JANE EYRE - MIFF 2011

Right up front I have to admit that I am a virgin when it comes to Charlotte Bronte’s classic story “Jane Eyre”.  I have never read the book or seen the countless television and film adaptations of the story.  In truth, I didn’t even know what the story was about, but assumed that it was one of those soppy period romances, which essentially it is, but the trailer for this new version directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga sold it completely different, making it almost look like a gothic thriller.  This definitely piqued my interest as did the exceptional cast, Australia’s Mia Wasikowska as Jane and the always brilliant Michael Fassbender as Rochester, and when I saw that it was playing at MIFF, I decided to check it out.

While it was not what I was expecting (damn trailer), for the majority I liked what I saw.  The film basically starts near the end of the story with Jane running from something or someone, she is incredibly emotional and eventually collapses in some shrubs, passing out.  She is found by St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) near death and he brings her back to his house to nurse her back to good health.  During her stay here, we are then witness to the events, starting with her childhood, that led her to where she is now.

After being abandoned by her cold Aunt and then sent to a very strict boarding school (where beatings were frequent), Jane Eyre ands up growing up to be a fine young lass despite the difficulties of her youth.  She ends up accepting a job at the Thornfield mansion, as a governess for its owner, Mr. Rochester’s, niece.  When Mr. Rochester arrives at the mansion, he is immediately taken and intrigued by Jane, who is unlike anyone he has met before.  Not only does she refuse to take the verbal abuse he throws at her, she also has the ability to bite back.  She also carries on conversations with him that are above her class.  Eventually the two fall in love, but the differences in class between the two ends up becoming a barrier between their happiness.  Not only that, there are also strange things happening at the mansion like fires being started and guests being stabbed.  Amazingly, Mr. Rochester doesn’t seem surprised by what is going on and even seems to be attempting to cover them up.  Just what is going on and what is Rochester hiding?  More importantly, what causes Jane to be in the state she is in when we see her at the beginning of the film?

The biggest strength this film has is Moira Buffini’s wonderful script.  It actually saddened me a little that the beauty of the English language, as spoken here, seems lost forever.  It is just beautiful and complex and it has a poetry to it.  It just sounds magnificent, and the two leads perform and express these words with such passion making it sound so natural, as if we still spoke like that today.  My high opinion of Michael Fassbender as an actor is once again reinforced here, as he does fine work here as the cold and prickly Rochester, a man who you can sense was once warm but is struggling to now emote with people, due to some pain that has happened in his past.  Mia Wasikowska’s performance as Jane Eyre is probably the best thing that I have seen her do.  She really suits the role and gives Jane both strength and sensitivity, whilst always having an innocent vulnerability.

Director Cary Joji Fukunaga really pushes the gothic elements of the story to the forefront, and like all good gothic stories, the house plays a huge role in it (and usually they end up burning down or being destroyed).  The look of the film is sumptuous and I loved the way the thick fog looked as it enveloped the mansion.  Adriano Goldman’s cinematography is cold and very ominous using grays and blues in the colour scheme, yet is always gorgeous.

Overall, while this is not usually my cup of tea, I was quite impressed with this version of “Jane Eyre” and think it deserves the high praise it has been receiving.

3.5 Stars.