Strident whimsy. A charming rejection of materialism and the modern world (“Are these people poor?”, “No, they just don’t have much money”, “Isn’t that the same thing?”…) in favour of a belief in myth, romantic superstition and a more ancient, natural way of doing things.
As often with P&P a strange but utterly beguiling collage of satire, rural idyll, romance and above all, a belief in humanity (an ever more bizarre brew of similar elements is the earlier A Canterbury Tale). Yet both films win through with innate good sense. Life isn’t a straight-forward course and P&P tap into this meandering trajectory with aplomb.
British to its core – or perhaps its sensible, stout walking boots – and as close we ever came to a national cinema.