Jane Eyre is probably a story not to everyone’s liking, Gothic elements are scattered everywhere and the characters are dark, unattractive, unhappy and difficult to love. In our opinion this adaptation tries to bring Jane Eyre to the general public and not just readers and fans of Charlotte Brontë’s work, look at it as a light version.
One of the things that jump right to our eyes when comparing the book to the series is the casting. Little Jane Eyre (Georgie Henley) is such a cute girl and even though all her dresses are dark there’s no way she could have melted into the background as the author described her. Older Jane Eyre (Ruth Wilson) has a dreamy look and although they tried to make her plain it was unsuccessful, even her eyes speak to, no man would disregard her at first meeting. Edward Rochester was portrayed as an older man and not nearly as attractive as Toby Stephens, sure he’s easy on the eyes but if we were being true to the original story then maybe someone else should have been chosen for this part.
But even though you may be a die hard Jane Eyre fan, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this lighter adaptation, photography is gorgeous, the plot hasn’t suffered major changes and we all enjoy seeing beautiful people now and again!
EPISODE 1:
The first episode sees Jane going from a young child who is sent by her aunt to a very austere school with hostile conditions to an accomplished young lady who has improved herself through education. She applies for a job as a governess at Thornfield Hall. The house is big and dark but after those years at school it’s an improvement for Jane, even if she senses some mysteries. One day, while out walking, she meets a rider whose horse throws him off startled by Jane, she helps him and later discovers he is the owner of Thornfield all – Mr. Edward Rochester. Although he usually has a dark mood, Jane feels attracted to him and after one night she saves him from a strange fire in his bedroom.
EPISODE 2:
After she saves him, they seem to become more intimate but he leaves the next day and returns with a party of newcomers, including Edward’s presumed fiancée. Soon an unexpected guest arrives and during the night wild screaming wakes Jane who is asked by Edward to tend to the visitor in the north tower. He has been attacked and while there somebody bangs at the door scaring Jane. After the night’s adventures, they became more close…
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I think this adaptation was brilliant. I re-read the book immediately following my viewing of the series and thought it a relatively faithful rendition – accommodating modern tastes and made to time restraints. I applaud both the director and writer as it is quite mesmerising to watch.
As far as the looks of Jane and Rochester – I think it is quite believable. The people considered attractive in that age were fair and slim. Whist Ruth Wilson is slim, she is certainly not fair and plain is not ugly. Ditto Rochester, Jane describes him as dark, broad chest etc., and that he is. (St. John is more the accepted attractive model). Toby Stephens portrays a Rochester that gets better looking over time because that is how Jane sees him. She sees the inner person, not just the outer.
Glad you are enjoying it!
Annette,
That’s a very good point about Jane and Rochester’s physical appearance. For instance, Blanche is seen as a very attractive woman with her blond curls and fair skin.
I like to think that Edward gets better looking through Jane’s eyes. ;-)
One of my favorite scenes in the first episode, is how they meet. Sparkles are flying right away, even if they don’t know each other. Rochester is so cranky (well, cannot blame him after falling from that horse! ;-) ) and the way he calls her “Witch!” is almost funny.
I found the book exceedingly tedious, but enjoyed this series. I liked Jane and Rochester, and enjoyed watching them as they got to know one another. I wasn’t quite convinced by the passion between them though – I don’t know if I quite felt a spark. I found Adele to be a bit of a pain!
My favourite line in the whole series was “Sit! – Not you Pilot”!!!
Oh well I had great plans to read the book before the discussion started but in the end I didn’t.
I loved the series!! I thought they had chemistry between them. But I think I might agree regarding Adele LOL she was a bit annoying, poor girl!
So Dee not a favorite like P&P or N&S is it?
No, not up there with those two! While I would be happy watching it again, I don’t think that it would be my first choice on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
From my limited knowledge however, I am inclined to think that Bronte books make good movies, all that moodiness you know, and I’m thinking I might try and track down the Fiennes “Wuthering Heights’.
Tedious? Sigh! How can anyone say that Jane Eyre is tedious? Kidding! :-P It’s one of my favourite classics ever, but I can understand not everyone enjoying it, too much drama and moodiness perhaps.
I really enjoyed the series, it gave the story some lightness, if it followed the book too closely it would probably be too boring, some feelings aren’t easily transported to the screen.
Toby Stephens was an attractive Rochester, even though he was too handsome for the part. I love the last scene where Jane teases him and makes him jealous. Sigh!
I know, Ana! I was taken aback that I found it tedious. I can only assume that it’s something lacking in me (and I never seem to click with books that are written in the first person), because too many people consider it a beloved book, and that many people can’t be wrong!
LOL Not my favorite line in the serie but certainly a funny one, Dee. ;-) Can I ask you what made you doubt of Jane and Rochester’s passion? Did you have that feeling only while watching the serie or/and when you were reading the book?
I’m not a big fan of the Brontë sisters either, even if I do like to read Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre once in a while, but I agree with you, their books always make good movies. Even when it’s a bad adaptation, like the previous Jane Eyre by Franco Zeffirelli… How could they chose a blond Rochester (William Hurt) is beyond me!
The Fiennes movie is far from being a great adaptation but it’s worth watching, imho. :)
I do agree with you Ana O., Toby Stephens is a wonderful Rochester! As you say, maybe too handsome, yes, but I do like Annette’s perspective when she says that we are seeing him through Jane’s eyes. ;-)
That scene at the end is lovely! He so jealous and she hiding her smile. ;-)
Strangely, I was prepared to hate Blanche and I didn’t… In the other hand, her mother was insufferable!
I’m really not sure what it was, Alex. I felt there was a wee spark when they were first getting to know each other, but I feel that Rochester never quite lost that benevolent? Paternal? air about him – the older knowledgeable man with the younger unwordly woman. I’m not describing it very well, sorry! Even at the end, I still never quite got the feeling of a man brought to his knees – I given the story, I think he should have been brought to his knees!
In the book, I’m also not sure. My feeling about the pair could be due to the way I read it (picked it up and put it down over the course of a month), so I don’t really feel I should make comment there!
I think that I will try and see the Franco Z adaptation, if only for the fact that Anna Paquin is a NZer! and I rather like William Hurt’s acting.
Blanche’s mother? What about the freaky twins? They really freaked me out! :-s
You thought Rochester had a patronizing attitude towards Jane? I felt it was more a need to share his passions and his knowledge (he couldn’t share this with anyone else), just like she gave him advise about human relationships. But I can see why you have that feeling. ;-)
LOL I can hardly picture him on his knees just in front of Jane. Even more in the book where he is pictured as a very proud and even severe man.
I love William Hurt, he is such a good actor, but in any situation I could see him as Rochester. Too cheery and…blond! Charlotte Gainsbourg is not a bad Jane though.
Btw, did you saw The Village by Night Shyamalan? Hurt plays such a delightful character in this movie. :)
LOL Those twins were terrible! Same expressions, same clothes and hair,… Like you say, freaky! ;-)
I just love this adaption! sure…Rochester was not as ugly as he should have been…but seriously, this adaption is as good as it gets! Movie wise of course…nothing can beat the book!
How did you like Toby Stephens as Rochester, Katie? :)
I’ve added The Village to my MovieShack list, Alex!
Alex, I really liked him as Rochester! I mean this is the only movie adaption that I have ever seen…but I think he did a really great job!
This has been a very interesting little conversation because i fear all of my thoughts greatly contrast everything said! I’m so confused
well Jane Eyre, the novel, is one of my top classics yet I don’t agree that Bronte adaptations work well (maybe steer me to a great one??) I enjoyed the recent bbc adaptation but I felt Rochester was just too nice and cheery and not ugly and angry (not often a women is disappointed that a man is cheery and not ugly and angry!) but all and all I loved it. Until I watched north and south….but that is another story.
I will always have an eternal soft spot for the adaptation as I love Toby Stephens and i think Ms Wilson did a great job. Although the issue of physicality is an interesting one. Firstly Ruth is quite tall, very tall in fact. The very point of Jane Eyre (in some ways) is her likeness to Bronte herself “a small, ugly thing” I think the thinness and fragility of Jane is not well portrayed on Ruth. She is thin yes but I feel she is very strong and tall. But she plays the emotional fragility and strength well so. And also Toby Stephens is a natural blonde/redhead as the brunette wig was a tad pushing it for me. He is shockingly good looking though so I can’t complain too much.
I love the Bronte’s though, over Austen (blasphemy?) but recently i have been getting into George Eliot and Gaskell and I’m enjoying their tight realism and social novels (respectively) immensely.
I really have to reread Jane Eyre again and see if how I feel regarding Rochester and Jane. It had a been a long time since I read it when I watch the series and so I did not feel that difference you mention Jaz but the other Ana had already mentioned that same aspect.
I’ve been reading Austen but currently I’m reading Gaskell’s Cranford in preparation for the series discussion.
I recently read Jane Erye for a literary assignment in my 12th grade Advance Placement class. I found the book dark, as you described it, but not wholly unlikable. I enjoyed the movie, and me (along with a few other classmates) laughed out loud when we saw Rochester. He was not unattractive!
I read Jane Eyre after seeing the George C Scott adaptation. It became one of my favorite books and I’ve watched every adaptation ever made. This one was my least favorite. I mean it was really dreadful. It didn’t seem to understand the point of the characters or their attraction to each other.
I grew up with movies that had to cut material (scenes, characters, minor plot lines) from long novels in order to tighten the focus for film, but I find it really odd that these more recent adaptations (this and North and South) actually make up scenes and dialog that never happened. I feel sorry for viewers who then turn to the book to get the full richness of a scene only to discover that it doesn’t exist.
Jane Eyre is such a strong and almost modern character (in her passionate independence and her unconventional view of life–compare her to her contemporary Margaret Hale who is so perfect and correct). And yet contemporary audiences seem to remake Jane as someone cute and sassy and turn Mr. Rochester into the dashing young hero….and then haven’t we rather missed the point of Jane Eyre?
This movie is unforgettable. There is nothing “plain, obscure or little” about Carlotte Bronte and her masterpiece novel, Jane Eyre. I read the book and fell in love with Bronte’s powerful descriptions of life in the 1800’s. I decided to watch the BBC adaptation and I my heart was swept off once again with the characters chosen to play Mr.Rochester and Jane.It is so romantic, sensual, with slow moving scenes of passion that leave an impression on your heart and soul. This BBC version was, in my opinion, the most perfect rendition of the book. I adore the characters chosen to depict Mr. Rochester and Jane. Their scenes are electrifying and I wish there were more movies like this one.