Jane Eyre

After The Phantom of the Opera, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is my favorite story. While when I was younger and troubled, I could relate to the dark story of the phantom hidden away from the world because of his ugliness; now as I get older I can relate to the tale of the strong willed independent woman who comes in to her own. While I can't remember what was picked up first, the novel or DVD I do know that by now I have read and seen many versions of this wonderful story because I can't not get enough of it. So pleased and excited was I for Jane Eyre 2011, that while on my travels I feared I had missed it in my home town. But a week after being home it appeared in the paper and I rushed to see it.

Now being lover of the classics and also a female, I did love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with the wonderfully romantic Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, but once I discovered the tale of Jane and her Rochester I was changed. I can defend him against any Darcy lover.

However the element that most people love about this Bronte novel is not the romance or the broody hero, but the novel’s title character, Jane Eyre herself. She describes herself as "obscure and little..." but Charlotte Bronte created a character that is so much more than that. Spirited, independent, this woman does not lead life by what society or even others tell her how to but by what she believes to be true. Her only simple wish is to be truly loved and to surround herself with family and friends, a wish that many readers aspire to as well.

As I said I have seen many versions from the 1973 to 2011, yes that includes owning the sound track to the 2000 musical by Paul Gordon! From this list of several films I have picked out my top three that best portrayed the story I love.

At number three would be said musical, while I have not seen it I have the soundtrack and from this I feel this was more loyal than some film versions! With songs titles that are taken form lines in the novel, Secret Soul, and As Good As You. There are scenes that are sometimes cut from may versions, two that come time mind are in song titles, The Gyspy and Painting her Portrait; the scene when Rochester desigues himself as a gypsy to tell his guests their “futures” but in reality telling him what he really thinks tof them, the latter being a scene when Jane after hearing that Blanche Ingram could be Rochester’s bride paints two portraits one of unflattering of her and one glorious of the lady of sophistication. The leads are portrayed by Marla Schaffel and James Barbour. Both vocally fit for the roles, James Barbour with his deliciously rich baritone voice is a perfect Rochester.( And if you anything like me you could just melt at his voice!) Marla Schaffel just sounds like Jane Eyre she makes it her own. If you can find the sound track I say give it a listen because its a wonderful adaptation of Jane Eyre. One I truly wish I could have seen live.

Number Two would be 1983 with Timothy Dalton as the impassioned Rochester and Zelah Clarke as the meek little Jane. This is a BBC version, so while long and a little staged it’s the truest to novel you can find out there. Dalton makes for a fabulous handsome Rochester and is probably the most memorable to most(that could because of Bond fame). His love and passion for Jane rings in an added scene after Jane has left, in his deep green eyes and his impassioned "Find her!" has put this version on my top three list.

And in Number One would be the 2006, Masterpiece Theatre decided to update its Jane Eyre, bring this scandalous story of the 19th century to a 21 century audience. It's kept the heart of the story but upped the heat making it sexy, mysterious and all together a perfect bodice ripper. Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens take the lead in this adaptation, while she is no beauty as Jane is meant to be she holds her own in this role, and Toby Stephens is a perfect haunted Rochester. Their acting and chemistry is what puts this at the very top of my list. What carries this version so well is the music, strong but not over-powering, it carried the passion of the story so perfectly as well as being visually fantastic.

With 2006 being my top for reasons stated above, 2011 adaption had a strong act to follow, and am sorry to say it, it didn't do so well.  In case you haven't noticed but Jane Eyre is ALL about repressed passion, it what carries the reader to turning the next page, and had this reader hushing her fellow students just so she could finish the novel before bed in school. It is what is loved about the story and why it is adapted so often...however in 2011 with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender it seems that somewhere along the line of the novel, screen adaptation and filming they forgot that. Mia, of Alice in Wonderland fame, seemed a little of the same though out the film and seemed to have none of that strength that Jane is meant to have, and while Michael is good, he seems a bit young and has none of the haunted experiences Rochester is meant to have. A one word review I would say it was…stunted…, as if it was trying to reach that passion but just couldn't quite get there. Because of this I found other parts of this adaption came to my attention.

There are scenes that seem at a loss of why there were in the film. From Jane and Rochester's first meeting is so sudden has no of that mystery in it to the very ending that happened so suddenly that it left the view at a lost. One scene that sticks out as the worst mistake was a small scene in the middle after guests have arrived at Thornfield and Jane quietly leaves, only to have Rochester come after her. It’s a shy quiet scene but at the same time it is an extremely romantic scene, where you see that Rochester is falling for Jane. This scene was ruined when Mrs Fairfax coming in to carry on another part of the story. While I understand that indeed the story must be carried on to keep it under 3 hours, but to me someone else walking in to this scene is as if Charlotte Lucas walks in on Mr Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth.

The other large complaint I have is the removal of Rosamund Oliver, while I understand why she was cut, because she is in so little and does not carry the story much. But all in all her presence is vital to the understanding of St. John Rivers. She is his love interest but because of his religious ambitions he shuts her out and decides to pursue Jane to be his wife at his side while he continues his missionary work in India. Without Rosamund, Rivers seems cold and incapable of the kind of love that Jane is seeking. With this small character you see, as Jane puts it when talking to him to Rochester "He loves, as he can love and that is not as you love...." that yes he is very capable but he holds it close and doesn't acknowledge it as Rochester can. It is this capability and acknowledgement to love that makes Rochester Jane's Soul mate.

This newest version of Jane Eyre has its moments of romance and of course you cannot forget that Dame Judy Dench is as fun as Mrs Fairfax as she is imposing as Lady Catherine in Pride and Prejudice. As well as the lay out was very clever, starting it in the middle and letting letting her memories take you back to the beginning. It was a clever way of setting it self apart from other adaptations.
This version is worth seeing if you love Jane Eyre but I would say if you are looking for something that will leave you warm and filled with longing as only romance movies can bring you I say skip this version and go and pick up either the novel or Masterpiece Theatre Jane Eyre, 2006.