I have been hankering to see this film ever since it came out on DVD a month ago, but, as shameful as it is to say it, I had never read the book and therefore was not familiar with the tragically melancholy and defiantly passionate tale of Jane Eyre. Having just finished the book yesterday, it has been my most exalted and unbridled pleasure to sit down and completely immerse myself in this dazzling film that is both a bold and true restoration of a timeless classic that has been done time and time again.
Dying from starvation and cold, a lonely wandering woman falls deathly ill at the door of a man and his two sisters. As they nurse her back to health and seek employment for her in their humble village, she reminisces about her bleak and tragic childhood, her strict and savage schooling, and a love; a love to which her heart still strongly clings.
Director Cary Fukunaga has indeed taken a much-loved classic and reworked it to enthral a whole new generation of readers and admirers.
At this time, it simply must be expressed that sometimes watching the film gives one a much better view of the story and what all the words on the page conclude in. Reading a story and seeing a story are two completely different things and, though it does make a world of difference to watch a film being armed with the knowledge of the story, sometimes our knowledge and our interpretation of the text is not that of someone else’s or even correct. This is why both books and films are such grand mediums. Through the cross-examinations they spark, they open one’s eyes as well as one’s mind.
The book is rather lengthy with great spaces of literature that depict almost nothing but scenery, which can so easily be conveyed by aerial camera shots these days, so it was always going to be anticipated that the film would be a condensed version of the events. I think that the filmmakers have reworked the story wonderfully by having it begin three quarters of the way through and then backtracking by way of reminiscing, finally working steadily towards where it started so that it might conclude at the end.
What I particularly found most engaging about this movie was that it was passionate without being overly so. It’s hard to articulate but, aside from the occasional outbursts of love or anger or desperation, the performances, the music, the script; everything seemed plain on the surface, but you could really feel the unbridled passion that keeps the entire thing afloat. Watching this film was like swimming in a sea that has been warmed by the sun and then, on occasion, discovering there are still cold pockets to be found. It was a real experience, one that drew forth a wonderful balance of emotions; I shuddered, I wept, I laughed, I sighed, and I marvelled. It focuses on the love story of Jane and Edward, which I think was the best way to go about it because there are a load of other connotations and stories in the book that simply could not have worked on the screen. So what we end with is a wondrous tale of unbridled passion and romance that proves that love conquers all: age, distance, legality, and social stature.
Now, everyone, I do declare that we must all raise our glasses and tip our hats to Australia’s own Mia Wasikowska who starred as one of the world’s most celebrated heroines. Mia is Jane Eyre! She delivered a most remarkable performance that was inspired, passionate, defiant, silently suffering, innocent, and in love. She was absolutely captivating from start to finish and I do say that if her performance could have been more dazzlingly perfect than it would have unendurable; we would all go blind and our very hearts would simply wither and crumble. She was that brilliant!
Starring Jamie Bell, Holliday Grainger, Tamzin Merchant, Amelia Clarkson, Sally Hawkins, Michael Fassbender, and Judi Dench, Jane Eyre was an amazing film that was filled with romance, passion, drama, suspense, a mesmerising script and stunning performances. I absolutely loved it and will be adding it to the collection!
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