Fitzwilliam Darcy: causing women to swoon and setting impossibly high standards for men for over two hundred years. Having been memorialized in Jane Austen’s famous 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy has become a well-known and cherished character in the literary world. Countless Austen aficionados have fallen in love with his honesty, honor, and charming, gentlemanly manners. Throughout the years, many men have attempted to portray this beloved and noble cavalier, from Laurence Olivier in 1940 to Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen in the 2000s, but have any of these ambitious actors truly succeeded in this endeavor? Have any of these men been able to fill this distinguished gent’s shoes? While several men have rendered remarkable and commendable performances, there has been one man whom I believe merits special recognition for his outstanding and superior performance: Matthew Macfadyen. In the 2005 British adaptation of the book, Matthew Macfadyen perfectly captures not only Darcy’s dynamic persona, but also embodies his dark and mysterious visage.
Before I plead my case, though, or rather Matthew Macfadyen’s case, let me paint a picture of the character of Jane Austen’s Darcy for those of you who may not have had the pleasure of getting to know him. At the beginning of the novel, Mr. Darcy is a proud, rich, and rather socially awkward bachelor with an aloof and snooty attitude toward those who are of a lower social status than he. To use Austen’s own words, “he was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again (chapter 3).” So basically, Darcy is a snobbish piece of work and nobody likes him, except perhaps his best friend Mr. Bingley and his not-so-secret admirer Miss Bingley (the aforementioned friend’s sister). But, unfortunately, Elizabeth Bennet, the object of his affections, finds him the most detestable man in existence. But the unsuspecting Elizabeth does not know the real Mr. Darcy, that is, the misjudged man beneath the ego. This man is dignified, honorable, surprisingly humble, and absolutely charming. All it took was a beautiful, headstrong woman to expose these qualities and reveal to Darcy himself that those of a lower social class are not to be looked down upon after all, as had been instilled in him from his youth. By the end of the book, both Darcy and Elizabeth have learned to lay aside their prejudices and (spoiler alert) end up falling in love and getting married. That is Mr. Darcy, and the premise of Pride and Prejudice, in a nutshell.
Now that the groundwork is laid, let me tell you why I believe that Matthew Macfadyen perfectly depicts the illustrious Fitzwilliam Darcy. From the moment that Macfadyen enters the scene, the audience feels his sense of superiority and aloofness, especially as he surveys the crowd at the ball, looking down upon those he deems less fortunate than he. But nearly every man who has played Mr. Darcy has been able to achieve this same outward pride, so what is it about the character of Macfadyen’s Darcy that sets him apart from the rest? It is the awkwardness and anti-socialness that he so perfectly captures. Darcy is an introvert, which is clear when he says in the novel, “I certainly have not the talent which some people possess… of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done (chapter 31).” Rebecca Harrington, an editor on the Huffpost website, admits that “Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcy is different. He stammers. He shifts his weight often enough. His hair was upsetting. He seems at times to almost be crawling out of his own skin. His Darcy is awkward and perhaps less attractive, but rather more real.” I completely agree with her statement that he is simply more real. He gives a more accurate representation of the true nature of Darcy. The pride and sense of superiority that has been instilled in him from infancy makes him uncomfortable and awkward in social situations, which Macfadyen captures brilliantly. This characteristic adds a completely different dimension to the character displayed on the screen.
As to the claim that it makes him “perhaps less attractive,” that may be true, but it is still more accurate to the original Mr. Darcy. Shaina Ghuraya touches upon this subject in her article comparing Colin Firth’s Darcy with Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcy. She mentions the fact that Firth fans commend his dark, brooding, and sexy performance, but asserts that the Darcy that Jane Austen is not really like that. She insists that “part of what makes Mr. Darcy such an endearing character is that he really is none of those things. Sure he is proud, arrogant, and definitely handsome, but he is also shy, socially inept, and awkward.” Macfadyen captures all of those characteristics; it is as simple as that.
Many people, though, argue that Colin Firth’s performance is superior. Joan Klingel Ray, who is an English professor at the University of Colorado, claims that “the Darcy in the film (with Matthew Macfadyen) does not have the quality of attractiveness that Colin Firth has. I don’t want to cause any offence but Colin is simply a much better looking man than Matthew.” In response to this, I have to ask the question: who cares? I disagree with her that Colin is the better looking man, but the looks do not matter so much as the character, which Matthew clearly embodies more accurately. If you look past the steamy wet shirt scene that Firth is so famously known for, you will see that it is the innocence and vulnerability that Macfadyen portrays that is exactly what makes Mr. Darcy so attractive, and not the eye candy that is Colin Firth. Firth does present the pride and aloofness of Darcy perfectly, but he does not bring the added dimension of introvertedness and social awkwardness that Macfadyen does. It is also worth mentioning that Macfadyen only had a couple hours to develop this complex and intriguing character, while Firth had an entire television season. That fact speaks for itself of the ingenuity and superiority of Macfadyen’s performance.
While this modest review will not end the age-old debate over who played the best Mr. Darcy, the fact cannot be denied that Matthew Macfadyen captures Jane Austen’s Darcy brilliantly and accurately. His multidimensional performance portrays not only Darcy’s hubris, but also his awkwardness and charm, perfectly. His innocence and vulnerability have captured the hearts of countless Austen enthusiasts. Jane Austen herself would have been proud.
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