Dark Romance

In the mood for a classic nineteenth-century romance? What comes to mind? Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice? Or Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre?

If you picked Jane Eyre, then you probably prefer your romances laced with a bit of madness, torment, and intrigue. In that case, you should consider spending a weekend traversing the blustery Yorkshire Moors with the Brontë sisters while immersing yourself in their dark and passionate tales.

Start With A Sprinkle of Madness:

Begin your Gothic romance fest with the all-time Brontë favorite, Jane Eyre. Who can resist a romance between an “obscure and plain” governess with a fiery feminist spirit and her Byronic employer who keeps a secret mad wife locked in the attic?

Jane Eyre has the right mix of ingredients to keep an audience captivated: mystique, suspense, and passion. But it is the spirited Jane—a nineteenth-century feminist heroine who feels deeply, loves fervently, and respects herself too much to become a married man’s mistress—who makes this romance unforgettable.

There are six adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s Victorian Gothic romance available to stream on Amazon. The earliest version dates back to 1943, starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine (sister to Olivia de Havilland). Aldous Huxley (yes, the author of Brave New World) collaborated on the screenplay for this classic film, so I doubt you will find fault with it. Later renditions offer powerful performances by Samantha Morton (Harlots), Ruth Wilson (The Affair), and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland). Every fan of Jane Eyre will have an opinion about which version is best. I favor Samantha Morton as Jane but have enjoyed all of these productions.

If you have watched and rewatched your favorite versions of Jane Eyre and still want more, rent Wide Sargasso Sea on Amazon. Set in nineteenth-century Jamaica, the 1993 adaptation of Jean Rhys’ prequel to Jane Eyre delves into the sultry romance between Rochester and his first wife, Antoinette (aka Bertha). Voodoo magic, superstition, lust, infidelity, jealousy, and madness contribute to the film’s exotic, Gothic vibe. However, the story does not rely on sensationalism and addresses major themes such as colonialism, patriarchy, feminism, identity, and freedom.

Wide Sargasso Sea is considerably darker than Jane Eyre and offers a less flattering portrayal of Rochester, so die-hard Brontë fans need to approach it with an open mind. A newer production, released in 2006, is available on Amazon with a subscription to Acorn.

Move to the Realistically Disturbing:

Return to the Yorkshire Moors for BBC’s rendition of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Haunting music, bleak landscapes, and mystery accompany the romance between a gentleman farmer (Gilbert) and an enigmatic single mother (Helen) who inhabits an abandoned house on the moors.

The story takes a disturbing turn when Gilbert discovers the truth about Helen’s abusive past, revealed to viewers through flashbacks. The scenes are unsettling, but the story is a feminist one, particularly for its time, and the heroine does not require rescuing. Instead, she saves herself and her son and ultimately decides her future on her terms. While this progressive plot (thank you, Anne Brontë) stunned Anne's nineteenth-century audience, it enhances the romance for her modern one.

Enter the Abyss

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is a brilliantly disturbing Gothic romance, which has evoked strong emotions from its audience since its publication. Like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights has been adapted for the screen several times. For many, the 1939 version starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon is still the best. Available to watch on Amazon, this classic captures the destructive, dysfunctional, and torrid romance between Heathcliff and Cathy. Its black-and-white film enhances the eerie, Gothic tone and bleak Yorkshire Moors setting. For a more modern production, the 2009 PBS series is excellent. Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the tormented and anguished Heathcliff is palpable. Watching him and Charlotte Riley (as Cathy and Heathcliff) fall in love and then destroy each other is an emotionally wrenching experience.

Walk with the Brontës:

If you are curious about the authors of these dark and brilliant Gothic romances, watch the PBS film To Walk Invisible: The Brontë Sisters on Amazon. For years, people wondered how three innocent daughters of a Yorkshire clergyman managed to write such twisted, impassioned tales. Wonder no more. To Walk Invisible will give you insight into their genius, ambitions, struggles, and demons. You will learn about Charlotte’s obsession with her married professor and realize the effect of Branwell Brontë's alcoholism and slow self-destruction on his sisters' novels.

In short, their story is almost as fascinating as the tales they wrote.

Want More?

Unfortunately, the Brontës died young, so you will have to look elsewhere for your Gothic romance fix. Look no further than Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca-the story of a young newlywed haunted by her husband's dead first wife. There are multiple film and television versions of this 1938 novel. Unfortunately, Alfred Hitchcock’s original isn’t available to stream (you can buy it on Amazon for a hefty price). But you can catch the newest 2020 adaptation on Netflix.