Jane Eyre (1983)

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

After seeing about 7 different adaptations of JANE EYRE, I always find myself coming back to this one. If you're protective of the novel, as I am, and desire to see a film that is very faithful to it, THIS one is the BEST.Best is not perfect, but it is pretty darn close. You can watch this mini-series with the novel on your lap and practically follow along scene for scene.Let's talk about the fabulousness that is Timothy Dalton.He was born to play Mr. Rochester. Physically, emotionally, the highs and lows of his personality--all done with sheer excellence. Every scene he's in becomes his own. Every word spoken is perfection. Sometimes he is handsome, other times not, sometimes he's amiable, other times not. It is that changeability that makes the viewer constantly deciding, "Do I like Rochester? Or do I not?" Jane never knows which version of Rochester to expect and neither does the viewer.When I was younger and first read the book and then saw this mini-series, I did not like Zelah Clarke's portrayal of Jane. Years later I have new appreciation for her. Timothy Dalton has a very strong presence as Rochester. Many actresses would be overshadowed by him, but Zelah Clarke holds her own in every scene they share.Aside from the excellent acting, which stays true to the novel's characters' personalities, this version paces itself out extremely well. I love that the hilarious "gypsy scene" is included. I love that you see the real development of the relationship between Jane and Rochester. But mostly, I love that the ending is not rushed. The novel's ending is one of the best ever written and this adaptation does it terrific justice.

This adaptation is generally thought to be one of the very best and I can only say I agree wholeheartedly. It's the definitive version in my book and no adaptation made before or after can touch it.The advantage of the miniseries is (obviously) that it can do the book full justice, which shorter versions just can't. In this case, I think they did splendidly. Timothy Dalton is a great Rochester, even if his acting goes slightly bipolar in one or two scenes (I'm thinking of the post-marriage scene where he alternates between cooing over Jane and cursing her at the top of his voice within seconds…). He starts slightly too gruff but he soon gets it right. Anyway, most Rochesters start out a bit gruffer than they should, so I believe this to be a directing mistake… Timothy Dalton is able to express so much emotion with his face and yet you couldn't really tell which muscles are doing it, which is the hallmark of an excellent actor (I think anyway). One can really feel he is a tortured soul but he still has a sense of humour and conveys great depth of feeling after he falls for Jane. Other reviewers have pointed out that he's too handsome (which is true, but do we really mind, ladies?) and too young (which isn't true, he was 36 when they shot this, which makes him just right). I also like Zelah Clarke as Jane. Her acting scope is slightly more limited than Tims but I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing when playing Jane Eyre. Jane is passionate but also very proper. However when Rochester starts to draw her out she manages to convey both the humour that Jane and Rochester share and the painful confusion Jane feels when he starts toying with her. Also, she is suitably minuscule, if a bit old for 18-year old Jane… The rest of the cast is also excellent. Adele is suitably vain, silly and yet likable, Mrs Fairfax is just as I imagined her in the book and especially with St John Rivers they chose the actor brilliantly. He is wonderfully haughty, pious, cold and unlikeable… Of course the production values are less than top notch. I do not mind this personally but other reviewers have pointed it out and they're right. The costumes are superbly done however (probably because you can re-use those over and over in any Victorian drama, so they did them properly once so they would keep a while). The best thing however about this story is the dialog and storytelling. Jane's childhood is depicted in all its excruciating oppressiveness and you get to feel all her pain and her development into a passionate but very religious and strong woman is completely believable. The relationship and growing attraction between Jane and Rochester is depicted very accurately and carefully (which is something that other adaptations often made complete hashes of by not allowing the necessary time for it). The dialog is clean, produced more or less verbatim in many scenes, but they make it work as a movie nonetheless. And also Jane's flight from Thornfield is developed in detail, which shows how much she is willing to suffer to do what she thinks is right and how she manages never to lose her dignity. I think these latter points are what sets this version apart from almost all other adaptations and makes it such a masterpiece. A must-see for all Jane Eyre fans!

I've yet to see the 2006 version, but for me this ties with the 1973 series as the best adaptation of Jane Eyre, and that is saying a fair bit. Of the Jane Eyres I've seen, there's also the 1943 film with Welles and Fontaine which despite a hint at a happier denouncement is the best Jane Eyre on film, the 1970 TV film and the recent 2011 film both of which I liked, Zeffirelli's film which despite the production values was dull and the 1997 adaptation which was disappointing, too short, too rushed and too underdeveloped.This is just about perfect. Some may find the production values dated, but I found the costumes and sets beautiful and charming and there was clear effort into creating an atmosphere that was evocative. The music is gentle and sensitive while suited to the time period as well. The writing is superb, very literate and intelligently adapted, managing to stick to Bronte's basic prose, in fact this is one of the more faithful Jane Eyre adaptations, and the story has a lot of passion and poignancy with the social attitudes just right.Jane Eyre(1983) may be lengthy, but I don't consider that a flaw actually. Alternatively I consider it a good thing it was lengthy, the book is very long and complex and I think it needs a series of this length and a measured pace to develop the plot points and to bring out the personalities of the characters. The cast are wonderful. Timothy Dalton is brilliant, he looks ruggedly handsome and while gruff and brooding there is also a subtlety and sense of nuance to the performance.Is he quite as memorable as Jayston and Scott? Not quite, but he is far more nuanced and tender than Hinds while never falling into the trap of being too dull like William Hurt did. Zelah Clarke is a slightly older Jane than I imagined, but she nails the character everywhere else, quiet and plain yet firm without being too bold so it is not an issue as such. And I loved the chemistry between her and Dalton. The support performances are also uniformly excellent, Carol Gillies is especially good.Overall, one of the best adaptations of one of the best literary works of all time. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Yes, it has it's flaws: the camera work is bad, make-up too visible, bad lighting and sound, no fancy scenery and colors. Obviously, the budget was tight. But those are all small and unimportant details, because they all disappear once characters appear on the screen. Clarke and Dalton are the ultimate Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester for me, that's how I pictured them, when I read the book for the first time at the age of 11. And still do. They capture the essence of the book, the spirit and soul of the two main characters. When I look at them, I believe they are soul-mates, two pieces of one that have found each other. Also, I LOVE that they kept the dialogues, that is how Bronte wrote and meant them, and that is how they should be presented. The best adaptation ever made!