Review: Jane Eyre

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It's hard to believe I haven't seen a movie in theaters since 'The King's Speech.' And now, with spring break, it was inevitable that I'd see a movie or two. We'll see if I get to the other two I saw ('The Adjustment Bureau', 'Of Gods and Men'), but for now I'll start with this timeless, Bronte classic that has been adapted to screen countless times over the span of some 100 years; basically ever since making movies became a thing.

So how does it hold up against all the others? It's hard for me to say for sure since I've only seen one version that BBC did a while back that is quite good and is like 3 hours long or something which makes it a lot easier to cover a lot of material. That's probably something this movie accomplished better than any other movie adaptation could have. Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) had a sad, troubling childhood and many things happened to her while leading up to her job as governess to the little French girl at Thornfield Hall, and the film did a great job of capturing it all in just a few scenes. The most important thing being capturing Jane's resilient nature and strong will. Mia Wasikowska definitely picked this role well if she was looking to work on her capabilities as a leading actress, and I think she will most likely be an Oscar contender at some point in the future if this performance tells us anything.

One very interesting thing about the structure of the film is that the creators chose to start it in the middle of the story when Jane (SPOILER ALERT if you are a dweeb and haven't read this very famous book at some point in your illiterate life) has ran away from Thornfield and almost dies in the hills somewhere in England. Sounds drastic, yes, but it makes sense once you figure out what's happening. And that's exactly why the creators chose to do it this way. As I was leaving the theater with my family I heard a lady telling her friends "...they set it up like a mystery!" Duh. 

This tells you something about the way stories need to be set up today for anyone to be interested. Starting from the beginning with little-girl Jane would've been too boring and old fashioned. They needed something to keep the audience engaged. What better tactic than to create a sort of mystery? I think it's a very interesting thing to note here. Still, it worked and set the tone for the rest of the film quite well because there is a touch of mystery to it regarding strange happenings in Thornfield Hall (those of you who have read it will know what I mean.)

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And now for another vital part of the film: Mr. Rochester. Rochester is a very strong and clearly detailed character in the novel and the BBC version did a very good job of capturing his steely stare, somewhat swarthy features, and darkness to him, not to mention how he is older than Jane. Michael Fassbender ('Centurion', 'Inglorious Basterds', and the upcoming 'X-Men: First Class') was a perfect choice, in my opinion. He's just dark and ill-tempered enough to not make it unbelievable when he and Jane fall in love (this isn't really a spoiler cuz it's obvious). He basically captures the mood of Thornfield Hall where most of the film takes place and it's gloomy but elegant nature. 

Which brings us to another very well done aspect of the film. The lighting and sets all captured the old, period style wonderfully. This isn't your sunny, happy 'Pride & Prejudice.' 'Jane Eyre' requires enough shadows, grays and pale light to keep the mood for the more tragic parts, and at times reveal more color and warmer light for the happier moments. All this was done perfectly. It's probably the most important feature of the film to separate the Bronte style from the happier Austen novels.

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Now, the ending is the most important part of the story to get right, and while what they chose to do with it here was simple, it did all it needed to do. Rochester and Jane come full circle and the development of the characters is complete in just one scene that ends the film instead of the drawn out ending of the BBC version and the book. After all, this story is centered on the couple more than 'Pride & Prejudice' or other romantic novels of around the same time period. So I guess, overall, it proved to be a very fine adaptation and a very fine film.