Jane Eyre (film)

From Aldous Huxley's intriguing Orson Welles/Joan Fontaine 1943 film, through Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt's performances in Franco Zeffirelli's 199 film, Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton in a 1997 ITV film, Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens' work in the 2006 BBC miniseries, and the most recent (as of 2022) 2011 film directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, Jane Eyre has never been short of adaptations. A consistent trait of all the adaptations is the conversion of Jane and Rochester from plain or unhandsome to good-looking or downright stunning -- a clear case of Adaptational Attractiveness.

The Other Wiki tells us that Jane Eyre has been adapted into film eight times as of 2022:
 * Jane Eyre (1910 film), starring Irma Taylor
 * Jane Eyre (1921 film), starring Mabel Ballin
 * Jane Eyre (1934 film), starring Virginia Bruce
 * Jane Eyre (1943 film), starring Joan Fontaine
 * Jane Eyre (1970 film), starring Susannah York
 * Jane Eyre (1996 film), starring Charlotte Gainsbourg
 * Jane Eyre (1997 film), starring Samantha Morton
 * Jane Eyre (2011 film), starring Mia Wasikowska

See the main Jane Eyre page for a list of adaptations to other media.

Jane Eyre (1997 film)


ITV's telefilm starring Samantha Morton (the 1996 Emma) as Jane and Ciaran Hinds (the 1995 Persuasion) as Rochester.

"Rochester: "Perhaps you'll explain to me the concept of a twenty-eight day week...""
 * Adaptation Dye Job: Blanche is a blonde.
 * Big No:
 * Dawson Casting: Almost averted, as Samantha Morton was 20 (the youngest Jane Eyre so far), only two years older than Jane's 18.
 * Deadpan Snarker:

Jane Eyre (2006 miniseries)


The BBC's return to the story in four episodes after the last miniseries in the 83s. Starring Ruth Wilson as Jane and Toby Stephens as Rochester, scripted by Sandy Welch (Our Mutual Friend, North and South, the 2009 Emma), and directed by the BBC's Bleak House co-director Susanna White.


 * Adaptation Dye Job: Blanche is again blonde. Rochester is a redhead.
 * Toby Stephens's hair looks as though it has been dyed and you can only really tell he's a natural redhead from his sideburns and occasionally in the sunlight.
 * Book Ends: The series begins and ends with the painting of a family portrait.
 * Canon Foreigner: The Dent twins and John Eshton, setting up the idea that twinned souls can call each other across distances and making the ending feel much less like a sudden fantastical Deus Ex Machina.
 * Dawson Casting: Ruth Wilson was 25, seven years older than Jane's 18.
 * Pragmatic Adaptation: While it is one of the longer versions, the script makes a few choices to fit the serialized format of the series. A particular example of this is the structure of the fourth episode, which plays with the idea that Jane doesn't remember Thornfield.
 * "Shut Up" Kiss: Rochester does this a number of times to Jane when begging her not to leave Thornfield to the point that one Youtube user said that it sounds like Toby Stephens is eating Ruth Wilson's face.

Jane Eyre (2011 film)


Focus Features produced this film, starring Mia Wasikowska as Jane, Michael Fassbender as Rochester, Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax, and Jamie Bell as St. John, and directed by Cary Fukunaga.

"Diana: "Isn't Jane our sister, too?" St. John: [Hesitates, then kisses Jane on the lips]"
 * Almost Kiss: When Rochester is "thanking" her for saving him from the fire.
 * Beard of Sorrow
 * Cat Scare: Just before Jane encounters Rochester, she is startled by a bird.
 * Dawson Casting: Mia Wasikowska was 20, two years older than Jane's 18 - though like Charlotte Gainsbourg in the 1996 film, she fits the part well.
 * Dutch Angle: When Helen dies, the camera is tilted as Jane is taken away.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: The positioning of the Rivers section as framing narrative means that all three of the Rivers siblings get these.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette / Messy Hair: Bertha.
 * "Falling in Love" Montage: To the film's credit, it's not overdone.
 * Identical Stranger: While not identical, there is a strong resemblance between Adèle and the younger Jane, highlighting how Jane identifies with Adèle.
 * Like Brother and Sister: Invoked, and subverted.


 * Longing Look: There are a lot of these.
 * Pragmatic Adaptation: The restructuring of the film into using the Rivers sequence as a framing narrative, and the childhood and Rochester sections as semi-flashback material qualify as a clever attempt to reshape the story's unwieldy, commonly frustrating structure into a satisfying two hour film. The film might otherwise qualify for Adaptation Distillation, though many events and causes are finessed to fit a more "naturalistic" rather than Romantic tone.
 * Relationship Compression: Jane and Rochester seem to fall for each other rather quickly (to be fair, it's extremely hard to keep the relationship building sections while trying to include the full plot of the novel).
 * Say My Name: Well, Say His Name.
 * Spiteful Spit: Bertha casually spits at Jane.
 * Vertigo Effect: Twice. First during the Red Room scene, just before an ash cloud explodes from the fireplace, and second just before Jane meets Rochester for the first time (after being startled by the bird).
 * Woman in White: Bertha.