Customer Reviews

Masterpiece Theatre: Jane Eyre

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the best adaptation of Jane Eyre that I have ever viewed! The chemistry between Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson is outstanding. Toby Stephens, who mostly works in theatre, really brings a refreshing approach to Rochester. In the beginning, he seems so hard and cold. And yet, in another scene, as he baits and flirts with Jane, you are drawn in by his charm. You can clearly see the agony on his face, as he tests Jane to see if she truly loves him. Ruth Wilson, a relative newcomer to acting, is the perfect combination of plain determination and heartfelt sorrow. Her pain is clearly expressed through her words and facial expressions, and I would be amazed if other people did not reach for their tissues as I did, on more that one occasion. They took their time with this production and you can really see the changes in both Rochester and Jane, as they realize that they have found their true soulmate.

Once again, the BBC did not skimp on production value. The sets, costumes and landscapes are perfect and beautiful. Thornfield Hall is both beautiful and sinister at the same time. The rest of the cast is wonderful, especially Mrs. Fairfax and the mysterious Grace Poole.

I cannot wait to receive my copy so that I may watch it again! And again!

I love the story of Jane Eyre, and the movie was well done. My only complaint is that the way Jane interacts with Mr. Rochester at times is not in keeping with the book and compromises the integrity and purity she was portrayed as having in the original story. I thought the casting was good and aside from the undesireable changes I enjoyed the movie.

I loved this adaptation of Jane Eyre! Watching it on TV I realized right away that I had to get a copy of it. Ruth Wilson seems to have a firm grasp on the character of Jane, despite being a relative newcomer. She says a whole lot with just her eyes. Toby Stephens has just the right combination of gruffness, mystery and wicked playfullness that Mr. Rochester possesses. As the two of them begin their friendship their restrained passion for each other becomes so strong that it's almost palpable! What chemistry! I highly recommend this movie, as the flow and the many details that are brought in, and even the length of it, are perfect! It is another first rate BBC production and I can't stop talking about it with my friends!

WOW, so amazing. Having read the book many times, and it being my #1 fav i always found something lacking in the other adaptations of this beloved book. The BBC version mind you was wonderful, and Samantha Morton was a good Jane, but in this version every character was right from the page, every aspect was done beautifully and the whole story is there complete. Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson have the best chemistry for the characters, Jane and Edward to a T!!!! Even more wonderful is its length...I watched it with my sister and part way through we checked how long was left and wispered in excitement to eachother "still an hour left!".

I was disappointed in this version of what I feel was Charlotte Bronte's best book. I feel that the BBC version staring Timothy Dalton was much more true to the book and wish I had purchased that version instead. When I fist began to watch the DVD I thought I had put on side 2 rather than side one as it began with Jane being brought into the school and spent very little time on her time at the school. It misses the mark when it comes to how she was treated by her aunt and cousins and how absolutely horrible her experiences at the school were. Too much background was left out. While the movie is good for a movie's sake, those looking for a true adaptation will not get it. Many of the scenes just didn't happen in the book. Rochester's wife seems too well put together, hair brushed, nice clothing, etc. to be what I envisioned as the insane woman in the upstairs room. I could see some similarities to the book but those who haven't read the book may find parts a bit confusing.

One would think this story has been done enough as there have been several versions. But I absolutely loved this film. Having seen previous versions with the main characters having little to no chemistry, I was really looking at this to see if they got it right this time. And they did! Toby Stephens is the Rochester to end all Rochesters. Okay, some say he was too good looking to play this part, although I didn't think so at first. But he has so many of the nuances and looks that draw you in to the story, that I can't imagine anyone else playing that part anymore. Ruth Wilson is also the perfect Jane Eyre. How lucky the producer and director were to find her! She portrays all the vulnerability and strength of Jane Eyre from the book. I highly recommend this film!

Having only seen the 1996 version staring William Hurt/Charlotte Gainsbourg (yawn), I had little expectations for this new addaption. This movie takes all the awards in my opinion. Best period film, best actors, best romance! The characters are so perfectly cast, its exactly as I would picture them. Ruth Wilson was born to play Jane. Her looks and expressions say so much, you find yourself drawn to her every feeling and emotion whether joy or sorrow, cheering her on the entire way. Toby Stephens stole my heart as the mysterious and intriguing Mr. Rochester. The perfect ballance of gruffness & charm, he is love at first site! But its the chemistry between these two characters that stands out the most, absolutly electrifying. You just have to see it to believe it, I had a permanent smile on my face during the whole 4 hours! Hats off to Masterpeice Theatre for living up to their name, this is trully a masterpeice.

This is a sexed-up and dumbed down version of Jane Eyre which isn't faithful enough to Charlotte Bronte's fabulous novel, and pales in comparison to the 1983 Timothy Dalton/Zelah Clarke mini-series. Substituting Harlequin romance for passion, thought, and wit, the writing renders Jane virtually monosyllabic with most of her lines consisting of "Yes, sir" or "No, sir", giving her none of the fire, intelligence, and complexity that make her Rochester's equal, despite the difference in their stations. And Rochester...yes, as played by Toby Stephens he's very hot, I admit, though after awhile that palls as the writing becomes sillier and his acting more self-congratulatory. Poor Ruth Wilson's sincere portrayal gets a bit left in the dust.

Why is Jane's childhood so truncated? Whose idea was it to stick in a ridiculous Ouija board scene? Why isn't Rochester disguised as the gypsy? Why is Bertha so perfectly coiffed and dressed? Where is St. John Rivers' unforgiving religiosity? And, oh dear, oh dear, that scene after the wedding is called off - tut, tut you tacky writers! I have nothing against sex scenes, nor do I think that people from the 19th C. shouldn't be portrayed as sexual, but this is where Jane and Rochester should be at their most tormented and passionate, not having a modern make-out session. It should be true to the heartbreaking scene in the novel and in the Dalton/Clarke version, it is.

And where, oh where is Bronte's beautiful language? Are audiences not trusted to understand or care about it? Come on, we can handle it, surely!

It's hard to imagine a better gothic romance than "Jane Eyre" -- and it's harder to imagine a more perfect adaptation than this one.

In fact, the 2006 adaptation has pretty much everything going for it -- beautiful settings, eerie direction, sensual romance, and a pair of magnificent leading actors. And it's all wrapped in the misty, haunting atmosphere of a true gothic story -- madwoman in the attic and all.

Jane Eyre (Georgie Henley) was an orphan, abused and neglected first by relatives, then by a boarding school. But many years later, Jane (Ruth Wilson) moves on by applying to Thornfield Hall for a governess position, and gets the job. She soon becomes the teacher and friend to the sprightly French girl Adele, but is struck by the dark, almost haunted feeling of her new home.

Then she runs into her employer, Mr. Rochester (Toby Stephens), a cynical, embittered man who spends little time at Thornfield. They are slowly drawn together into a powerful love, despite their different social stations -- and Rochester's attentions to a shallow, snotty aristocrat (Christina Cole).

But strange things are happening at Thornfield -- stabbings, fires, and a mysterious locked tower. Jane and Rochester finally confess their feelings to each other, but their wedding is interrupted when Rochester's dark past comes to light. And Jane must face losing the man she loves forever...

I have to get this out of the way -- I love "Jane Eyre," and have searched for a beautiful, FAITHFUL adaptation for ages. Well, this is it -- a gorgeous, powerful adaptation, which also sticks to the original novel. A few things are shortened or fleshed out, but overall it's not just faithful to the story -- it's faithful to the atmosphere.

Director Susanna White doesn't get bogged down in billowy period clothes and wooden acting. Instead, we get the sensual, passionate side of the story, with lots of frustrated romance, sexual tension and a strong bond between two hearts. There are some more lighthearted moments -- wedding shopping, for example -- but also opulant, even dreamlike moments, such as the "owl" jump near the end.

And she wraps it in some truly gorgeous visuals, usually in the classic gothic romance style -- looming dark halls, white-robed women, mysterious happenings in the night, misty moors and dark firelit rooms. The entire movie seems bathed in a pale luminous light, as if the sun never quite shines over Thornfield (and Jane and Rochester) until the very end of the story.

The story does slow down after the abortive wedding, when Jane flees Thornfield and briefly considers marrying a repressed clergyman. I spent most of the time fidgeting and wondering when Rochester was going to be back. But when Jane departs again, the plot speeds up into a nice, mellow little finale.

Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens are absolutely MADE for these roles. Wilson isn't really pretty, but she has a striking, luminous quality. And she's pretty brilliant at the passionate stuff ("You think that because I am poor, plain, obscure and little... that I have NO HEART!"), but just as good at the quiet moments.

And Stephens looks worn and kind of tired for awhile, but he can be gloriously mercurial -- prickly, gruff, fiery and even mischievous. They're both backed by a glorious cast of actors, with Georgie Henley a standout as little Jane, Cole as a snotty fortune-hunter, and Claudia Coulter as a suitably unhinged (yet still beautiful) Bertha.

There have been many adaptations of "Jane Eyre," but the misty, haunting 2006 adaptation trumps them all. It's atmospheric, powerful, and passionate.

Jane Eyre is one of my two favorite novels. I found myself both enthralled and disappointed with this version. I loved the chemistry between Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens. Toby Stephens showed us a Mr. Rochester that was both funny yet also sad. Kudos to the BBC for allowing the story to play out for 4 hours instead of the 2 hours that the A&E version gave it. The visuals and costuming was very well done.

On the other hand, why did they spend so little time on Jane as a child, Jane at Lowood, and especially Jane's relationship with Helen Burns. Helen Burns was an important piece to Jane's understanding of what it is to be and have a friend who cares for you. I can say that what most disappointed me was the whole make out session on the bed after Jane found out that Rochester was married. Come on! She is mad and hurt that he has deceived her and yet she allows him to kiss her and feel her up...No way!

I still hold that the Timothy Dalton version was the best. I place the Ciarian Hinds one slightly higher than this version due to the fact that I found his portrayl to be more anguished but I cannot say that I would rank this as #3 more as #2 and a bit.