There are actually many occasions, in the novel, when Darcy smiles. At Lucas Lodge, at the Netherfield ball, in Kent... whenever Elizabeth is about and he talks to her. I remember someone here in the TR quoting those passages in a thread.
I'm annoyed at all the actors who played Darcy because none of them smiles enough. Rintoul (1980) is the most sombre, showing a mere hint of a smile in the final scene. Firth and Macfadyen both begin smiling at Pemberley, and even then, not so much. And what about the invitation to dance at Netherfield? You'd think Darcy is being forced to do it, from the espression in his face! Directors want to turn Darcy into the "dark and handsome" hero, whose seriousness and aloofness attract the heroine. I know it sells more, but it's not Jane Austen. Sadly.
I'm annoyed at all the actors who played Darcy because none of them smiles enough. Rintoul (1980) is the most sombre, showing a mere hint of a smile in the final scene. Firth and Macfadyen both begin smiling at Pemberley, and even then, not so much. And what about the invitation to dance at Netherfield? You'd think Darcy is being forced to do it, from the espression in his face! Directors want to turn Darcy into the "dark and handsome" hero, whose seriousness and aloofness attract the heroine. I know it sells more, but it's not Jane Austen. Sadly.