Jane Eyre is a stylish and impressively directed film based on the classic novel by Charlotte Bronta and adapted for the screen by Moira Buffini. Directed by Cary Fukunaga, in his American-movie debut, the film centers around Jane (Mia Wasikowska), a bright and strong-willed young girl. She is broke and homeless until the Rivers' family, to whom she tells the story of her scattered and saddening past, takes her in.
This plunge into extended flashback sequences begins with her ill treatment at the hands of a cruel and wealthy aunt, Mrs. Creed (Sally Hawkins), who eventually disowns her and sends her off to Lowood School. She is treated poorly by the cruel headmaster, but she eventually makes a good friend in the form of young Helen Burns (Freya Parks). Jane goes on to gain a good education and become a teacher. From there, Jane finds employment as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets the mysterious and charming master of the house, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender). The two become great friends and develop a relationship of discourse and equality, but they end up falling in love. The center of the story's action takes place around the couple, although their story is primarily told in flashbacks.
If the order of the events I've described here sounds fuzzy and ambiguous, that's because they are. The film's temporal shifts are especially confusing early on, when we switch between Jane as a child, Jane as governess and Jane as part of the Rivers' family quite often. Anyone walking in a couple minutes late to the film would have absolutely no clue as to what is past, present or future. Luckily, these temporal changes decrease as the film progresses, and the bulk of the action focuses on Jane's time at Thornfield Hall. Indeed, so much time is spent there that it's easy to forget that the entire hour-plus sequence is a flashback, which we are only reminded of when the film resumes Jane's stay with the Rivers' family toward the end.
Despite these technical concerns, the film itself is riveting thanks to excellent direction and powerful performances. Wasikowska, an Australian-born actress who has given notable, strong performances in the television show In Treatment and most recently in Alice in Wonderland, adds another notch to her belt of strong female roles with her turn as Jane. She brings the perfect balance of intelligence, quiet resolve and curiosity to the role, giving an incredible depth to her character, whose stealthy transgressions make up for the film's occasionally slow pace. Wasikowska is only topped by Fassbender, who gives a phenomenally intense performance as Mr. Rochester.
His brooding inner conflicts and powerful charisma provide the perfect counterbalance to Jane's reserved strength, and the pair's relationship is a delight to watch unfold on screen. Some other noteworthy performances include Judi Dench as the kindly maid Mrs. Fairfax and Jamie Bell as the unsettling St. John Rivers.
The great acting is matched by Fukunaga's phenomenal directing, who turns the halls of Thornfield Hall into a majestic catalyst for the story's emotional underpinnings. There is a ghost-like air surrounding the film's events, leaving one with the feeling that an unholy spirit could come floating through the walls at any given moment. Of course this never happens, but this edge of unease prevents the film from becoming just another historical romance piece.
It's remarkable how the character's conflicts are inscribed within the walls of the castle, which envelopes an air of mystery and tension. Mr. Rochester's greatest secret is buried within the halls of his fortress and Fukunaga marvelously represents this secrecy through camerawork that explores the vast, creeping halls of the castle and contrasts them with the sweeping, lonely hills of the lands surrounding Thornfield. The stylish direction is compounded by the fantastic cinematography, and I smell early Oscar buzz for cinematographer Adriano Goldman.
It's never an easy job to adapt a classic masterpiece into a film-let alone one that's already been made into a film no less than 27 times-but Fukunaga and his cast manage to leave their mark. With impressive directing and a great cast, Jane Eyre is a memorable modern take on a beloved classic that is sure to leave aficionados and newcomers alike satisfied.