Jane Eyre (2006)

Why so much hype?

Don't Believe the Hype

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This version of Charlotte Brontës beloved "Jane Eyre" is everything it should be! It's got all the important events, yet they keep it to the point to save running time - it's never boring. The acting is wonderful as well! Ruth Wilson is perfect for the role of Jane, she stays true to the book with her low-key witty replies and humor. I could not imagine a better Mr Rochester than the one Toby Stephens delivers, he is likable, despite his grumpiness, and you can really see that he's a troubled man. They have also captured the romantic atmosphere in a beautiful way, or rather, it is very emotional all the way through!If you're looking for a romantic and entertaining yet true to the book version of Jane Eyre, this is it!

I have watched this over and over and over and I am delighted every time. Yes, it makes some changes from the book, but in a way I find acceptable. Maybe toning down St John wasn't such a good idea, because he is not enough of a contrast to Rochester. Otherwise, I'm okay with the changes.I loved the delicate beauty of this production, the sense of mystery, the electric interactions between the characters. Both lead actors convey a wonderful range of emotions. Other Jane Eyre adaptions seem clumsy, even ham-fisted in comparison. One of my favourite scenes is when Jane explores Mr Rochester's study in his absence and sees all his maps and books and collections. It is such a great way to introduce his character and to show why Jane would be fascinated by him before she even knows him.This adaption also went down well with my high school students, for whom is was a useful example to study something that is Gothic-but-not-quite-Gothic.

It's nowhere even near the book, the woman who wrote the screenplay read too many cheesy romantic novels, so she invented the whole story, the dialogue and presented it to us as "Jane Eyre", to attract viewers. The series start with some red cloth, waved at our faces for many minutes, are we in communist China? Then, some girl, sitting in a desert, fiddling with sand. What desert, what sand? There is no desert and no sand in "Jane Eyre". The, some silly scene with some painter, which is not in the book also. Due to the desert and the painter, the scenes from childhood were cut off, and one can hardly understand what ailed the girl - she was closed in some room where she stared at the portrait, and it seemed to be her main grudge (no illness, no breakdown). The next second, "Jane" opens her eyes, and she is in a luxurious bed, attended by a doctor. In the book, the aunt called an apothecary to save money on a doctor's visit. In fact, the doctor promises to return again, meaning the evil aunts pays for two expensive visits, that's how evil she is. When Jane tells the aunt how she feels, instead of being indignant at the aunt's lies, she sounds like a prim teacher, telling the older woman what to do and how to behave. One can barely stand not to slap the brat and tell her not to order others around. In Lowood, everything is skipped through, scenes look more like flashbacks. Jane's friend Mary sounds borderline imbecilic, instead of the smartest girl in the school. She also looks extremely righteous and self-satisfied. Thornton Hall does not look as a house of a wealthy aristocratic gentleman, but like some Gothic ruins, to enter which you must crawl almost on all fours into some dilapidated gate (surely a rich man could have paid to fix it). Inside, it's all ruins, too, in which a couple of rooms were cleared and some furniture was installed. Aunt's Reed's house is a real gentlemanly house, and she was nowhere near Mr Rochester in riches. Adele is portrayed like a cretin girl, interested only in clothes, jewels and presents. Mr Rochester is a self-satisfied creep, who knows that he has a pretty face but is constantly fishing for compliments. He is also constantly mentioning his 20K, in case the pretty face was not enough. Original Mr Rochester never mentioned the exact sum of his fortune, no gentleman ever would. Mr Rochester in series is also giggling all the time, like he is deranged, plays with Ouija board (the "real" one was an educated man and would have never stooped to such rubbish), and bullies and humiliates other people playing on their superstitions. But, he found his match in Jane Eyre. In a book, Jane was an educated woman and she was extremely modern, had a career, hobbies, dreams. In these series, she can't even educate Adele properly, who continues to wiggle and giggle. She, too, is fishing for the compliments all the time, playing the victim card ("I was not fed for eight years", "yes, sir, they didn't feed me", "yes, but remember, sir, I told you how they never fed me"). "Real" Jane had too much taste and tact to talk like this. She disclosed some of the abuse that went in the school when asked directly, but never went around with "woe to me, everyone was bad to me" look, permanently plastered to her face. The real Jane never shared a full story about her inheritance with Mr Rochester, the Jane in the series brags about it, to show off and to fish for compliment on her "generosity". She was judgmental, never did much but sketched something, left Adele entirely to her French bonne, and was preoccupied with the one thing only - how to attract a man. The actress is not plain at all either, though the blotched lip injections did disfigured her face, giving her lips a lop-sided look, with the upper lip constantly hovering over the lower one. Her female cousins, instead of being educated well bred women, talked at once and screeched like magpies, also giggled all the time God knows why, and could outgiggle Mr Rochester himself on a good day. The whole thing was turned into a cheap cheesy pseudoromantic farce. Poor author must be turning in her grave. I could never understood why people blotched books so. If the writer of the screenplay thought she was better than Bronte, she should have written her own screenplay, call it "An imbecilic governess captures a rich man" and produce it as a mini series, which, of course, no one would have wanted to watch. Instead, piggy riding on a great name, we are forced to watch complete and utter rubbish, which has absolutely nothing to do with the book.

This four-part mini series is an exciting and interesting adaptation from the book. Jane's childhood is squashed into the first episode, and fans of the book will find that a lot is missed, especially the Lowood years. Having said that, they had only four hours and otherwise stuck to the plot very well.Ruth Wilson is a believable and compelling Jane - she reduced me to tears twice - though perhaps a little gutsier and less self-deprecating than Bronte's Jane, for me that was an improvement. She is the highlight for me - a very straight, honest performance with good understanding of her character and brave delivery. Toby Stephens is also wonderful as always, he plays a rather ironic, mischievous Rochester.Other notable performances: Lorraine Ashbourne is an excellent Mrs Fairfax, bringing some life and personality to a rather dull role. Pam Ferris is a frankly terrifying Grace Poole - I jumped in episode four when I saw her carrying the baby and rather wanted to snatch it out of her hands - so great work there, and Cosima Littlewood was born to play Adele. You grow to love her as Jane does, and she is extremely funny, though she always retains an infuriating materialistic and coquettish nature.My only downvote would be for Andrew Buchan as Mr Rivers. He rises to the challenge of cold and aloof so well that he in fact ends up with no presence at all, sucking warmth and interest from the screen. I would have liked to see a more Ralph Fiennesey Mr Rivers, but there we are, it doesn't spoil the series at all.If you like good drama, watch this series, it's wonderful.