Pride & Prejudice 4K Ultra HD

"Pride & Prejudice" is a Georgian-era drama that tells the story of five daughters of a family of landed gentry in rural England who must contend with misconception, morality, and social division as they come of age and search for romantic partners. Among them is the headstrong and independent Elizabeth, whose harsh opinion of the introverted gentleman Darcy is complicated and softened as she learns more of his history and true nature. At first, when Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) meets the handsome Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), she believes he is the last man she could ever marry, but as their lives become intertwined, she finds herself captivated by the man she has sworn to hate forever. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary by Director Joe Wright; six featurettes: "Conversations With The Cast", "Jane Austen: Ahead Of Her Time", "A Bennet Family Portrait", "HBO First Look: Pride & Prejudice", "The Politics Of 18th Century Dating" and "The Stately Homes Of Pride & Prejudice"; deleted scenes, theatrical trailer and a Movies Anywhere digital copy.

The 2.39:1 HEVC/H.265 Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was photographed in Super 35 on 35 mm Kodak Vision2 film using the Arricam LT and Arriflex 435 Xtreme camera systems and sourced from a upscaled 4K master Digital Intermediate. For its 20th anniversary, the film was remastered in 2025. The natural gran is never objectionable. The picture exhibits a beautifully warm and cinematic appearance with sumptuous cinematography. The lighting design perfectly captures the countryside mornings, landscapes and candlelit interiors. The gorgeously golden hued color palette is both subtle and extremely rich and warm in both costumes and set designs. Such is revealed in the showy pastel dresses of the Bennet daughters, the saturated red of British infantry coats, the soft yellow candlelit settings, the green grass and rich vegetation of the forest and the white splashes of Mr. Darcy's hall of marble sculptures. Flesh tones are perfectly natural. HDR contrast is well balanced with deep black levels, revealing shadows and attractive image illumination. The imagery is sharp and clear with enhanced depth. Resolution is pleasingly revealing of fine detail, especially during closeups of facial features such as skin pores, lines, Donald Sutherland's whiskers, and hair. Costume textures are nicely resolved. Landscapes and structures appear realistic. Objects reveal fine detail and texture. This is a beautiful visual experience that is perfectly descriptive of the period. (Gary Reber)

The repurposed Dolby Atmos/Dolby 7.1-channel soundtrack is wonderfully dynamic and bold sounding. While a dialogue-focused soundtrack, the orchestra score sounds lush and dimensional with a wide soundstage that extends to the surrounds with subtle envelopment and the occasional loud sequence. At the ballroom community dance, string arrangements dominant and resonate with bass energy. Atmospherics sound realistic. The surround channels are almost always active, whether it's wrapping the score around the sound field or filling in the sound field with environmental ambience. The storm scene is dynamic. Rain and thunder roll across the soundstage and envelops the sound field. Thunder rumbles with strong bass while rain pours down. As well, soldiers march through town emitting chaotic clanks and chatter, partygoers mill about, and in the fields birdcalls are heard in all directions. Foley sound effects are precise. and realistic sounding Dialogue clarity is excellent, even with the frequent whispering, with generally good spatial integration.

The Immersive Sound element is comprised of an extension of the music to the height layer, subtle atmospherics and a powerful storm sequence. While far more treatment could have been achieved, dimension is enhanced.

This is a wonderful holosonic® spherical surround soundtrack that is effectively complementary to story's period drama. (Gary Reber)