Humans logo

I Watched Four Different Jane Eyre Adaptations So You Don't Have To

Which Adaptation is Worth a Watch?

By Lauren Writes AustenPublished about a year ago 6 min read
2
From the 1943 adaptation

In my search for the best Jane Eyre adaptation I watched four different adaptations, spanning almost 7 decades of film. Today I'll be ranking them from what I think is the worst adaptation to the best. I have tried my hardest to not let my overall hatred of the story influence how I rank the movies (because they are all telling the same horrible story) and instead focus on how they tell them, what works and what doesn't. Of course some of my original feelings on the story bleed through, especially when I was thinking about the preformances from the actors. But I digress, here is the worst to best Jane Eyre adaptation.

Jane Eyre (1970) - Dir. By Delbert Mann

This was the second adaptation that I watched but it was my least favourite. I will say, on a positive note, this adaptation did put in the effort of showing us a bit more of Jane's backstory, starting with Jane at the Lowood school. I feel like none of the adaptations that I watched really got the casting for Mr Brocklehurst correct- but maybe that is just based on how I've envisioned him. However, this verison had very horrible casting for most of the characters. I had an incredibly hard time beliving that Jane was from any period later than the 70s, she just looked... so... 70s. And although I did like that this Rochester was a bit more tempermental, because that meant I could hate him more, I do think that I need Rochester to be an arractive character because that is the only feasible way for any woman to fall in love with him.

The cinematography and set production is also wrong- it's very light and sunshine-y when it's supposed to be very dark for the Gothic story. But perhaps that aspect of the film just fell victim to it's time. Same with the lack of Jane's "women never get to do anything speech", which I think is a fairly popular moment in the book?

I did like that they included her painting and I think they did a pretty good job with Bertha's stortline, and foreshadowing that. So althought this one was more story accurate, the casting, acting, and mise en scene sucked, and that just ruined it for me.

(Also here's a funny note from when I was watching: I like that rochester being blind means he has to have his eyes closed- like dude if u can't see just open ur eyes. lol).

Jane Eyre (2011) - Dir. By Cary Joji Fukunaga

I will not lie, there are probably a few more grievances I have with this adaptation verses the 1970 verison, like it possibly being the worst directed film I've seen and also being poorly written (this is right from my notes: If there is anything I've learned in screenwriting its that long ass conversations are not really that fun to watch- did we really need multiple conversations between Jane and Rochester? Could their conversations have happened at the same time? Or during a more intersting time/place, somewhere other than a dark room that they're just sitting opposite in? Did we need to take up this much time or could've have been used to explain more about what happened at the Reid's house or Lowood?). All that aside, this places higher because it gets the Gothic vibes correct and because of the power casting of Dame Judi Dench, Alice from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and Georgiana from Pride and Prejudice (2005)!

I think most of my problems with this film can only be best described through my kind of unhinged notes on the film... so here they are:

she should've died as a child so I didn't have to sit through more of this

the queens gambit school is def a rip off of lowood right?

It's like if in Northanger Abbey Catherine had ended up with the asshole and master manipulator Thrope instead of Tinley

I wish he'd have burned to death.

He said "I have no wife" and that was just a straight up lie.

Is Jane Eyre a manic pixie dream girl?

its ok that Jane has no personality because Rochester has two anyways (gaslight, gatekeep, girlboos, and mansplain, manipulate, malewife)

Also he says he hasn't been cruel to Bertha.... dude locked her in a room for over ten years- like we know that mother gothel is a villian in rapunzel for stealing her and locking her up, why don't we give the same energy to Rochester?

Jane Eyre (1997) - Dir. By Robert Young

Within 10 minutes of watching this adaptation I could tell that it was going to be good. It probably has the worst cinematography out of all four but some of the best acting. Firstly, they do a great job of showing Jane's backstory and they make her feisty which is perfect! They show Jane and Rochester falling for each other much better, and when Jane finally confesses her feelings for Rochester it is an incredibly emotional declaration (which, again, is perfect!). During the objection scene, the director said, "take five" and Rochester "heard change lives", it's so good. And when we are introduced to Bertha he actually sounds like he cares for her and it makes me think of him as not as bad of a person (the bar is low but still). The only acting choice I really questioned was when Jane laughs at Rochester saying he wanted to make her jealous... LIKE NO GIRL THAT IS A RED FLAGGGGGG RED FLAGGGGGG. Also Rochester is much nicer to Adele in this, and although that isn't accurate to the book, I think it's a really nice touch because it shows that he does have a heart.

Honestly this film would've be a 10/10 if the cinematography was a little bit darker and gloomier, to add to the Gothic vibe that the story really needs to be book accurate I think.

Jane Eyre (1943) - Dir. By Robert Stevenson

I made one note when watching this film. Within in first 10 minutes, and for the rest of the film, this is the only thing I wrote: Honestly this might end up being the best- if there is anything that classic Hollywood knows its lighting and music and therefore good atmosphere. Now, I may just be a sucker for Hollywood classics but this was truly an amazing movie, and I believe that if I had only seen this verison (and possibly the 1997 verison too) without having read the book or really knowing the story, then I would've loved Jane Eyre. I would've LOVED the movie in a way that I only could if I hadn't known the story before, and if I had gone back to the book only after watching this verison I could've possibly liked (I know that is crazy right!). So really what I am saying is this is the best adaptation of Jane Eyre, and there are more out there but I have no trouble stating this. If you are going to watch any Jane Eyre adaptation, watch this one!

reviewmovie reviewliteraturelist
2

About the Creator

Lauren Writes Austen

A dedcated creator to all things Jane Austen!

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.