200? Adaptation of Jane Eyre

[Crimsonsinger]

I was perusing the Wikipedia list of Jane Eyre adaptations and saw that there was going to be a new film of Jane Eyre (supposedly), of which is going to be produced by the BBC, starring Ellen Page. Yes, the girl who played Juno.

Thoughts about this? Do you think that they will even come close to portraying it accurately? Hopefully it's at least three hours, that's all I can say.

Does anyone here have IMDB Pro (on imdb.com) to get some more information on this?

[Sepulchrave]

No clue -- this is the first that I've heard of it. Hopefully it's actually good, though.

On the note of adaptations, I remember seeing a few episodes of this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre_(2006_TV_serial)) a while ago and being impressed.

[Skooter]

If I was making it I probably wouldn't pick Ellen Page, but then again she is a pretty good actress. Maybe she'll be able to pull it off.
It says it'll be produced by BBC, so it probably won't be horrible.

As a sidenote: I read Jane Eyre for the first time a few months ago, and have been wanting to see a film/TV series adaptation of it ever since. Which one would you guys recommend?

[Zee.]

Oh lord, i'd rather eat razor blades than ever watch an adaption of that book.
I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT.
Left a terrible taste in my mouth...

Garbage.

[Delta40]

I personally prefer the 1996 adaptation starring William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg

[kiki1982]

William Hurt, ugh... Charlotte Gainsbourg did her best and did a good job, but her Rochester was too... how to say... short spoken, too uneasy,too reserved...

Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke were very good, although she was 10 years Jane's senior, she tried her best looking and acting 10 years younger. Dalton was sometimes too theatrical (certainly when he said 'what love have I for Miss Ingram?... None, and that you know' in a shakespearian way... It just took something away of the passion you had to feel as viewer) , but was a real 19th century gentleman. That adaptation of 1983 was the best true to the book. If you want to see Jane Eyre in action, that is the one to watch: not interpreted, but of course very cheaply put together, and with regular black screens in between scenes... It was also the only adaptation I have seen with a real pianoforte in stead of a piano... Which is a major difference...

Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton of 1996/7 are my personal favourites because they both had experience, had the right age and conduct. Shame of their bad script. Had they been cast by the BBC, it had been a lot better. I think the best adaptation with Rochester at the same time as lovable man and untrustworthy person you better run away from... I also think the decor was pretty good, seen as they had a small budget.
Unlike the 2006 version where Rochester sat in his hall/vestibule with the staircase in the background... This Rochester could handle his French, unlike the others I have seen. I also seem to find Adèle the best, but I'm not sure. It's a long while since I have seen the 1983 one... Hinds' singing was also pretty good, but on reflection... maybe they made him mime, that's something for him to say...

What gets me is that they never get the dog right...
I have seen Border Collies, German Shepherds, ugly grey scruffy dogs (whatever they call the race...) in the role of Pilot, although it clearly states Newfoundland dog. If you do have to change the race, then make it a Border Collie, because they are at least lovely dogs that like company and children, that are true to their masters and that are black and white...

[Skooter]

Thank you Delta40 & kik1982! I want to see all the versions mentioned now! I guess I'll start with the ones I can get my hands on first ^^.

[xlxlauraxlx]

I loved Jane Eyre and cried in the orphanage bit, I like to wacth adaptations aswell. :) Just thought I'd throw that in there xx

[Delta40]

I believe it is a given that any adaptation will never be true to the story because we as the reader add so much to the story in our own imagination, notwithstanding details that are overlooked. Even then, we will be mildly disappointed to some degree. I like my imagination and tend to reserve adapations of any book to another category for criticism.

[xlxlauraxlx]

I agree with the above, I don't think I have seen a film after reading the book and enjoyed it as much.

[Skooter]

I agree. But I also never expect an adaptation to be perfect. As long as I enjoy it, and it doesn't differ from the books too much (unless it's a very artsy approach) I'm alright with it. I watch adaptations to take me back to the book in a way, but if I really want the true thing, I'll just re-read the book!
I can only think of one film adaptation that truely disappointed me and that was Howl's Moving Castle... But that's slightly off-topic XD.

[xlxlauraxlx]

I cannot think of one that I have watched and it has been really bad, but mostly I keep my expectations low. I just think that reading is more deep, its hard to explain but I just feel like I connect more with the story in words than in film. I dont know, I can't really explain. xx

[Delta40]

Yes. Imagine Jane Eyre in the fanfiction genre! Arrrrgh!!!

[kiki1982]

I saw the last bit of the William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg version a few days ago on ITV. I have to admit I haven't seen a lot of it, but pieces of it. Zefirelli (?), the director, tried to make a truly poetic version with light and dark, contrast and symbolic meaning to everything (the roses Jane takes passionately out of the vase in order to use the water in it to quench the fire in Rochester bed, cause her hand to bleed...), which a very nice approach that would have done justice to Charlotte's book.
In order to highlight the symbolism, Zefirelli opted for neutral speech that wouldn't get the attention away of what happens (symbolically), but I have never seen two actors that equalled neutral speech with passionless acting... They didn't create an atmosphere together and the music in the background ended up as being totally out of place because there was no atmosphere to me... Sad really, because it could have made a truly blow-away adaptation...

[Delta40]

Ok Ok! So I haven't watched all the adaptations! Now! I have been toying with the idea of doing the unspeakable. My daughter posts on the fanfiction site. It's amazing genre, where people take anime and Harry Potter say and write their own original work, attach a disclaimer and post. Most of the stories are about contemporary characters but I have thought about doing this to something sacred......like Jane Eyre. What do others think? Tell me your immediate reaction please

[wessexgirl]

I can't believe the Beeb are doing this again so soon after the other one
(2006), with the fabulous leads they had there. Much as I love JE, why not make a lesser known novel of the Brontes?

[Skooter]

Delta40: If you want to, I don't see why there's any reason you shouldn't do it! Fanfiction is meant as an homage to the real thing (in my opinion), I don't think anyone could judge you for wanting to write about characters you love. Even if it could never be as good as the original, the idea and sentiment is nice.
Plus, there are plenty of authors who even make profit of what is essentially fanfiction, like Emma Tennant and her Jane Austen novels (that I'm personally not a fan of).

[Delta40]

Oh I'm going to totally do the wrong thing here I think. Firstly my writing skills are not up to par in the style of Bronte. That aside, I thought I would write a little tale leading off say from the ball Mr Rochester held. And it will not be paying homage in the conventional sense.

Jane Eyre is one of my most favourite books

[DawnsAtHeights]

I can't believe the Beeb are doing this again so soon after the other one
(2006), with the fabulous leads they had there. Much as I love JE, why not make a lesser known novel of the Brontes?

If they would make adaption of another lesser known novel of the Brontes, the adaptions wouldn't have as much success as the known ones!