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Jane Eyre

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Jane Eyre

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Parental guidance is recommended for younger viewers.

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"Stays faithful to the story"
4 stars"
Purchased on Mighty Ape

Is more gentle in approach than other versions I have seen.

Description

Jane Eyre is a 1996 film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel of the same name featuring an all star cast including William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman) and Anna Paquin (True Blood, X-Men).

Jane Eyre, orphaned, is left to live under the charity of her Aunt Reed. After living ten years of mistreatment and segregation in her Aunt's home, she is then sent to Lowood- a boarding school for young girls. Jane grows up both physically and mentally at Lowood and becomes a teacher at age eighteen. She then advertises for the position of a governess and is called upon by Mrs Fairfax at Thornfield. At Thornfield, Jane falls in love with the master, Mr Rochester, and he with her. However, he yields a terrible and dark secret that threatens to tear them apart for good.

Jane Eyre Review
By Reelviews, James Berardinelli

"In an era when movies are again turning to classic literature for inspiration, it was only a matter of time before a new version of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre reached the screen. One of the best-loved of all the Victorian novels, Jane Eyre combines social commentary with gothic romance. This new film, directed by Franco Zeffirelli (best known for his 1968 Oscar-nominated Romeo and Juliet), remains faithful to the original narrative in general, if not in all the particulars.

Of necessity, the story has been condensed, since it isn't possible to reproduce a full-length book as a two-hour movie. Screenwriters Zeffirelli and Hugh Whitemore have elected to retain Jane Eyre's full scope while elimiting many of the nuances. The result is a reasonably fast-paced story (with a confused sense of time) that occasionally struggles to develop its characters to their maximum potential. Ultimately, this film is on par with the 1944 Orson Welles/Joan Fontaine version.

We are introduced to ten-year old Jane (Anna Paquin) in the early 1830s at Gateshead Hall, where she lives with her aunt and cousins. Orphaned at an early age, Jane has grown up unloved and unloving, and now her aunt has decided to send her to the Lowood Charity School, citing her as willful, obstinate, deceitful, and in need of a stern upbringing. At Lowood, Jane finds life difficult under the tutelage of the cold-hearted Mr. Brocklehurst (John Wood) and Miss Scatcherd (Geraldine Chaplin), but she forms a pair of solid friendships that help her through the hardest times.

After ten years at Lowood, an older, wiser, but still-spirited Jane (now played by Charlotte Gainsbourg) accepts a position as governess for the young French ward of Edward Rochester (William Hurt), master of Thornfield Hall. Jane settles in quickly, forming solid relationships with her charge, Adele Varens (Josephine Serre), and Thornfield's hou­sekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax (Joan Plowright). However, the master of the house makes the strongest impression on the young woman. From her first meeting with Edward, when she offers aid after he is thrown from a horse, she is infatuated, but his natural reticence keeps her from confessing her feelings. But there is something other than Edward for Jane to consider as she beomes established in her new situation, because Thornfield Hall hides a secret. Who, or what, lives in the attic, under the stern and watchful eye of the semi-vigilant Grace Poole (Billie Whitelaw)?…

With one exception, the acting is excellent. Charlotte Gainsbourg (The Cement Garden) brings Jane to life, and, on those occasions when the script fumbles because it's painting the narrative in too-broad strokes, she holds our attention and captures our sympathy. Unfortunately, Gainsbourg's op­posite, William Hurt, lacks presence. His is a passionless portrayal of a tragic figure. The venerable Joan Plowright plays Mrs. Fairfax with grandmotherly goodwill. Josephine Serre, Amanda Root (who had the lead in Persuasion), and Anna Paquin are all solid in smaller roles.

Jane Eyre is about the contrast between a plain-but-spirited woman and a beautiful-but-venal one. It's about obligations and taking responsibility for one's actions. And, most of all, it's about the maturation of an unloved girl into a sensitive woman. Jane Eyre features one of literature's most independent, strong-willed female protagonists in a narrative brimming with repressed emotion and dark secrets.

Zeffirelli's pic­ture fits nicely into the recent spate of films based on classic novels. It's a vast improvement over last year's hack job of The Scarlet Letter, but not as impressive as the “Jane Austen trio” (Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and the BBC/A&E Pride and Prejudice). Nevertheless, for Bronte aficionados, lovers of Victorian romance, or those who simply appreciate literate love stories, Jane Eyre offers two hours of quality entertainment."

Release date NZ
October 10th, 2013
Movie Format
DVD Region
  • Region 4
Aspect Ratio
  • 1.33 : 1
Language
English
Length (Minutes)
112
Supported Audio
  • Dolby Digital Stereo
Number of Discs
1
Countries of Production
  • France
  • Italy
  • United Kingdom
  • USA
Genre
Original Release Year
1996
Box Dimensions (mm)
135x190x14
UPC
9337369004822
Product ID
21606938

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