Jane Eyre - DVD

Jane Eyre
A BBC miniseries that aired in 11 half-hour episodes during 1983, this sumptuous adaptation of Charlotte Bront famous gothic romance achieved a level of fidelity unmatched by earlier (and later) versions. In part this was due to the total running time, which allowed for greater emphasis on scenes that were either truncated or omitted in other screen incarnations of Jane Eyre. But the credit must also go to screenwriter Alexander Baron and director Julian Amyes, whose faithfulness to the original story obviously bespeaks affection and reverence. Zelah Clarke portrays Jane, the plain, impoverished young woman raised to be a governess and sent to forbidding Thornfield Hall, whose master -- the dark, brooding Edward Rochester (Timothy Dalton, pre-Bond) -- keeps some sinister secret. Little by little, Jane becomes infatuated with this tragic and tormented figure, and eventually the shocking secret comes to light. Striking set designs and carefully tailored period costumes reflect great care (and considerable expense) in the making of this Eyre, and atmospheric lighting effects help establish a dreary, doom-laden mood. Dalton is perfectly cast as Rochester, having that saturnine quality so essential to any credible portrayal of Thornfield master. And Clarke makes a properly soulful Jane: reserved but courageous in her quiet way. The entire production is commendable and, with all due respect to the Orson Welles-Joan Fontaine version from 1944, represents the definitive film interpretation of Bronts immortal classic. Ed Hulse, Barnes & Noble