Remediating Jane Austen

A specific example of a modern remediation Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This classic novel that was written in the 1800s has a much different style than a modern novel has. The character and scene descriptions are much longer and dialogue rather than action is the focal point of the story. In 2005, Pride and Prejudice was made into a film, not for the first time, but in a much more modern era than the previous productions. Starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, the film takes place in the same location and time period, but transitions it into a way that modern viewers can easily understand. Knightley's performance is incredibly similar to the novel, but there are many inconsequential scenes that merely build up the characters that are left out in the film. This is done simply to conserve time and make it as concise as possible. However, in the remediation, it loses some if its detail and thus it loses some of its depth. Although it is a successful version of the beloved story, it doesn't follow the exact same line of events. Taking all the detail of a novel and putting into actions and words is quite a task for producers. Their challenge is not to tell the story exactly the same as Austen's, but to remediate it with the same effectiveness.