Mr. Knightly or Mr. Darcy?
What do you think?!
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MovieChat Forums > Emma (1996) Discussion > Mr. Knightly or Mr. Darcy?
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by far
#1. mr knightley
#2. mr. willoughby (dont kill me)
#3. brandon ( i know total contradiction)
darcy. always darcy.
Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.
Well, while I agree that Darcy is great and Colin Firth's version is the sexiest ever, personally I find Jeremy's (and Austen's) Mr. Knightley a nicer character and a good, kind, steadying influence on Emma. I loved that he and Emma were such close friends all her life before they fell in love. His proposal when he asks his best friend to marry him puts tears in my eyes every time.
I also agree with others that Colonel Brandon is also one of my favorite Austen characters, and that the movie version of him is Allan Rickman at his most scrumptious.
Jeremy Northam's Knightley is unbeatable. By FAR. :P Colin Firth's Darcy comes second. That McFadyen's portrayal of Darcy is laughable.
Actually, come to think of it, if I can step outisde of Austen for a sec I would put Mr Thornton (played by the extremely gorgeous Richard Armitage) after Knightley, then Darcy 3rd (from Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South - if you guys haven't seen or heard of it, i recommend you watch the mini series right this second).
Side note - i wish Jeremy Northam would play more roles such as Knightley. Sigh.. just seeing him in those period costumes..
Mr Darcy runs around saving people like a ninteenth c. superhero. It's a bit much - unrealistic.
Northam's Knightly is the sublime embodiment of all things good and attractive about men.
Ditto for Rubert Everett in An Ideal Husband.
Definitely Mr. Darcy! My favorite out of P&P 80, 95, 2005 and even including the Mormon and Bollywood versions is Matthew Macfadyen. His voice is so sexy!
shareColin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I drool over the scene when he comes out of the water.
shareLOL... I laugh at that scene. I think it's stupid, and don't see why it's attractive at all!
Mr Knightley for me - even in the books I prefer him.
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I definetely agree with Mr Knightly. I saw Jane Austen Book Club on cable, and it inspired me to have a Jane Austen Weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed Sense and Sensibility, my favorite Jane Austen movie, then Emma (though I kept comparing it mentally to Clueless), then 2005 Pride and Prejudice.
Mr Knightly is such a great character- Emma's childhood friend who grows into something more and who sees her as she truly is. My second favorite characters are Colonel Brandon and Edward (I can't decide between them, they are so perfect in different ways!).
I must say, my least favorite was Mr. Darcy, although I liked this movie better this second time I saw it. I still can't understand how he is the most beloved Jane Austen male. The way he proposed to her the first time, it was something like, "you're poor and beneath me in any way but I can't get you out of my mind so I'm proposing" and it made me ill. He did set things right with her and her sister in the end, and when he called Lizzie "Mrs Darcy" over and over in the end, that was sweet. But Mr Knightly was sweet all along!
ps- I ended Jane Austen Weekend with Becoming Jane, but that was a depressing end! I've recently bought the videotape version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, and I think I'll try watching it next to give Mr. Darcy another chance. He made me grin in Bridget Jones' Diary (wasn't he Mr darcy in it also?).
As a heterosexual male, my comparisons are bound to be based on different things - but I prefer the character of Mr. Darcy, mostly because he is a strong-willed, intelligent person who deliberately changed - sees some of his flaws, and works hard to make reactive choices rather than reflexive ones. I admire him for this.
Mr. Knightley is already a better man (IMO) than Mr. Darcy, but I am slightly disappointed in his choice of life-partner. Of course, it's not as though he had an enormous range of choices if he didn't frequent London.
Don't get me wrong - as the aforementioned heterosexual male, I find Emma a very attractive young lady. I just can't see tying myself to someone like Emma. She's still, well, young :).
As for movie potrayals, which seem to be the general interpretation, maybe Jeremy Northam's mr Knightly. He is very handsome (and I melt at his eyes expressions) + he is gentle, kind, funny, intelligent and he would not be afraid to help me better myself! Or maybe the Darcy of Lost In Austen played by Elliot Cowan. He isn't as afraid as the other Darcy's to laugh and be sweet, is a perfect gentleman , romantic and yeah.. his arrogance is attractive.
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I agree with GeorgyGirl422 about Jeremy Northam's Mr. Knightley. I also loved the fact they were best friends and that he loved her enough to want her to be the best person she could be. And Jeremy Northam is just a cutie in this movie.
I also liked Colonel Brandon. What's funny is I didn't like him the first couple times I watched the movie. I mean I just didn't see how Marianne could want someone like him. But one time I watched it, and maybe I'd matured some since the times before, but I could see it, and I knew that I would prefer him as well. Especially the way he was when she was sick. Caring so much more for her than for himself was just sexy.
And as someone else has said, I also liked Edward. I like Hugh Grant in most things I've seen him in, but I like Edward's character, and he and Eleanor are so perfect for each other.
And to the person who didn't see why the scene with Darcy coming out of the water is sexy...I don't know what to tell you. It just is. He's a beautiful man, and the wet shirt....well, if you don't see it, nothing I can say will help.
Oh, and speaking of The Jane Austen Book Club (someone up above mentioned), Hugh Dancy is freakin' gorgeous. Have you seen him in "Evening"? He would be good in a Jane Austen movie.
I personally would like to have each on consecutive days, please, and FOREVER! Each has such wonderful qualities. If I had to choose, though, I would say Matt McFayden as Mr. Darcy. I loved the way he was so dorky and did everything wrong, but was still so appealing doing it. And yes, lavendar, that scene at the end where he's walking towards Lizzie in the field...OMG!!! I LOVE THAT!! (the music played at that time, by the way, is called, "Your Hands Are Cold". I have it in mp3 form if anyone would like it. Just email me at whippetchick @ charter.net without the spaces. It's absolutely gorgeous.)
Those girls are LUCKY!!! LOL
You are so BAD!!! Come sit next to me.
I think Mr. Knightley. He's perfect. Even though Mr. Darcy becomes a good guy at the end of the story, he was still a really arrogant jerk. Mr. Knightley, however, is a gentleman.
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue."
Jeremy Northam is scrumptious in this movie, though I will readily admit that Emma is my least favorite Austen book, it's the only one I haven't re-read.. the others I have re-read often..
Now, since we're talking movies, my favorite Darcy to look it is Matt McFayden hands down, the man is just wow... tall, and broad, and muscular.. wow..
anyway... now, if I were to pick my favorite Darcy personality wise, I don't know.. I feel each one Olivier, Rintoul, Firth, McFayden and Cowan brought out what I felt is a subtle characteristic of a complex character, such as Darcy.. so I really can't pick.. I like them all (yes, even Rintoul), put a bow on them..
My favorite Austen man is Captain Wentworth... that letter he wrote Anne at the end... Makes me melt into a puddle of ahhhh..
I love Austen... I really should stop reading and get a real life, but I don't see that happening, so lots of Austen it is...
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