Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
I'm a massive fan of the 1943 film version of Charlotte Bronte's fine piece of melodrama, JANE EYRE, starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles. There's kind of nothing like it, except there have been more than 20 versions of the story, shot for either television or the big screen, over the years, including this latest adaptation from the unlikely director, Cary Joji Fukunaga (who helmed the phenomenal SIN NOMBRE a couple years back). Wonderfully, Fukunaga has chosen to transform (without actually making that many changes to the story other than the chronology) this tale into a dark, haunting work that emphasizes the more tense and outright scary moments. There were more than a few moments where I felt I was watching a period horror film that actually made me jump. How can a story in which one of the major characters is an insane woman locked in the attic not be a horror film of sorts?
Mia Wasikowska (ALICE IN WONDERLAND, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT) plays Jane, who opens the film running for her life across perilous cliffs until she stumbles upon a young clergyman, St. John Rivers (Jaime Bell), and his two sisters. After Jane recuperates, she tells them the story of what led to her meeting them, beginning with her terrible raising by a cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed (Sally Hawkins), and eventual banishment to a strict boarding school to becoming a nanny for a young girl under the care of one Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbinder of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, CENTURION, HUNGER fame). Rochester is an off-putting man, who still manages to make Jane feel week at the knees, despite the fact that she refuses to kowtow to or be intimidated by him. This stubborn pair are, in fact, the perfect match...except for that slight problem in the attic.
Also flittering about the film is Judi Dench as the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax, who has been portrayed as more of a nemesis to Jane in other adaptations, but here, she is more of a mentor, and the change is welcome. But it's Wasikowska and Fassbender who rip JANE EYRE to shreds with their great acting and weird chemistry. Jane's tightly braided hair and confining clothes are perfectly designed to present us with a template of the repressed woman, and the attitude that emanates from Wasikowska is that of a survivor who is done being held down.
Fassbender's Rochester is flat-out, wide-eyed nuts at times, but he makes him highly engaging, occasionally charming and always handsome. He can also be a complete bastard. He's all of these things and more, and I'm guessing each audience member is going to focus on one or two different personality traits that they like and/or dislike and let that determine whether they like the character or not. And that seems pretty fair.
I was so greatly impressed with this version of JANE EYRE that I couldn't wait for characters who leave the screen for a time to return. The screenplay by Moira Buffini is sharp, clear, and emphasizes the strong qualities in each of its characters. The direction is strong and confident, the acting is superb, and the reworked story remains perfection. There are a lot of strong movies out this week, but this might be the best out there.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcool.com
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