Jane Eyre

I will put it simply for you: I was not disappointed!

Now, Jane herself. She was mild, calm and plain. Everything she encompasses best. I will admit, she was occasionally too weak and there was an element of cheekiness missing on her part. However, this being an interpretation, I am willing to surpass this fact. Mia Wasikowska was very convincing and her natural, yet obscure, beauty definitely benefits her part. She was the perfect, passive Jane with the sporadic rebellious anecdote to keep the spirit of the character alive.

Jamie Bell’s portrayal of Rivers was expected and followed the average interpretation of the character. His sideburns were particularly ridiculous which simply added to humour of his overly religious attitude. Overall, there’s not much to say about his predictable and insignificant characterisation.

Now, the most important and heartbreaking character, Mr Rochester. Michael Fassbender’s rugged good looks and broody face added to the ever sultry and brooding nature. I was pleased to find the director did not wish to dwell on the ‘moody and cruel’ Rochester that can sometimes be chosen. He was the right amount of rude and cheeky making him particularly irresistible. Rochester’s attempts to penetrate Jane’s respectable exterior with his cheeky, cavalier comments makes the perfect couple.

Though the relationships are fun and exciting, the director manages to keep the Gothic theme strongly alive throughout. There are occasional jumpy moments, along with creeks and bumps in the night. This is vital to the overall Bronte style and I was, therefore, satisfied that this film had done Charlotte’s masterpiece justice. Also, the chronology is slightly different from the novel, however, I feel this worked well for the overall experience of the film.

One final thought, the beard ruins all of Rochester’s appeal.

Picture from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/jane_eyre/gallery