Jane Eyre Review: A Sorrowful But Lovely Adaptation

I recently had the pleasure of viewing the new movie Jane Eyre which, I have to say, I’m glad that I did. The film is an adaptation of the well-known book of the same name written in 1847 by Charlotte Bronte and has been brought to film numerous times in the past. Being that I’m not extremely familiar with Bronte, nor is it the genre of movie I generally gravitate to, I normally would have passed this one up. Luckily, I did not.

It’s a hard thing to keep people’s interest in period piece films these days, unless they can bring a lot of action and silly humor into it (Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?). Not to mention, book-to-film adaptations can just downright anger some people. So that being said, how did Jane Eyre make it work? I’d say a large part of it was the brilliant cast of actors. Mia Wasikowska, who has recently become popular for her role as Alice in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, plays the lead of the famous Jane. She could not have been more on the ball with this role. Jane was the well-mannered and quiet young girl that was expected of women in those times but was also educated and self-sufficient with such self-respect that she never was perceived as a helpless woman who couldn’t think for herself. I knew from just the opening scene alone that Wasikowska was going to nail it because even though the viewers did not yet know what was happening, you could instantly feel the despairing emotion that she exuded as she ran through the dreary wooded backdrop with tears streaming from her face.

In addition to the great cast, it was visually on key with the storyline. The scenery gave off a dark and foreboding atmosphere when Jane was going through harder times and a much lighter and rich one when things were looking more up. For me, the visual aspect of a movie is so important. It has so much to do with the ambiance of a story and in this case made me feel a stronger sentiment for the characters.

The movie played at a small indie film theater near my home that shows only a few movies during the month (four at a time to be exact) and for a Sunday afternoon was quite busy. As I had mentioned before, Jane Eyre was not a story I was well acquainted with, but most of the moviegoers in the theater with me clearly were. Before the lights dimmed and the movie began, I was getting an education from a whispering crowd on the story of Jane, her life, what they liked about the book and what they hoped would be included in the movie. These were smart and serious fans here to see an artistic take on a classic novel which was a nice change from the more mainstream audience you might encounter at your local multiplex-style theater. For a Bronte newbie like myself, I felt it was satisfying story although I’m sure book experts will be a bit more critical. However, if you know the story of Jane Eyre or not, the film was so well done that it might be a pleasant surprise for both fans and non-fans alike.

Images courtesy of Focus Features/IMDB