The BBC's 1980 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, like the BBC's 1995 adaptation, follows Jane Austen's novel more closely than the theatrical film adaptations do. But I think it's a tossup between the two miniseries on which one is closest to the book. It's true that the 1995 version shows more of Darcy than the book does. But the 1980 version shows less of Darcy than the book does.
A common misconception of Darcy in the book (even Colin Firth had this misconception) is that Austen never gives us his perspective. Not true. It is true that the predominant point of view in the novel is Elizabeth's--but at strategic points in the narrative, we get glimpses of Darcy's conflicting feelings toward her. Rather than spoiling the surprises of his eventual actions toward her, these glimpses add suspense to the story and make his eventual actions more believable than they would be if Darcy were presented solely from an external point of view.
The problem with adapting any novel to the screen is dramatizing parts of the narrative that aren't dramatized, such as the glimpses of Darcy's inner conflict. A film adaptation may either omit such parts or bring them out in added dialog, gestures, or scenes. Many viewers, and I'm one, prefer the way Darcy's inner conflict is brought out in the 1995 version. But some viewers may prefer to see Darcy only from an external point of view, and the 1980 version offers that limited perspective of him.
I didn't like the 1980 version at all on first viewing. On second viewing, I've found it enjoyable where it includes Austen's scenes not included in the 1995 version. On the other hand, this version alters some of Austen's scenes in a way I find more jarring than purely invented scenes. Incidentally, it's particularly those altered scenes that the BBC got right in the 1995 version.
All in all, I can't see the 1980 miniseries as the film version closest to the book, only as the first of two different BBC adaptations of the book. The 1980 adaptation is the slower, quieter version, and it may very well suit some viewers' tastes--or even a viewer's temporary mood--better than the 1995 version does. But for me, the 1995 version remains a great improvement.
A common misconception of Darcy in the book (even Colin Firth had this misconception) is that Austen never gives us his perspective. Not true. It is true that the predominant point of view in the novel is Elizabeth's--but at strategic points in the narrative, we get glimpses of Darcy's conflicting feelings toward her. Rather than spoiling the surprises of his eventual actions toward her, these glimpses add suspense to the story and make his eventual actions more believable than they would be if Darcy were presented solely from an external point of view.
The problem with adapting any novel to the screen is dramatizing parts of the narrative that aren't dramatized, such as the glimpses of Darcy's inner conflict. A film adaptation may either omit such parts or bring them out in added dialog, gestures, or scenes. Many viewers, and I'm one, prefer the way Darcy's inner conflict is brought out in the 1995 version. But some viewers may prefer to see Darcy only from an external point of view, and the 1980 version offers that limited perspective of him.
I didn't like the 1980 version at all on first viewing. On second viewing, I've found it enjoyable where it includes Austen's scenes not included in the 1995 version. On the other hand, this version alters some of Austen's scenes in a way I find more jarring than purely invented scenes. Incidentally, it's particularly those altered scenes that the BBC got right in the 1995 version.
All in all, I can't see the 1980 miniseries as the film version closest to the book, only as the first of two different BBC adaptations of the book. The 1980 adaptation is the slower, quieter version, and it may very well suit some viewers' tastes--or even a viewer's temporary mood--better than the 1995 version does. But for me, the 1995 version remains a great improvement.