![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Movie Comparison: "Jane Eyre"
Dec. 16th, 2010 05:25 pm"Jane Eyre" has long been a favorite story of my sisters and myself. I was first introduced to this serious but spirited heroine when I saw the 1944 version of the movie at a friend's house. I could have only been 11 or 12 at the time and it's safe to say I completely misunderstood the better parts of the story. I have since read the book more than once, falling in love with Jane's faith and goodness, and recently went on a quest to watch all of the major adaptations of the novel I hadn't seen before. With six features under my belt, and looking forward to the March 2011 release of number seven, here are how they stack up in my book.
6. Jane Eyre (1997) starring Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton
I like Ciaran Hinds in general and so even though I'd been warned that he plays a gruff, ogre-like Rochester in this brief 108-minute adaptation, I still wanted to see it. After viewing it I can see why it is so little recommended: Rochester came off not so much as surly, but actually as a dirty old man. There was no chemistry between the leads and the kissing scenes were so gross I actually turned my head. Morton played a rather smiley Jane, which goes against how I've always perceived her. Of course any version with that time constraint is going to have to cut out significant portions of the story, and while I give them props for creativity in changing up the St. John Rivers storyline (the one most frequently left out in other short versions), it still left too much to be desired. 1 of 5 stars.
5. Jane Eyre (1970) starring George C. Scott and Susannah York
I saw this movie around 6 years ago and honestly found it so boring that I couldn't wait for it to be over and even though it was a gift from a well-meaning friend, I never watched it again and shipped it out on SwapaDVD a long time ago. There are too many good versions to watch this one again. 2 of 5 stars.
4. Jane Eyre (1983) starring Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke
Generally regarded as one of the top two adaptations out of them all, I'd wanted to see this for quite a while. Netflix had it on their Watch Instantly selection for a while and on Thanksgiving evening my sister and I decided to try it and ended up watching all five and a half hours in basically one sitting. I found it overacted physically, as though it had been a stage play first, yet strangely underacted when it came to facial expression. That kept throwing me off, as did the general 80's filming style, though you can't blame the actors on that one. Dalton is a little overpowering as Rochester, possibly because Clarke never captured my interest as Jane. While I recognize this is the version closest to the book, there was no spark about it and nothing to make me think I'd ever be interested in watching it again. 2 of 5 stars.
3. Jane Eyre (1944) starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine
This is probably the most romanticized and least-faithful film adaptation, but it is also lots of fun because of the era it was filmed in. Adele in particular was given many humorous lines and steals all the scenes she is in. Welles has that charisma about him and Fontaine gives her trademark wide-eyed performance. The last time I watched it was just after I'd reread the book so I was fully aware of places where they cut huge chunks of the story to make it down to a 97-minute film. It holds a soft spot in my heart because it was my gateway to Bronte but I am still aware of its faults. 3 of 5 stars.
2. Jane Eyre (1996) starring William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg
This is another that holds more sentimental value to me, as I saw it in the theaters when it first came out. I was 13 at the time and since it was the first modern version I'd seen, even now I base much of how I view subsequent versions on the positive opinion formed with this one. The film is beautifully shot and there are no complaints in that department. I've heard people say Hurt plays a gentler Rochester than they prefer, and he may be softer than the book but it never bothered me much. It's another short version, coming in at 112 minutes, and that is really the only detracting thing about it, from my personal point of view. 4 of 5 stars.
1. Jane Eyre (2006) starring Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson
In every version it is always clear why Jane falls for Rochester: he's the first man she's ever spent much time around, he treats her as an individual, he's dark and mysterious. This is the first version where I understood why Rochester falls for Jane. Ruth Wilson presents a Jane with a fierce independent streak which, tamped down and trained to be ever-proper, still manages to peek through nonetheless. She's interesting and forthright. Stephens plays Rochester with the right level of sulkiness and gruffness, and the chemistry between the two is palpable. Some of my favorite scenes are when they banter with each other. The musical score is extremely well-done and adds a lot to the story. Screenwriter Sandy Welch does a good job, though to borrow the phrase of another reviewer, there is a little extra physical intensity at parts which is more than the Jane of the book would allow. Overall, this is the ultimate adaptation in my view, and the one I recommend to one and all fellow Bronte fans. 5 of 5 stars.
6. Jane Eyre (1997) starring Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton
I like Ciaran Hinds in general and so even though I'd been warned that he plays a gruff, ogre-like Rochester in this brief 108-minute adaptation, I still wanted to see it. After viewing it I can see why it is so little recommended: Rochester came off not so much as surly, but actually as a dirty old man. There was no chemistry between the leads and the kissing scenes were so gross I actually turned my head. Morton played a rather smiley Jane, which goes against how I've always perceived her. Of course any version with that time constraint is going to have to cut out significant portions of the story, and while I give them props for creativity in changing up the St. John Rivers storyline (the one most frequently left out in other short versions), it still left too much to be desired. 1 of 5 stars.
5. Jane Eyre (1970) starring George C. Scott and Susannah York
I saw this movie around 6 years ago and honestly found it so boring that I couldn't wait for it to be over and even though it was a gift from a well-meaning friend, I never watched it again and shipped it out on SwapaDVD a long time ago. There are too many good versions to watch this one again. 2 of 5 stars.
4. Jane Eyre (1983) starring Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke
Generally regarded as one of the top two adaptations out of them all, I'd wanted to see this for quite a while. Netflix had it on their Watch Instantly selection for a while and on Thanksgiving evening my sister and I decided to try it and ended up watching all five and a half hours in basically one sitting. I found it overacted physically, as though it had been a stage play first, yet strangely underacted when it came to facial expression. That kept throwing me off, as did the general 80's filming style, though you can't blame the actors on that one. Dalton is a little overpowering as Rochester, possibly because Clarke never captured my interest as Jane. While I recognize this is the version closest to the book, there was no spark about it and nothing to make me think I'd ever be interested in watching it again. 2 of 5 stars.
3. Jane Eyre (1944) starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine
This is probably the most romanticized and least-faithful film adaptation, but it is also lots of fun because of the era it was filmed in. Adele in particular was given many humorous lines and steals all the scenes she is in. Welles has that charisma about him and Fontaine gives her trademark wide-eyed performance. The last time I watched it was just after I'd reread the book so I was fully aware of places where they cut huge chunks of the story to make it down to a 97-minute film. It holds a soft spot in my heart because it was my gateway to Bronte but I am still aware of its faults. 3 of 5 stars.
2. Jane Eyre (1996) starring William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg
This is another that holds more sentimental value to me, as I saw it in the theaters when it first came out. I was 13 at the time and since it was the first modern version I'd seen, even now I base much of how I view subsequent versions on the positive opinion formed with this one. The film is beautifully shot and there are no complaints in that department. I've heard people say Hurt plays a gentler Rochester than they prefer, and he may be softer than the book but it never bothered me much. It's another short version, coming in at 112 minutes, and that is really the only detracting thing about it, from my personal point of view. 4 of 5 stars.
1. Jane Eyre (2006) starring Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson
In every version it is always clear why Jane falls for Rochester: he's the first man she's ever spent much time around, he treats her as an individual, he's dark and mysterious. This is the first version where I understood why Rochester falls for Jane. Ruth Wilson presents a Jane with a fierce independent streak which, tamped down and trained to be ever-proper, still manages to peek through nonetheless. She's interesting and forthright. Stephens plays Rochester with the right level of sulkiness and gruffness, and the chemistry between the two is palpable. Some of my favorite scenes are when they banter with each other. The musical score is extremely well-done and adds a lot to the story. Screenwriter Sandy Welch does a good job, though to borrow the phrase of another reviewer, there is a little extra physical intensity at parts which is more than the Jane of the book would allow. Overall, this is the ultimate adaptation in my view, and the one I recommend to one and all fellow Bronte fans. 5 of 5 stars.
