In theaters

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, directed by Joe Wright, written by Deborah Moggach, 128 minutes, rated PG. Now playing, Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville.

In spite of all signs pointing to the contrary, we still haven’t seen it all when it comes to Jane Austen’s much adapted 1813 book, “Pride and Prejudice.” Apparently it’s the book whose influence just won’t die.

Its last incarnation was in India’s over-the-top 2004 interpretation, “Bride and Prejudice: The Bollywood Musical,” and before that in the contemporary retelling of the “Bridget Jones” movies. There have been other adaptations, stretching back most notably to the 1940 version with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, as well as to the excellent 1995 BBC miniseries that turned Colin Firth into a literary pinup boy and was as faithful to the book as anyone could have hoped.

But now we have a new “Prejudice,” and it’s fantastic.

As directed by Joe Wright from Deborah Moggach’s script, the film is a re-imagining of the tale, specifically in how it views the main character, Elizabeth Bennet.

No longer is she a common face among the Bennet household – far from it. Now, as played with deep reserves of pluck, depth, intelligence and wit by Keira Knightly, who shines here as if she has been lit from within, she stands alongside her sister, Jane (Rosamind Pike), in physical beauty.

For fans of the book, some of whom are rumored to rather enjoy the opportunity to balk when given the chance, this is their chance. Well, that’s it, they might think. They’ve sold out “Prejudice” to the mutts, stripping it of its point – that someone with a plain face and from more simple means could possess the wit and the demeanor to win over somebody as impossibly well-bred and as wealthy as a certain Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen). What will they do, these champions of Austen? How will they get through life now that their Elizabeth is (cough) pretty?

Perhaps they’ll just enjoy the movie, particularly since the decision to refine Elizabeth’s looks doesn’t tip the balance of the tale as you might expect. She’s still a handful here, still a challenge, still unable to restrain herself from saying exactly what’s on her mind. Her pride is as formidable as ever, which creates some wonderful tension as her budding, tug-of-war relationship builds with Darcy, who initially comes off as a prejudiced snob until he reveals himself to be a trace more complex than that.

Beautifully photographed by Roman Osin and with a drop-dead gorgeous score by Dario Marianelli, this lush, romantic costume dramedy can be wicked and wickedly funny, particularly given its flighty performance by the marvelous Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet, whose sole purpose in life seems to be to marry off her five daughters before her nerves get the best of her, and the ferocious appearance by Dame Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourg, who could break someone’s spirit with a mere glance.

But not Elizabeth’s, not hers. She’s a force, this one, and yet not at the expense of the other characters. Happily, Wright gets it right in that he also focuses on the periphery, where the three other Bennet sisters are brooding for a mate; Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) is a shy as ever around poor Jane; and the bond shared by Elizabeth and her father, Mr. Bennet, played to perfection by Donald Sutherland, remains magical regardless of the transition between mediums.

As for the ending, well, let’s hope you’re wearing a summer wardrobe beneath that winter coat, because the last scene is undeniably, uncontainably hot.

Grade: A

On video and DVD

RED EYE, directed by Wes Craven, written by Carl Ellsworth, 85 minutes, rated PG-13.

No screen fatigue here. Wes Craven’s “Red Eye” is among the director’s finest efforts, a smart, insidious thriller that concentrates much of its claustrophobic terror within the not-so-friendly skies.

The film stars Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert, a hotel manager who finds herself in a tense game of cat-and-mouse when she meets-cute at LAX with fellow passenger Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy), who also is on his way to Miami and who comes to demand something from Lisa that’s unthinkable.

The moment they board the plane, the nightmare for Lisa begins. If she doesn’t do what Rippner demands, her father (Brian Cox) will be executed. If she does go through with it, the deputy secretary for homeland security and his family will be dead.

And so unfolds Craven’s taut cat-and-mouse game, with the director of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” movies and the “Scream” series moving in a new direction to design a kinetic film that doesn’t ignore his past.

The film is at its best while we’re on the plane. In its tight, intimate close-ups of its jittery stars, what you notice are traces of Hitchcock (the sexual undertones, the reality within the surreal) infused with De Palma’s slick, sloping camerawork. It’s all sold to you by Craven, who tips his hat to them without forgetting to wear his own. In all, a fine, kinetic film, with Craven unleashing a new, modern-day monster.

Grade: B+

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s reviews, which appear Mondays in Discovering, Fridays in Happening and Weekends in Television. He may be reached at christopher@weekinrewind.com.