudice which is set in Victorian England, modern social and political issues did not greatly influence production or storytelling, as it is a direct adaptation of the Jane Austin novel, the story being set in Victorian England and so reflecting on social and political issues at that time. However, Bride and Prejudice does in fact reflect on modern cultural situations in Indians with American and British cultures, and so this influenced how the story was told in the film and how it was produced.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is set in Victorian England and is more accurately based on the Jane Austin novel than Bride and Prejudice. Therefore, social and political issues represented in the film relate more to the historical Victorian issues around social class than modern day, specifically the Regency period (1811-1820). For example, Elizabeth's mother wants her to marry the successful Mr Collins, and so the film relates to Victorian cultural expectations for women to marry men with financial and social power rather than become successful themselves. It also represents the stigmas between social groups at the time, and how marriage was defined by social class rather than true love. However, director Joe Wright claims that his adaptation of Jane Austin's novel is much more 'modern' and reflects current social issues.For example, Joe Wright in his interview with Indie Wire explained who Pride and Prejudice was influenced by current social issues and so is relevant to current society. The full interview can be read here- http://www.indiewire.com/article/tackling_a_classic_joe_wright_on_pride_and_prejudice
"I think that people are still trying to understand each other and overcome prejudices. And people are still, most important, loving each other. And that is today as it was yesterday and will be for another 200 years. It's also about a young woman growing up. And young people are still having to grow up and learn about themselves"
Therefore, Joe Wright was influenced by current issues when producing the film. As explained in his response above, he wanted the film to reflect on current relationship issues with young people as much as the historical stigmas and cultural issues in the Victorian era where the film was set.
Gurinder Chadha Film 4 interview- http://www.film4.com/special-features/interviews/gurinder-chadha-on-bride-and-prejudice
"I don't often talk about the films like this, but basically all my films are about racism and prejudice. They might be dressed up as comedy but everything I've ever done is always about making whoever's watching it think differently about the person on the screen. That's not to say that they're all big anti-racist statements, they're just about humanising people who are different and showing you people in a different light and showing you people that you thought were different to you but actually were very similar to you".
As seen from the response above, Gurinder agrees that the film reflects on the social differences and prejudices between Indian and British/American cultures. She says that all of her films are about racism and prejudice, but Bride and Prejudice aims to break apart the social barriers between the two cultures by showing the characters in a different light. Therefore as seen from her response in the interview, Bride and Prejudice reflects on current issues to do with cultural clashes and prejudice which can be seen regularly in the news, and so these social issues influenced production, as the film was produced to include and represent these issues in the film's story and content.
As well as the social issues to do with cultural identity and clashes and arranged marriages, the film was also influenced by the growing influence of 'western culture' and capitalisation For example, the film is partly set in upper class Los Angeles and London, and Lolita's family are considered wealthy and are impressed by the appeal of America and Britain. Therefore, it was influenced by the polical issue to do with Indians aspiring to the glamorous western lifestyle and facing cultural identity crisis.
Gurinder's response to another question in the interview also acknowledges the political and cultural issues influencing the film, as she says;
"Hopefully in focusing on the whole Indian diaspora element and by making Mr Darcy American it also highlights the debate about first world/third world and him being Eurocentric"
Therefore, Gurinder was influenced by the political similarities and differences between India (third world) and Europe and America (first world), and so the film was produced to recognise and included these issues.
12. Regulatory issues
Regulatory issues include censorship and rating issues addressed by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which review films and give them ratings based on whether the films contain strong language, violence, etc. Other regulatory issues include legal and ethical issues. For example, when casting actors, they must be represented fairly and accurately, as well as not promote any destructive behaviour to young people. Pride and Prejudice and Bride and Prejudice did not face any major regulatory issues during production, because both films are fairly inoffensive and do not contain any major violence or sexual scenes. However, the BBFC and MPAA have given both films age ratings. Regulatory issues can affect distribution and production in films, as films which are given high ratings or have to be re-edited to be less offensive therefore have a more limited audience, as only older viewers can watch them.
The Motion Picture Association of America rated Pride and Prejudice PG for 'mild thematic elements'. The full parental guide from IMDb can be read here- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/parentalguide
Overall, the guide by MPAA says that there is minor sexual references, including scenes of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth kissing at the end, as well as young women in corsets with low cut cleavage, as well as a woman with a feather in her cleavage. However, these are only minor and so children can watch the film with parental guidance.
Also, the guide states that the characters drink alcohol and there is one drunk girl, so the film does reference alcohol. However, there are no references to drugs. Apparently, some female characters drinking may appear underage by American standards (under 21) but not by British standards.
Overall, there were no major issues with the film and no scenes were cut out. Therefore, the film passed American regulation standards and was rated PG.
13. Intertextuality and synergies
Intertextual references and synergies to other films or media products can influence the production and impact of films. For example, many modern films create a synergy with singers and musicians, as both work together to promote each other. Films which contain intertextual references are likely to be noticed by media literate audiences such as those who have studied media texts. In Pride and Prejudice and Bride and Prejudice, there were no noticeable intertextual references or synergies apart from the fact that both are adaptations of the Jane Austin novel.
Bride and Prejudice features a cameo appearance from Ashanti, who performed her singles "Take Me to Love" and "Touch My Body" for the scenes of Lolita and Darcy on the beach in Goa. According to director Gurinder Chadha, her appearance was a homage to the Bollywood film tradition of a celebrity singing a song but not having any direct involvement in the film's plot. Her appearance helped promote her songs, and her music video would have contained scenes of Bride and Prejudice, creating a synergy between the two.
According to Gurinder Chadha, Bride and Prejudice contains deliberate references to Hindi Bollywood films. For example, Gurinder has explained in an interview that the film pays a homage to Hindi Cinema, containing references to the films of Manoj Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. However, her references to these film makers are unlikely to be noticed by western audiences, as most people in the UK and America are not aware of Hindi Bollywood films. Therefore, intertextual references did not signicantly influence the production and commercial impact of Bride and Prejudice, as the intertextual references were mostly known to Gurinder and aren't easy to spot by most people.
14. Vertical and horizontal integration
This refers to the business structure of film studios and companies. A vertically integrated company is one which owns and controls its own production, distribution and all other aspects of production, and so doesn't need to seek out other companies to carry out different stages of making and distributing the film. Most major film studios are vertically integrated, such as Universal Studios, which produced and distributed Pride and Prejudice.
A horizontally integrated company is one which owns other companies which are at the same level. For example, Universal owns several other film production companies in order to expand.
Bride and Prejudice was also part independently written and produced by Gurinder Chadha who had to sell the film to the distributor Miramax and Pathe Distribution. This procedure is more risky, as there is less control over distribution once the film is sold over to Miramax and Pathe, as they now have full control over the film.
Also, Miramax isn't vertically or horizontally integrated as much as Universal, and so it doesn't have as much power or money as Universal. However, it isn't exactly independant either, as it was owned by Disney at the time.
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice much like Pride and Prejudice addresses the issues involved in social class and family expectations with relationships and marriage, although it is much more contemporary and relates to present day social issues. For example, arranged marriages are commonplace in Indian culture, and so Bride and Prejudice recognises the present day issues of arranged marriages through its storyline with Lolita initially being asked to marry Kholi Sahib, a wealthy businessman in LA who is the equivalent to Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice. Bride and Prejudice also recognises the culture clash between British and American (Western) culture) and Indian culture from both perspectives. For example, Mr Darcy is shown to be critical and arrogant towards Indian culture, while Lolita's mother and family feel the same towards him and "western culture". Therefore, the film shows the journey the characters go through, accepting their cultural differences and learning to fight prejudices. Bride and Prejudice also touches on female roles in society, and their freedoms. For example, Lolita was supposed to marry the wealthy businessman to improve her family's ranks, and she is also not shown to be working. This represents the Indian cultural issues to do with women marrying men for their professional and financial status, and not working themselves. In the end however, Lolita and Mr Darcy confess their love for each other and their families grow to accept this. Therefore, this shows how modern cultural stigmas and prejudices can be combated through acceptance.
Director Gurinder Chadha explained in her interview with Film 4 about the social and political issues that Bride and Prejudice acknowledged and included. For example, her response to one question can be read below.
"I don't often talk about the films like this, but basically all my films are about racism and prejudice. They might be dressed up as comedy but everything I've ever done is always about making whoever's watching it think differently about the person on the screen. That's not to say that they're all big anti-racist statements, they're just about humanising people who are different and showing you people in a different light and showing you people that you thought were different to you but actually were very similar to you".
As seen from the response above, Gurinder agrees that the film reflects on the social differences and prejudices between Indian and British/American cultures. She says that all of her films are about racism and prejudice, but Bride and Prejudice aims to break apart the social barriers between the two cultures by showing the characters in a different light. Therefore as seen from her response in the interview, Bride and Prejudice reflects on current issues to do with cultural clashes and prejudice which can be seen regularly in the news, and so these social issues influenced production, as the film was produced to include and represent these issues in the film's story and content.
As well as the social issues to do with cultural identity and clashes and arranged marriages, the film was also influenced by the growing influence of 'western culture' and capitalisation For example, the film is partly set in upper class Los Angeles and London, and Lolita's family are considered wealthy and are impressed by the appeal of America and Britain. Therefore, it was influenced by the polical issue to do with Indians aspiring to the glamorous western lifestyle and facing cultural identity crisis.
Gurinder's response to another question in the interview also acknowledges the political and cultural issues influencing the film, as she says;
"Hopefully in focusing on the whole Indian diaspora element and by making Mr Darcy American it also highlights the debate about first world/third world and him being Eurocentric"
Therefore, Gurinder was influenced by the political similarities and differences between India (third world) and Europe and America (first world), and so the film was produced to recognise and included these issues.
12. Regulatory issues
Regulatory issues include censorship and rating issues addressed by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which review films and give them ratings based on whether the films contain strong language, violence, etc. Other regulatory issues include legal and ethical issues. For example, when casting actors, they must be represented fairly and accurately, as well as not promote any destructive behaviour to young people. Pride and Prejudice and Bride and Prejudice did not face any major regulatory issues during production, because both films are fairly inoffensive and do not contain any major violence or sexual scenes. However, the BBFC and MPAA have given both films age ratings. Regulatory issues can affect distribution and production in films, as films which are given high ratings or have to be re-edited to be less offensive therefore have a more limited audience, as only older viewers can watch them.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice passed regulations by the British Board of Film Classifications, as it was rated universal, meaning that all audiences could view it. Therefore, the film was passed to audiences uncut, so no scenes were edited out. When producing the film, the directors and producers would have made sure that the film portrays the Victorian era accurately, as although it is a fictional production, the film is set in Victorian England, and so sets, costume and content (action and language) would have to be accurate.The Motion Picture Association of America rated Pride and Prejudice PG for 'mild thematic elements'. The full parental guide from IMDb can be read here- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/parentalguide
Overall, the guide by MPAA says that there is minor sexual references, including scenes of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth kissing at the end, as well as young women in corsets with low cut cleavage, as well as a woman with a feather in her cleavage. However, these are only minor and so children can watch the film with parental guidance.
Also, the guide states that the characters drink alcohol and there is one drunk girl, so the film does reference alcohol. However, there are no references to drugs. Apparently, some female characters drinking may appear underage by American standards (under 21) but not by British standards.
Overall, there were no major issues with the film and no scenes were cut out. Therefore, the film passed American regulation standards and was rated PG.
Bride and Prejudice
Regulatory issues may have influenced production of Bride and Prejudice. For example, as it is a British Bollywood crossover film containing both Indian and British characters, care had to be taken to ensure characters did not portray any stereotypes that may offend certain audiences. Personally, the film does not offend me, as I am British Asian, although the producers would have made sure that audiences from different cultural backgrounds weren't offended or felt prejudiced against.
Bride and Prejudice was rated 12 by the British Board of Film Classification. This can be viewed here- http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/bride-prejudice-2004
On their website, the BBFC rated the film 12 because it contained at some use of moderately strong language, although the film passed uncut, meaning that no scenes or shots were taken out before being shown on cinema. Therefore, Bride and Prejudice didn't face any big regulatory issues in the UK.
Bride and Prejudice was rated 12 by the British Board of Film Classification. This can be viewed here- http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/bride-prejudice-2004
On their website, the BBFC rated the film 12 because it contained at some use of moderately strong language, although the film passed uncut, meaning that no scenes or shots were taken out before being shown on cinema. Therefore, Bride and Prejudice didn't face any big regulatory issues in the UK.
13. Intertextuality and synergies
Intertextual references and synergies to other films or media products can influence the production and impact of films. For example, many modern films create a synergy with singers and musicians, as both work together to promote each other. Films which contain intertextual references are likely to be noticed by media literate audiences such as those who have studied media texts. In Pride and Prejudice and Bride and Prejudice, there were no noticeable intertextual references or synergies apart from the fact that both are adaptations of the Jane Austin novel.
Pride and Prejudice
As mentioned above, Pride and Prejudice doesn't bear any noticeable intertextual references to other films or synergies with other media products apart from the fact that it is a Jane Austin adaptation. Therefore, the film producers and director primarily aimed to adapt the novel accurately, and so there weren't any intertextual references in the film.
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice features a cameo appearance from Ashanti, who performed her singles "Take Me to Love" and "Touch My Body" for the scenes of Lolita and Darcy on the beach in Goa. According to director Gurinder Chadha, her appearance was a homage to the Bollywood film tradition of a celebrity singing a song but not having any direct involvement in the film's plot. Her appearance helped promote her songs, and her music video would have contained scenes of Bride and Prejudice, creating a synergy between the two.
According to Gurinder Chadha, Bride and Prejudice contains deliberate references to Hindi Bollywood films. For example, Gurinder has explained in an interview that the film pays a homage to Hindi Cinema, containing references to the films of Manoj Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. However, her references to these film makers are unlikely to be noticed by western audiences, as most people in the UK and America are not aware of Hindi Bollywood films. Therefore, intertextual references did not signicantly influence the production and commercial impact of Bride and Prejudice, as the intertextual references were mostly known to Gurinder and aren't easy to spot by most people.
14. Vertical and horizontal integration
This refers to the business structure of film studios and companies. A vertically integrated company is one which owns and controls its own production, distribution and all other aspects of production, and so doesn't need to seek out other companies to carry out different stages of making and distributing the film. Most major film studios are vertically integrated, such as Universal Studios, which produced and distributed Pride and Prejudice.
A horizontally integrated company is one which owns other companies which are at the same level. For example, Universal owns several other film production companies in order to expand.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice was produced and distributed by Universal Studios which is a vertically and horizontally integrated company. For example, it owns Focus Features and Working Title films which were film production and distribution companies in their own rights before being bought by Universal. Focus Features is the company who produced Pride and Prejudice, and so this is an example of horizontal integration, as Universal also produces films. Universal own their own screenwriting, preproduction, production, editing and distribution companies. The main advantage of this is that the film has a much larger budget and more opportunities for development, as it is produced by a major studio.
Bride and Prejudice
On the other hand, Bride and Prejudice was produced and distributed by Miramax films, which is a semi-major film company, as it is fairly large, but not as large as universal. Therefore, Miramax has more limitations and constraints than Universal.Bride and Prejudice was also part independently written and produced by Gurinder Chadha who had to sell the film to the distributor Miramax and Pathe Distribution. This procedure is more risky, as there is less control over distribution once the film is sold over to Miramax and Pathe, as they now have full control over the film.
Also, Miramax isn't vertically or horizontally integrated as much as Universal, and so it doesn't have as much power or money as Universal. However, it isn't exactly independant either, as it was owned by Disney at the time.
