Fresh from cinema.. .. Jane Eyre

I finally watched JANE EYRE (2011) in cinema

- and I love it!

In a tiny nutshell:

Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) works - after a hard childhood - as a governess in Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender)'s mansion - after (or because of?) some quarrels they fall for each other - but Mr. Rochester has a dark secret..

So if you are a fan of...

... beautiful filmed landscapes

... classic mystery gothic romances

... outstanding casts

please watch this film!

If you prefer classic films - you might like to watch JANE EYRE (1943)

- if you like to: read my review HERE.

I really enjoyed this new version and I love the cast! They all are amazing: I adore Michael Fassbender, who is not only unbelievable handsome but also a very, very talented actor. Mia Wasikowska is wonderful - she was in anything I saw her in yet. We don't have to talk about Judi Dench - who just with looks can say so much - and she shows that in this film very often. Jamie Bell is also an young actor I expect to go on to deliver great work - he certainly does in this film. Imogen Poots - who is in the tough spot of playing Blanche Ingram (Jane Eyre's rival in Mr. Rochester's favour) - does her part very elegantly. And we have my favourite modern actress (after Helena Bonham-Carter that is) in quite a small part: Sally Hawkins. I really, really love this cast!

Just by the way: There are of course some meanderings to the book - the film starts as kind of a retrospect - but I think that worked very fine. Oh - and I am very happy that those scenes which annoyed me so much in the book are shortened:

Adéle (Romy Settbon Moore), the little french girl Jane Eyre has to look after isn't that disagreeable (well - maybe because she is portrayed by a little girl by the name of Romy..) I can't tell about children's acting skills - but Miss Settbon Moore for sure appears quite natural in her part.

Jamie Bell's part as St. John Rivers is also less patronising. Yay for that! Ever had the urgent feeling to slap a book character? (just the feeling..)

And - I know here I might step on some toes.. - after they have some really good verbal fights in the book Rochester starts to whisper sweet nothings - too much for my opinion.. (another one I wished to slap - or at least shake a little.. at some point..) but here this is a little shortened. It's not completely free of emotions - but it's less kitschy. I really like that.

Have a look:

Thank you all for listening!

Yours

Irene

- who also loved the very natural appearances - the make up is quite invisible - if used at all.. -

“They may not admire my person but I assure you, they dote on my purse.”

Sometimes I struggle with my looks.. I am used to that.. Sometimes I struggle with the looks of Hollywoodstars - especially when they are supposed to be ugly - and still look gorgeous.. - or when the make-up-department changes some familiar and usually very distinctive faces - e.g. look at this nose:

This, dear friends, is your hint for the film I am going to talk about.. Any ideas yet?

Hm.. ok...

Then I'll go on:

Once upon a time.. ..Charlotte Brontë wrote a book which became a beloved classic and which was adapted for the big screen several times – one time it was rewritten by the great Aldous Huxley, John Houseman and Robert Stevenson, who was a member of the Brontë-society - and who also directed the film, which was brought to you by 20th Century Fox. You might know it:

JANE EYRE (1943)

hm.. this film poster seems to give the wrong oomph!pression..

not much better.. Still floating hair and a naked shoulder?? Please! This isn't Brontë-porn, folks!

aah - yes, that's the kind of image that fits it at least a bit better...

In a nutshell:

Jane Eyre (Peggy Ann Garner) is an orphan. Because her aunt by marriage Sarah Reed (Agnes Moorehead) wants to get rid of the rebellious child she sends it to Lowood – a school headed by rigid Mr. Brocklehurst (Henry Daniell) whose very strict rules lead to the death of Jane’s only friend Helen (Elizabeth Taylor).

Years later the grown up – but still a bit stubborn - Jane (Joan Fontaine) starts to work as a governess for Adèle (Margaret O’Brien - speaking with a very cute French accent) at Thornfield Manor. Little Adèle is the ward of Mr. Edward Rochester (someone who resembles and sounds like Orson Welles .. ;"p .. ) – owner of Thornfield Manor and a bit uneasy to be with.

Nevertheless he and Jane go very well with each other and finally fall in love – but there are some obstacles: like the very pretty heiress Blanche (Hillary Brooke) who is after Mr. Rochester and there is also a dark secret in Mr. Rochester’s past, which might be related to the strange screams at night and the accident which almost burned Mr. Rochester during his sleep…

~ you think this is the final scene? Ha! You have no idea... ~

Watch out for:

• Elizabeth Taylor as Helen - her appearance is rather short and she is just sweet and not very much Martha of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?-ish. (->1966)
  
  
• Star of silent movies Mae Marsh as Leah.
  
  
• Hillary Brooks performance as Blanche Ingram - nasty lady that blonde.. Just btw - though she spoke through her whole career with an English accent - Miss Brooks actually hailed from Astoria, New York - she just wanted to have kind of a trade mark.. - isn't that simply marvellous?
  
  



• Agnes Moorehead – as always excellent – and I adore her saying “wicked”.. ;”)
  
  
• Henry Daniell as Mr. Brocklehurst – I love to hate that man! Honest: I think he is always great when he is mean!!

Schmooze:

• Though you might get the impression while watching this film: the beginning which is read from the pages of a book called JANE EYRE (I wonder why..) – it is not the original beginning of the novel - so please don't try to impress someone by memorizing this as the novel's beginning.. ;")

• There are some relations with Daphne Du Maurier’s REBECCA (which is apparently loosely based on JANE EYRE): a plain looking and kind of mousy heroine, a hero who is a bit uneasy, dark secrets in his past, the very similar end.. – well, and Joan Fontaine played the heroine in JANE EYRE (1943) as well as in REBECCA (1940).
  
  
• This was Elizabeth Taylor’s third appearance in a movie - the 7th flick for Peggy Ann Garner and the 8th film Margaret O'Brien did.
  
  

~ Look: other females have hairstyles
-

Peggy Ann Garner and yours Irene just have hair.. ~

• Joan Fontaine’s sister Olivia de Havilland played Charlotte Brontë in DEVOTION (1946).

• The German title is DIE WAISE VON LOWOOD (= The orphan of Lowood) and it was released in Germany in 1947 - which is comparatively early: e.g. THE THIN MAN SERIES weren't released here till 1969..

• Edith Barret who personated Mrs. Fairfax – a lady of “a certain” age – was actually 36 – just ten years older than Miss Fontaine..

~ this, dear friends, is the Hollywood idea of a plain looking female.. *sigh* anyone carpooling with me to a plastic surgeon?? - maybe we'll get a group discount.. ~

Let’s face the music:

Bernard Herrmann who wrote the score for this film also used parts of this for the opera he started to write – WUTHERING HEIGHTS after the novel of Charlotte Brontë’s younger sister Emily…

You should watch this film if you..

• .. wish to know the story (well the main part..) of a classic novel – without fighting your way through a bit dull passages (yeah – I said it: There are passages in JANE EYRE that I found actually dull to read.. the whole passage about several chapters what Jane lives through after she left Thornfield Manor.. that really gave me a hard time.. I was very fine with the Rochester and gothic atmosphere parts though.. but after all I am more of a WUTHERING HEIGHTS girl.. )
  
  
• .. like your main characters not too lovely.
  
  
• .. want to see each and every movie in which little girls talk with phony French accents and try to make grownups watch them dancing.. (Yes, I am talking to you Miss O'Brien! Go to your room!! )
  

~ awww... look at all these fluffy frills.. Somewhere in there is a child - I am pretty sure of that..~

• .. have a soft spot for mad women.
  
  
• .. like mystery gothic romances.

Quotes corner:

Maybe one of the best-known-literary-children-quotes ever - when asked how to avoid to end in hell little Jane Eyre answers:

“I must keep in good health and not die.”

No more questions, your honor...

Never ending story:

There are soo many adaptations of this novel - I just learned that I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) is losely based on it, too.. Great idea for a double feature show, isn't it?

Let's have a look:

~Don’t you just adore that girl in the beginning of the clip – and all those novels?? I love that! ~

Uhm.. ok. I got to confess that – not caring about what you will be thinking of me..: I am mesmerized by Orson Welles' fake nose in this film! I am frequently staring at him..

Anyway: I love this story. I love that the heroine shouldn’t be overwhelming beautiful.

Yeah – it’s Joan Fontaine – not quite an unattractive woman.. that’s true.. but they at least tried to make her look a bit more boring.. Problem is: Joan Fontaine has a beautiful face! That lady looks like an angel!!

~ oh my gosh! This woman is incredibly ugly! Quick - lets give her an paper back to hide that grotesque face..

?!?!?

Yeah, sure... ~

The hero is supposed to be unattractive – which actually means: very attractive to yours Irene.. Yeah, ok.. Orson Welles isn’t really my cup of anything.. I am struggling with myself whether I do like him or not.. – but he doesn't look like Orson Welles and it's Rochester and it's mighty dark in the halls of Thornfield Manor.. – anyway: it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?

I love the scene in which Jane is thinking that she hears Mr. Rochester calling for her in the thunderstorm – actually it makes me always a bit chuckling.. which can be related to the pathos in it.. And I simply adore Mr. Rochester’s Great Dane Pilot.

And though this film has with Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor and Agnes Moorehead three of my favourite actresses and I love it – I still must confess, that this isn’t my favourite version of JANE EYRE – that would be the 1996 version with Ciarán Hinds as Mr. Rochester..

..well, till now that is.. – because the 2011 version will released in Germany not before December – it was aired in the USA in March.. (!!! – IN FRIGGIN MARCH!!! .. ~ curse you, German cinemas!!! ~) anyway - this could change everything:

Because Mr. Rochester is personated by one of my modern favourites: Michael Fassbender – plus one of my favourite modern actresses Sally Hawkins is in it, too – yeah.. a great cast beside them with Judi Dench, Jamie Bell and Mia Wasikowska – but: aren’t you listening?? Michael Fassbender!! Blimey.. Hm.. I think I know one film I will write about in December – in case it will be actually in German cinemas then.. Oh! Woe is me..

Well, till then I still can watch this very cute version of JANE EYRE with such a beautiful cast - and so many great talents. Maybe woe isn't that much me..

~ Don't you just love this picture? Looks like Orson Welles told Joan Fontaine a dirty joke - and she is not amused.. ~

The End? - Wait and watch..

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours (very well and ) truly

Irene

- not even plain looking in a Joan Fontaine way..