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Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $15.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Deliciously sensual. Not perfect, but very good.
Review: Cramming Miss Bronte's classic into 2 hours is impossible, and I don't agree with all the excisions or with all the changes made to the original story. I wish the issues of Jane's inheritance and St John's character had been handled differently, but I doubt I'd have done any better. Ciaran Hinds was intense and magnificent, and almost uniformly convincing. Samantha Morton was self-possessed and frankly delectable, though her sensual charm emerged over time, as it should, rather than hitting the viewer over the head. Neither performance was perfect, but they were captivating. The "chemistry" between Mr Hinds and Ms Morton was delicious. Gemma Jones as the housekeeper was perfect, and made her part better than the original. The movie was extremely beautiful to look at, and the music was good. A few technical errors caught my attention, but they didn't interfere with my pleasure in the movie. It was a real treat.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This version will have Charlotte Bronte rolling in her grave
Review: Let me first say that I adore the book. I read it as a young girl and have since read it numerous times (I'm now in my mid-30's). I've seen 3 other film versions of this classic piece of literature. This movie IS NOT in any shape or form related to the book except for the title. I was disgusted how the producers/directors turned one of my favorite books into a cheap, mediocre, gothic RO-mance. The movie shirked essential details necessary to fully understand the storyline and completely stripped away the deeper complexities of the novel's plot. While Ciaran Hinds would have done a tremendous job had he been given the right script and time to develop his character, Samantha Morton was entirely mis-cast as the homely, grave, but spirted Jane. If you're looking for the best adaptation to date, purchase the Dalton/Clarke version. At 4+ hours, it come closest to the book of any I've seen. Forget this worthless version and read a Harlequin RO-mance instead. At least they don't pretend to be anything but what they are.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A&E does it again
Review: A&E continues to impress me with their quality productions. Jane Eyre is truly well done and I enjoyed it very much. Samantha Morton and Cirian Hinds gave powerful performances, the music was wonderful and the script stayed true to Bronte's classic. The humor and powerful emotions in this miniseries are terrific. I have watched it many times and I assure you that this is truly the best Jane Eyre adaptation available. So kudos to A&E and everyone involved in this production. It was a job well done.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Seen them all - this is the best!
Review: I've sat through them all and Welles/Fontaine was the top Jane Eyre film in my book. But A&E is now at the top of my list with this version. This is one that you can watch over and over and be swept up in the story each time.

A&E did a splendid job with the true essence of Jane Eyre - the romance and mystery that are the two high points of the novel. Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds are truly believable in the starring roles. They take Bronte to the core and give us a beautiful gift.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It was clearly enjoyable.
Review: I read the book and couldn't put it down. When I saw the movie I was so moved by it. It is the greatest love story. I love history, so it was even more enjoyable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Hurried, Cliffs Notes version of novel
Review: This A&E production whips through Bronte's classic novel in less than two hours. It's entertaining in its own right (Morton and Hinds are appealing) but does a disservice to poor Jane, whose inheritance is completely ignored!! And they got St. John's personality wrong. And they don't really show why Jane and Rochester are so *right* for each other, or how religion of the time would make St. John's offer something to really consider. The BBC version with Timothy Dalton is much better (and four hours long). My advice is -- read the book first! END

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Really compelling
Review: I can't say that this version of Jane Eyre followed the storyline closely. Because of time constraints, large chunks of the novel had to be cut out or streamlined. This includes not only some key plot points, but a lot of the best dialogue between Jane and Mr. Rochester as their relationship develops.

That said, I still think this is an enjoyable film, so long as you enjoy it in its own right and don't compare it to the book. Both Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton commit to their roles with passion. Like the characters in the novel, neither is conventionally beautiful; they are riveting because of the emotional force they bring to their parts. At times, Hinds was a little too gruff as Rochester, but it never went over the top; he looked the part of Mr. Rochester and in my opinion acted it incredibly well. And Samantha Morton is luminous - she may wear plain clothing and sport a ridiculous hair style, but she shines.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Incomparable Sam
Review: This production on A&E was my introduction to the greatest actress I've ever seen, the incandescent, fearless, intense and radiant Samantha Morton. At that time, her Jane Eyre was the greatest performance by an actress I'd ever seen -- and I'm fairly savvy and discriminating, Peggy Ashcroft being the greatest I'd ever seen till I saw this tv film. Many of the reviewers here seem to miss the point. It doesn't matter whether the script is a scrupulous adaptation or not, or whether this actress is too plain, too pretty, or even if her interpretation doesn't match the picture of this famous literary heroine which you've got in your head. The point is her incomparable performance -- what Shakespeare called "the thing itself." Her greatest gift, among so many, is her seemingly effortless capacity, quietly and with extraordinary discipline and restraint in one so young (18 or 19 at the time), to break our hearts. There's no one with comparable power and it is her gift to us, "a largesse universal, like the sun." How Shakespeare would have loved her.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Very poor movie. Unbelievable romance, poor quality film.
Review: I really disliked this version of Jane Eyre, so much so that I found myself skipping parts and pulling the movie out before finishing it. I infinitely prefer the William Hurt adaptation of the novel.

First off, the film quality and color of this film were very poor. It was washed out and altogether too bland. Also, the acting was poor in my opinion. Samantha Morton was not very believable as Jane Eyre and the actor who plays Mr. Rochester was altogether unappealing. The two actors had no spark or chemistry to speak of, and the relation of love by Mr. Rochester later in the film is wholly unbelievable and poorly delivered. He ruins one of the best lines in the novel (the one with the bit of string tied to his heart and Jane's). Also, although Mr. Rochester is not handsome, this actor was just uglier than I had imagined Mr. Rochester to be. But, that would be of little account if he also did not portray Mr. Rochester as just plain rude. He ordered about Jane in a brutish manner, levied insults, barked out his lines and was very dull. Why Jane would be attracted to him (beyond being lonely and not having the company of any other man) is beyond me. The portryal of Jane was also a dull one and her constant voice overs were really annoying. A film is supposed to show us the story, not tell us the story. There was far too much telling of Jane felt or about her past, and far too little demonstration. I was told Jane loved Mr. Rochester, but from watching the film I found that very hard to believe. Jane also seemed to be rude and disrespectful on purpose, rather than observant and forthright as she is in the novel. She doesn't mean to offend, but truthfully answers questions and speaks her mind. The movie would have you think she is just catty. Also, she always looks so annoyed with Mr. Rochester.

Overall, I regret buying this film. I wished I put my $5 dollars towards the William Hurt adaptation which more accurately captures the emotion and spirit of the novel, if not all the exact details.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not even close !!!
Review: This version of Jane Eyre is absolutely disappointing. It is not faithful to the novel and the acting is horrible. There is no chemistry between Samantha Morton and Ciran Hinds and the emotions they supposedly "tried" to embody are so watered down that it is just embarrassing. The best version of Jane Eyre is the one with Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton. Do not waste you time and money on this. Not recommended at all !


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