Review of Jane Eyre (2011) by Lynda H — 18 Sep 2011

A more impressive adaptation of a classic novel has yet to be released, let me assure you, because Jane Eyre has managed to trump them all. There's not a scene in this movie that isn't torn straight from the pages of Bronte's book. From the performances to the characterization to the dialogue to the cinematography to the setting to the directing, this is a masterpiece, a truly wonderful masterpiece.

There are a few shortcomings, of course. Some of those are the fault of Bronte's novel, the style of which does not hold up well to the test of time. I had forgotten how much of the book focuses on Jane's relationship with the Thornhill manor, staff, and ward rather than with Rochester. Hence, the film includes only fragments of their interactions, and it's a bit of a stretch to believe, in the twenty-first century, where everyone is always present in some fashion or another, that the two could be in love. Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender make it work though, delivering complex performances that both belie the possibility of love and make it something that is visually palpable.

Wasikowska is particularly impressive, because Jane, like so many of Bronte's heroines, has retreated so deeply inside herself that she reveals very little of her true character. She's assisted by subtle special effects that accurately represent the magical realism of Bronte's novel, giving the audience a glimpse into Jane's willful psyche without infringing on the integrity of the character. Fassbender is a perfect match for her, playing Rochester as an intense, passionate man with a dark side to match Jane's own. The scenes of them together are electric; I wish there had been more of them.

My other regret is that the movie is strictly an adaptation of Bronte's work and reflects none of the reinterpretations of Jane Eyre that have been conducted over the years. Yes, I'm talking about Wide Sargasso Sea, which would have provided an interesting context for Rochester and given greater dimensions for his first wife, Bertha. Jane Eyre excels at bringing Bronte's vision to life, but as a reimagining of the work, it needed to go a little further.