You skipped half of the evidence of Darcy's esteem. Elizabeth does see whatever regard Darcy shows her, she just willfully misinterprets it. She notices him eavesdropping, she sees him staring at her frequently, she would have seen him smiling the many times JA's Darcy smiled at her if the actors would have smiled at her, in the book she noticed him sitting near her at the ball and watching her dance, she was there at Rosings when he should have been flirting with her and flattering her, etc etc etc.
The point is that the film Darcys did not follow JA's direction regarding showing admiration for Elizabeth and as a result the films create a different dynamic than JA wrote in the book. Darcy was not totally haughty and reserved, and he may have actually been charming at times. There is little doubt in my mind that JA's Darcy believed he was courting Elizabeth at Rosings, but she was too blind with prejudice to see it. And it is unlikely she would have seen it based on the failure of the film Darcys to show their feelings toward her.
That is the other thing the film Darcys obscure, Elizabeth's similarities to her mother and Lydia. All three are quick to judge, stubbornly refuse to reconsider their opinions, and loudly express those opinions.
The point is that the film Darcys did not follow JA's direction regarding showing admiration for Elizabeth and as a result the films create a different dynamic than JA wrote in the book. Darcy was not totally haughty and reserved, and he may have actually been charming at times. There is little doubt in my mind that JA's Darcy believed he was courting Elizabeth at Rosings, but she was too blind with prejudice to see it. And it is unlikely she would have seen it based on the failure of the film Darcys to show their feelings toward her.
That is the other thing the film Darcys obscure, Elizabeth's similarities to her mother and Lydia. All three are quick to judge, stubbornly refuse to reconsider their opinions, and loudly express those opinions.