| Jane Eyre | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover for Jane Eyre | |
| Directed by | Susanna White |
| Written by | Charlotte Brontë (novel) Sandy Welch |
| Starring | Georgie Henley Ruth Wilson Toby Stephens |
| Distributed by | BBC One |
| Release date(s) | 24 September, 2006 |
| Running time | 240 min. |
| Language | English French |
| Official website | |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre (1847) has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations. This 2006 four-part BBC television drama serial adaptation was broadcast on BBC One.
Contents |
Plot summary
In this version of Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre as a young girl (Georgie Henley) is raised as a poor relation in the household of her aunt, Mrs. Reed (Tara Fitzgerald). As a young woman (Ruth Wilson), Jane is hired by the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall, Mrs. Fairfax, to be a governess for young Adele. The owner of the estate is Mr. Rochester (Toby Stephens), who is courting the beautiful and wealthy Blanche Ingram (Christina Cole).
Differences from the novel
While for the most part a faithful retelling of the novel, the screenplay does contain minor deviations. These include the reduction of time devoted to the first third (Lowood School) and the final third (St. John) of the novel. The middle of the novel is instead developed and a few scenes from the novel were moved to different times and places in the narrative or were compressed. The scenes surrounding Jane's flight from the Rochester estate until her gaining of health are treated as a brief dream sequence, a useful tool that enabled many pages of text to be condensed into a passage of a few minutes length. Additional scenes were created for the screenplay which underscore the passionate natures of Jane and Rochester (a thematic point implied but not explicated throughout the novel). One of the more significant plot changes occurs during the gypsy sequence as Rochester hires a gypsy rather than portraying one himself. Rochester also uses an ouija board as a supplement to this game, a scene which was written specifically for the screenplay. For a full length summary of Charlotte Bronte's novel, see: Jane Eyre plot summary.
Distribution
The world-wide premiere outside of the United Kingdom was in Spain. The production appeared on Antena 3 on January 1 2007 as a four-hour program and had an audience of 2,056,000 or some 17.7% of the viewing audience. It was shown on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre over two evenings of two hours each on January 21 and January 28, 2007.
Reception
Lucasta Miller states in The Guardian that, "The new BBC version shows that it is [...] possible to make successful drama by telling the story straight. It features an excellent performance from Toby Stephens, who manages to make Rochester simultaneously macho and vulnerable, and also from Ruth Wilson as a quizzical, strong and un-neurotic Jane." [1]Barry Garron in The Hollywood Reporter suggests that, "the new adaptation written by Sandy Welch and directed by Susanna White doesn't add new colors to Bronte's romantic novel. Rather, it brings out all the shades and hues of the original portrait, restoring it to its full glory."[2] Dennis Moore of USA Today, argued that, "The story is splendidly retold [...] From sweeping shots of the English countryside through all seasons to intimate scenes in the recesses of the manor house, this adaptation of Jane Eyre shows off a richness American TV projects rarely attempt. The appeal stretches beyond style. The lean scripting (even at four hours the program can't cover every one of Brontë's plot details), the expeditious pacing and the interaction among the actors are first-class, if not as brilliant as the more ambitious and magnificent Bleak House from last season." [3]
