Review: Jane Eyre (2006)

DVD Box Art

I know, the last review I did was for Jane Eyre (2011) (granted, a long time ago), so you're getting two Jane Eyre reviews in a row. But I had been curious about this version despite its content issues. This one was not available on Netflix, but it was uploaded on YouTube, so I watched it there. This would be Jane Eyre Version #5 that I've seen, so I have plenty of other adaptations to compare to, which can be both a good and a bad thing. On the upside, there is plenty to compare to and any unique aspects of this miniseries would be easily recognizable. The bad side: I already have ideas on how adaptations of Jane Eyre should be (but not that's ever stopped me before). From reading around on other period drama blogs, the impression I had of this version before viewing it all the way through was that the major objection to this version was the content, but that the rest was pretty good, so I tried to keep an eye out for scenes that might have content issues (which did detract from my enjoyment of the miniseries, to be honest) but at the same time watch and see how this adaptation presented the story.

Synopsis
(Synopsis taken from my review of Jane Eyre (1983) )
Young Jane Eyre, an orphan, lives with her rich but cruel Aunt, Mrs. Reed and her cousins at Gateshead Hall until Mrs. Reed sends her away to Lowood School to be educated and be rid of her. Ten years after receiving an education and without connections, Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall to young Adele Varens, the ward of Thornfield's master, Mr. Edward Rochester. Thornfield itself holds many secrets and Mr. Rochester is very mysterious and strange, but Jane eventually falls in love with him.

Review: Jane Eyre (2011)

DVD Box Art

Ah, Netflix. What would I do without you? I was a bit curious about the "new" version of Jane Eyre for some time, but I didn't really want to go out and buy it or rent it. For one thing, Jane Eyre isn't my favorite story, and plus the PG-13 rating put me off (mostly because I thought, "What on earth could they put in there for a PG-13 rating?", but more on that later). I hadn't heard great things about this adaptation, but I hadn't heard anything really bad either (in other words, I hadn't heard of people absolutely raving about it, but I didn't hear much of anything bad either). With this being my fourth version of Jane Eyre that I've seen all the way through and having read the book years ago, I'm fairly familiar with the story line and did have some preconceived notions on how the story should pan out. That being said, here is my review of it.

Synopsis

After nearly collapsing, Jane Eyre (assuming the name Jane Elliot) is taken in by the Rivers family and nursed back to health. As the Rivers family learns about her harsh childhood and education at Lowood School, Jane reflects on her time at Thornfield Hall,how she fell in love with its owner, Mr. Rochester, and how she came into the care of the River family.

Period Drama Challenge -- March Tag

Going into April, the Period Drama Challenge is still on at Old-Fashioned Charm! At this point, I have submitted seven reviews (four of them being of my Pallisers review series). Here is the March tag for the Period Drama Challenge:

Review: Jane Eyre (1983)

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And continuing on my quest to watch 12 - 15 period dramas for the Period Drama Challenge, I present to you my review for Jane Eyre (1983). Up to this point, I had seen two versions of Jane Eyre all the way through and clips from various other versions (this one included). The Jane Eyres I have seen up to this point weren't as accurate to the original story as it could have been, but I had heard good things about this version around the period drama blog world (and the clips I had seen of it reinforced the point). I had seen that this version on Netflix for a while, and I finally watched it over a week.

Synopsis
Young Jane Eyre, an orphan, lives with her rich but cruel Aunt, Mrs. Reed and her cousins at Gateshead Hall until Mrs. Reed sends her away to Lowood School to be educated and be rid of her. Ten years after receiving an education and without connections, Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall to young Adele Varens, the ward of Thornfield's master, Mr. Edward Rochester. Thornfield itself holds many secrets and Mr. Rochester is very mysterious and strange, but Jane eventually falls in love with him.

Sink Me Submission: Jane Eyre/Mulan

I seem to keep picking Mulan quotes to submit to Amy Dashwood's blog Sink Me!, but it's worked out very well for me. So I submitted this picture to Sink Me. What do you all think?

Personally, this is how I believe that scene should have happened. Blanche Ingram always annoyed me!

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 God Bless,

Would Catherine Morland Read Jane Eyre? (Vote in Poll!)

Sorry this poll is a day late. I've had very limited access to the computer in the past couple of days, so I haven't been able to work on Elegance of Fashion all that much (a little here and there, but not much). That should be over now and I'll be back to updating and what not.

Now, onto the poll!


Here is the newest question that I post to you and quite the interesting question too. We know that Charlotte Bronte was not fond of Jane Austen's books (namely Pride and Prejudice), but she wrote Jane Eyre, which would be considered a Gothic Romance, something that Northanger Abbey's Catherine Morland enjoyed reading.

Wednesday: Today's Era - Early Victorian (1840s - 1869) - Period Drama Fashion Week

This post for Wednesday was brought to you by Early Victorian fashions! Enjoy these pictures of Early Victorian period drama costumes! Keep an eye out for more posts today!

 The Young Victoria

Various costumes

Victoria dancing with Albert

Victoria and Albert

North and South

Margaret Hale in Milton

Margaret tries to talk to the protesters

Margaret in mourning (?)

Cranford

Left to Right: Mary Smith, Deborah Jenkyns, Matilda "Matty" Jenkyns, and Miss Pole

Sophy Hutton

Front: Frank Harrison (in his red coat), Caroline Tomkinson, Augusta Tomkinson, and Miss Pole.
Back: Jessie Brown

He Knew He Was Right

Emily Trevelyan (Right) with her sister Nora Rowley (left)

Emily Trevelyan

The French sisters with Mr. Gibson

Jane Eyre (multiple versions)

Blanch Ingram from the 1996 version of Jane Eyre.

Jane Eyre from the 1996 version of Jane Eyre.

Jane in her wedding dress in the 2006 version of Jane Eyre.

Jane in her dark dress in the 2011 version of Jane Eyre.

Bleak House

Ada Clare with Richard Carstone

Lady Dedlock

Esther Summerson

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 God Bless,

Review: Jane Eyre (1943)

As you may or may not know, I have said before that Jane Eyre is not my favorite book. I don't dislike it either. I remembered watching this version a long time ago and remembered that it wasn't very close to the book. I saw that it was on Netflix and I thought I would watch it and review it.

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Synopsis
Taken from my review of Jane Eyre (1996)
Young Jane Eyre was sent away from her cruel Aunt Reed to go to school at Lowood school. Ten years later, she gets a job as a governess at Thornfield Hall, which holds many secrets.


Characters
A couple of old Hollywood actors are in this movie. Famous actor Orson Wells played the part of Mr. Rochester. Also, in an uncredited role was Elizabeth Taylor as Helen Burns.

The way that they set up this Jane Eyre is that there is a book that is being written by Jane. The problem that I have with this is that it isn't Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte. The famous line "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day" is nonexistent. Instead, it starts off with, "My name is Jane Eyre. I was born in 1820, a harsh time of change in England..." etc., etc. Throughout the movie, the book reappears with more quote that are not from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Now, I think that if you're going to do that approach with the book, you should actually have the original book that the original author wrote and not a made-up book of the same story.

Jane and Mr. Rochester's Wedding

Some characters were accurate, but others were not. Because of this, some scenes either had to be cut short or out all together in order to have the story make sense (and to fit the time allotted). One of the major changes was Jane's cousin, St. John Rivers, becomes a doctor that Jane knew since she was at Lowood. I got to say, Dr. Rivers was a lot more likable than the St. John Rivers in the book. Spoiler Because of this change, Jane finds out about her fortune at Gateshead when she is visiting the ill Mrs. Reed (after she left Mr. Rochester after discovering about Bertha). End of Spoiler


Joan Fontaine and Orson Wells were okay as Jane and Mr. Rochester, though I thought Joan Fontaine lacked some emotion. Margaret O'Brien as Adele was a little annoying (she had a weird, high voice). Blanche Ingram was, yet again, blond (but they weren't using the same book, anyways). I guess most of the actors/actresses were okay at best, but I wasn't incredibly impressed with any of the cast (okay, maybe Elizabeth Taylor as Helen, but she had such a small part).

Scenery
Well, since it is a black and white movie, don't expect colorful scenery. The overall scenery was dark, which would go with the tone of Jane Eyre, whose tone is on the darker side.

Costuming

Jane's wedding dress

Since it's in black and white, we really don't get to see how the film-makers used color. The costumes looked like they were out of the 1840s, leading me to assume that Jane was an adult in the 1840s. The film states that she was born in 1820, and in the book she was supposed to be 18 when she starts work at Thornfield, which would make the year about 1838... Still off by two years, but not horribly off... Unless they made Jane a couple of years older for the role...

Overall: 2/5
Well, in most cases this movie isn't Jane Eyre. I know it had a similar plot, but the book that they were reading/reenacting certainly wasn't the Jane Eyre I read in high school. There were a bunch of parts changed or deleted for time constraints and altered characters. If you like old-time Hollywood movies, you might enjoy this, but if you're looking for an accurate portrayal of Jane Eyre, keep looking.

Jane Eyre is available on DVD or Netflix. It runs for 97 minutes and has an approved rating.

My Letter for Letter #1 (As Elizabeth Bennet)

Realizing, of course, that the deadline for responding letters for Letter #1 was a week ago (and that voting is over), but I wasn't eligible for entering anyways (I am hosting the event, after all). So I came up with a responding letter for Jane Eyre's letter. Enjoy!


So, as a reminder, here was the letter from Jane Eyre:

Dear Period Drama Advice Column,
I am the governess at Thornfield Hall, the home of Mr. Rochester. When I first met him, he seemed to be very harsh, eccentric, and unconventional, but I now find myself falling in love with him. He has been the only person who I could talk to as an equal. I had not intended to love him: I tried to fight it. He made me love him without looking at me, but he is to be shortly married to a Miss Ingram, a beautiful but subconscious person. I cannot help but love him. I've said that my pupil, Adele, should go to school and that I should seek a new situation, but I cannot bear to leave Thornfield: I have not been trampled on there; I have not been petrified; I have not been buried with inferior minds, and excluded from every glimpse of communion with what is bright and energetic and high. What shall I do?
Sincerely,
Jane Eyre

And here is Elizabeth Bennet's (Pride and Prejudice) response:

Dear Miss Eyre,
How abominably ill this Mr. Rochester has treated you! You are much more temperate than I would be in your situation. You have every reason in the world to think ill of him. He has been very dishonest -- for dishonesty I must call it. I beg your pardon, but one knows exactly what to think of him. He could not make you happy, and I am convinced that you are the last woman in the world who could make him so. What you saw in him was only the appearance of goodness. You must forget him and promise yourself never to dance with him. But perhaps, if you have very good luck, you may meet with another Mr. Rochester in time.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)


Letter #2 will be up tomorrow! Anyone want to take a guess who will be writing the next letter?

God Bless,