It’s time to talk about Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” one of the most enduring novels in English literature. It is a tale so timeless that countless adaptations — both official and not-so-official — have been made, approaching the source material from all sorts of perspectives. Apart from inspiring cinematic adaptations, Austen’s novel has also led to a world of associated stories, including Janet Aylmer’s bestselling “Darcy’s Story” and the more recent “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which blends period drama with ultra-violent zombie-horror tropes.

Due to the sheer breadth of adaptations, discerning which one is the “best” can certainly be tricky. For starters there’s the mix of faithful adaptations versus those loosely inspired by the 1813 novel, such as the Bollywood-style “Bride & Prejudice” or the Emmy-winning “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.” For the sake of simplicity, let’s stick to straightforward adaptations, which firmly situate themselves within the novel’s text and carve their own legacy around it. 

I’ll argue that the most popular adaptation is Joe Wright’s 2005 version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen (the hand flex scene alone cements its appeal), followed by the 1995 BBC series with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. The latter is truly brilliant, as it succeeds in bringing overlooked aspects of the novel alive while offering a deliciously complex rendition of Mr. Darcy, who is perfectly balanced by a spirited, quick-witted Elizabeth.

Nonetheless, Rotten Tomatoes deems the 1940 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” as the best one, which sports a perfect 100% on the Tomatometer for good reason. Let’s take a closer look at this Academy Award-winning title.

Author and playwright Helen Jerome wrote a stage adaptation of Austen’s novel in 1935, which premiered at the Music Box Theater in New York, and starred Adrianne Allen and Colin Keith-Johnston as the leads. The sustained popularity of this theatrical version directly influenced the 1940 version of “Pride and Prejudice,” which combined elements of the novel with Jerome’s interpretation, leading to a somewhat diluted, yet commendable adaptation that deserves to be revisited time and again.

Big names were attached to this project, including “Brave New World” author Aldous Huxley, who penned the screenplay alongside playwright Jane Murfin, and Laurence Olivier, who slipped into the shoes of Mr. Darcy. Prolific actress Greer Garson (“Madame Curie,” “Sunrise at Campobello”) took on the mantle of Elizabeth Bennet, investing the character with crackling satirical wit that took on new meaning in this pointed comedy of manners. 

Although the film sticks to the basic beats of Austen’s story, it has fun with the liberties it takes. For instance, when the news of the Netherfield estate being occupied breaks, Mrs. Bennet (Mary Boland) engages in an intense carriage race against Lady Lucas (Marjorie Wood) so that she can relay the news to her husband before anyone else. This kinetic sequence illustrates how far she is willing to go to secure the futures of her daughters (sometimes, a bit too far).

Garson is delightfully charming as Elizabeth. Her characterization is somewhat shallow compared to the versions that succeeded it, but this has everything to do with how the script makes her appear volatile and indecisive. Olivier’s Darcy has none of the angsty awkwardness that’s central to most portrayals of the character: if anything, he comes off as too amicable. The shift in perspective we are supposed to experience with regard to both the leads is abrupt instead of gradual, and their relationship, while worth rooting for, feels removed from the beating heart of Austen’s world, which relishes in interiority.

Nonetheless, the 1940 version kicked of a trajectory of better Jane Austen adaptations that would end up cementing the legacy of these timeless stories, retold with shifting lenses and perspectives. If you want a fun, lighthearted rendition of “Pride and Prejudice” that ventures into fresh directions, this Garson-Olivier joint is well worth your time.