Rating: 
Summary: The best Rocheter ever
Review: The film is great though a number of good scenes missing. Ciaran Hinds is the greatest Rochester so far. Those who think he's not attractive enough should see him in "Persussion." And Samantha Morton is excellent too. I love them both.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible rendition
Review: If you've seen the 1983 version on VHS with Timothy Dalton as Rochester (or read the book), you will be very disappointed with this version. Several crucial parts of the story are left out completely, such as Jane learning that she has been left a sizeable inheritance. Also, Rochester is overacted, and the growth of the relationship between he and Jane is unconvincing. I bought this because it was on DVD, and wish I hadn't. I'll wait for the 1983 version to be put on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling portrayal
Review: Someone lent me the video of Jane Eyre. I watched it over and over, mesmerized, for weeks, sometimes several times a day. Every time I saw it I was moved anew. I've read Jane Eyre and read it again during the time I was watching the video. I agree that it would be better as a miniseries; a lot of the richness of the book is lost in this piece. However, I felt that the boiling emotions under the surface in both main characters were quite well conveyed. I thought the casting of the housekeeper was brilliant, the perfect foil for Jane and Rochester. By the time I'd memorized the video I was madly in love with Ciaran Hinds and jealous of Emma.
Rating: 
Summary: lost passion
Review: Having read Bronte's book Jane Eyre many times I'm aware of its strengths and weaknesses. The screen adaptation used in this particular version of the story has deleted all the charm of the novel and has over-played the dysfunction of both Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre. Hinds rants, roars, and grimaces entirely too much. Morton seems to be made of wax. In the scene where Bertha sets fire to Rochester's bed I truly expect Morton's Eyre to melt. I hope no one uses this movie as a measure of the story--it will put them off Charlotte Bronte's work forever. If you must watch a movie production of the novel try the Timothy Dalton version--though Dalton is too handsome to be true to the author's physical description of Rochester he manages to capture the man's spirit and one can understand why Jane loves him.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely bad version of Jane Eyre
Review: This A&E production was a huge disappointment. It is not true to the novel in any way. And Ciaran Hinds is the worst Mr. Rochester ever. If you are a trully huge fun of Jane Eyre as I am, do no waste your money on this one. It is pathetic. Invest in the BBC production with Timothy Dalton as Mr. Rochester.
Rating:
Summary: Ciaran Hinds IS Mr. Rochester
Review: Although I was disappointed in the short length of this adaptation (should have been a miniseries so they didn't have to cut so much out), Ciaran Hinds as Mr. Rochester made up for it!! When I read the few negative reviews by people who thought he was terrible and even some who said he was "too unattractive," I wondered if they had watched the same film I had. In less than two hours, Ciaran Hinds manages to expertly portray this complex character. Mr. Rochester is not supposed to be eye candy (although I personally thought Hinds was very handsome by the end of this film -- he made me love Mr. Rochester). Edward Rochester is not described as good looking. He is also a moody, sometimes blustery man who is haunted by pain. He truly has the capacity to love, although it is scary for him because of his past and because he's hiding something. The little glimpses of vulnerability and gentleness that he brings out in the character among all the gruff defense mechanisms really make one see why Jane could feel so drawn to him. I've seen an older film version and the live Jane Eyre musical on stage before watching the A&E version and this one has basically ruined all previous versions for me (except for the book) because nobody but Hinds will ever be up to par as Mr. Rochester for me now. He was WONDERFUL, as was Samantha Morton's portrayal of Jane. It's not only my favorite version of Jane Eyre; it's my all time favorite film!
Rating:
Summary: frustrating adaptation
Review: It would be easy to dismiss this production for all the reasons mentioned in other reviews here, except that it does capture the passion of the story better than any other film version that I have seen. Unfortunately the butchering of the plot and dialog of the book makes the emotion seemed forced. A little more subtlety would have gone a long way, for example in the scene after the fire in Rochester's room. Bronte provides enough emotion and, yes, even sexual tension in the book to satisfy anyone...why change the dialog? And why do bizarre things like imply that Rochester let Jane stomp out of the house with 20 shillings in her purse, in contrast to the book in which she slips away?Beyond all that, I found Morton's interpretation of the role of Jane all wrong. She obviously didn't want to play a doormat but there is strength and self-respect in Jane that doesn't require hauteur and smirking. The scene with Rochester after the wedding debacle is especially chilling. Rather than showing Jane as prostrate with shock and grief, Morton has her marching haughtily down the stairs. Yikes.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Eyre
Review: What an excellent movie! It brought me to tears.
Rating:
Summary: This movie got me hooked on A & E Classics!!
Review: I read the book in high school and thought it was too melodramatic. When I decided to watch this movie, I had not heard of either actors and wasn't expecting much. I thought, as a previous reviewer said, Ciaran Hinds was too unattractive for me to like this character. After being glued throughout the entire film, I found myself enormously drawn to both Mr. Rochester and Ciaran Hinds. I liked him so much that I bought PERSUASION, IVANHOE and THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE. I have also watched other versions of this film but none comes close to this one. Avoid the one with William Hurt. It's quite awful. Samantha Morton (who I have seen in EMMA and TOM JONES) will forever be Jane Eyre. She nailed the part perfectly. I highly, highly recommend this film. A great romance!!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing adaptation and characterization
Review: "Faithfulness" in movie adaptations of literary works is admittedly a subject of much debate. Personally, I found this version of Jane Eyre disappointing in the adaptation of both story and character. As many other reviewers of this DVD, I have seen almost every adaptation of Jane Eyre in film. When viewing a two hour movie, one expects a great deal of plot manipulation to fit both the time frame and the personal view of the director. Hampered by a poor screenplay that slaughters Bronte's language, this version completely fails to capture the novel. Both the screenplay and the language conspire to alter the characters beyond recognition--especially in the case of Rochester who appears as nothing more than an ill-mannered, mean, crude boor with pent up sexual frustrations. This is not a knock to the acting abilities of either Samantha Morton or Ciaran Hinds who have both appeared in other works to their credit. As written and portrayed, both characters become far more static than in the novel and the movie's own obsession with the concept of "obsession" not only misrepresents Bronte's novel, but becomes a superficial excuse to ignore the real layers of Bronte's work and still appear "deep" or "cutting". A better pick for a two hour experience would be the 1996 Zeffirelli adaptation with Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt. Though problemetic itself and doing less justice to Jane's character, William Hurt's performance as Rochester is more valid than Hinds. This in itself salvages a great deal of the movie. Any true admirer of Bronte's Jane Eyre must see the BBC miniseries with Zelah Clarke as Jane and Timothy Dalton as Rochester. Be warned--this is NOT a MOVIE experience. The viewer will not be inundated by panoramic camera shots or overwhelmed by emotion from the amazing orchestral score. It is a long miniseries with little musical accompaniment or visual manipulation meant to interperate the story for the viewer. In this sense, it may not be for everyone. It is a faithful representation, almost word for word, of Bronte's novel. The 4 or so hours consigned to VHS already cut a great deal of what was actually originally aired but leave the story almost entirely entact and with almost no additional or created material. Furthermore, anyone who wants to see the characters move from page to screen with true understanding and depth needs to watch this version. While Clarke's portrayal might be more subdued than some may prefer, it is still thoughtful, contextual, and intricate. Dalton, for his part, is the living embodiment of Rochester--complex, often a paradox, passionate in all senses. His understanding of both the character, the story, and the period is evident. If you are a Jane Eyre fan who wants to experience the book visually---find the BBC VHS miniseries. If you're a fan of the romance who wants to watch a movie, try anything else but this DVD--the 1996 Zeffirelli, the George C. Scott, or even the black and white version with Orson Wells, all of which, in spite of their difficulties, manage to give at least an experience which doesn't offend the novel.
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