Jane Eyre

Movie Title-- Jane Eyre

Release Year--  2011

Running Time--  2 Hours

Director--  Cary Fukunaga

Cast, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Su Elliot, Holiday Grainger, Tamzin Merchant, Sally Hawkins, Amelia Clarkson, Freya Parks, Imogen Poots, Judi Dench, Simon McBurney

A young governess wins over the cold heart of her master but a dark secret he keeps threatens to tear them apart.

Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) runs from Thornfield Hall, visibly upset and soon finds herself lost on the moors in the pouring rain.  She manages to get to the doorstep of Mr. St. John Rivers' (Jamie Bell) home and John, as well as his two sisters Diana (Holliday Grainger) and Mary Rivers (Tazmin Merchant), take Jane in and nurse her back to health.  

Once Jane has regained her strength, she tells Mr. Rivers that she is looking for a job but keeps very tight lipped about her past.  He finds her a job as a teacher at newly formed school for girls but fears that the position is too lowly for her, however she accepts telling him that she doesn't feel like the work is beneath her.  It is at that point Jane begins to reflect on her life up to that point.

Jane thinks back to what has gotten her to this point, starting with her Aunt Reed (Sally Hawkins), her sole caretaker after the death of her parents and the death of her uncle.  Aunt Reed hates Jane, believing that she is a burden and therefore is very cruel to her.  Aunt Reed allows her children to terrorize Jane and one day, after she is abused by her cousin, Aunt Reed locks her in the Red Room.  The Red Room is where her uncle died and therefore Jane believes that it is haunted and after a huge puff of smoke comes out of the chimney, scaring her, she knocks herself unconscious.  Deciding that she has had enough, Jane's aunt sends her away to Lowood School for Girls and requests that Jane does not return home for holidays.  Aunt Reed tells the clergyman that runs the school, Mr. Brocklehurst (Simon McBurney), that Jane is deceitful and can not be trusted.  Before Jane leaves her aunt's care, Jane tells her that she is a cold hearted, cruel and that she hates her.

Once arriving at Lowood, Mr. Brocklehurst tells all the girls that they are to avoid Jane at all costs and that she is a liar and deceitful girl.  Despite Mr. Brocklehurst's warning, Jane does find a close friend in Helen Burns (Freya Parks).  Helen becomes ill and then dies of consumption.  This loss is a huge loss to Jane.

Eight years pass and Jane is leaving Lowood to take up a post as governess at Thornfield Hall.  She has been hired by Alice Fairfax (Judi Dench) and Jane is soon shocked to learn that Alice is not the lady of the manor.  Alice then explains that the Master, Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester (Michael Fassbender) comes and goes as he pleases from the manor and sometimes she doesn't see him for long stretches of time and that she has been hired to teach his ward, a young French girl named Adele Varens (Romy Settbon Moore).

Jane walks to town one day to post a letter for Alice and as she is taking the path into town, she crosses paths with a horse.  Seeing her in the road spooks the horse and it throws it's rider.  She helps the man to his horse and the two go their separate ways.  Once she returns to the manor, she learns that the man that was thrown from his horse is Mr. Rochester.  Mr. Rochester makes it a point to try to engage Jane when he can although sometimes his mannerisms tend to be a little brooding and gruff.

One night Jane hears something outside of her bedroom door and she gets up in investigate. She wanders down the halls and comes across Mr. Rochester's room.  Finding it on fire, she enters and rouses him.  Together the two of them extinguish the fire.  He commands Jane to stay in his room, covers her with his jacket and then leaves.  When he returns it is nearly dawn and she begins to leave when he stops her.  It is in that moment that she realizes that she has fallen in love with him.  

Later in the day when she asks about Mr. Rochester, Alice tells her that he has gone to visit Lady Blanche Ingram (Imogen Poots) and that she is sure that the two of them will be wed sooner rather than later.  Word soon comes that Mr. Rochester is coming back to Thornfield with a large party that includes Lady Ingram.  In the evening, a man named Richard Mason comes to the house which distresses Mr. Rochester.  That night the party is woken by a scream that disturbs the entire party.  Mr. Rochester sends everyone back to bed but asks Jane to stay, taking her to Mason who has been shot.  He asks her to clean Mason up while he sends for the doctor, sending Mason away with the doctor before anyone wakes up to see what has happened during the night.

Jane then receives a letter stating that her cousin John Reed has committed suicide and the shock of it has given his mother a stroke.  Jane asks Mr. Rochester if she can take leave to visit her aunt and he allows it, asking her to not be gone long.  When she arrives her aunt tells her that she received a letter three years prior from her uncle John Eyre asking about her.  She also admits to telling John Eyre that Jane had died while at Lowood school.  Jane forgives her aunt and tells her that she will never see her again, then returns to Thornfield Hall where she learns that Mr. Rochester is getting ready to propose to Lady Ingram.  

Jane goes to Mr. Rochester and tells him that she must leave Thornfield Hall because of his upcoming marriage to Lady Ingram.  Mr. Rochester then tells Jane that he is not to be wed to Lady Ingram and the proclaims his love for her.  He asks Jane to marry him and she agrees but on their wedding day, a horrible secret Mr. Rochester has been hiding comes to light and Jane flees Thornfield Hall.

I really enjoyed this film.  I did feel like a few parts were a little on the long side but overall it was very well portrayed on the screen.  Michael Fassbender does a great job giving life to Mr. Rochester.  His brooding, gruff, dark and moody performance soon gives way beautifully to the passion, sincerity and love he pours into his character once he realizes he is in love with Jane.

I think that Mia Wasikowska only gave an okay performance.  To me there were times that her acting came up a little flat and others she seems slightly confused on screen but her scenes with Michael Fassbender seemed to be spot on and believable.  

I would recommend this film to anyone that is a fan of 1800's British literature (transformed for the big screen of course).  This is a good one to watch with the girls but whatever you do, Don't Forget the Popcorn!