On March 11, 2011, the movie "Jane Eyre" hit a select amount of big screens around the nation. As an avid lover of the book Jane Eyre, I was very much upset when the movie did not come to a theater near where I live. I really wanted to see the movie.
Well, tonight I found out it was playing in a town around thirty minutes from here, so a friend and I went and saw it.
Before I tell you more about the movie, let me give you a taste of what my expectations were before I entered the theater.
I had watched the trailers for the movie multiple times; I had found scenes and watch those as well; I read the book when I was in high school and fell in love with every word Charlotte Bronte scripted to bring the story together. This is my all-time favorite fiction book, even more than Jane Austen's books. The story, the plot line, of Jane Eyre is just so amazing and intriguing. I went into this movie expecting to have my breath taken away.
Well, that's not exactly what happened.
The movie began in a different way than I imagined, but I thought it was clever and understood what the director was trying to do. I liked the progression through the first part of the story because if you've read the book, you know the first part is kind of the slowest. But when Jane arrived at Thornfield, I expected more from the movie. From then on, I kept waiting for more and more, but it never came. When the screen went black at the very end, I kept saying, "No, no. Don't tell me this. No." And then it ended. My friend even mentioned to me one of the most significant details of the book that they just totally overlooked, and the last and probably most important chapters of the book are left out completely. I was so mad. I'm still a little heated if you can't tell.
But my anger at the failure of this movie does not stop here. No, I have a few people I need to address.
First, I must address Cary Fukunaga, director of "Jane Eyre."
Mr. Fukunaga,
What were you thinking? Did you think readers of this book would appreciate such a weak attempt to capture the essence of Jane Eyre? Did you think we wanted to be teased with each scene as it came so close to diving deep beneath the surface? No, we wanted to sink in the emotion and grief of the characters. Instead of my breath being taken away, I released it in huffs of frustration. Why would you even spend time attempting to make something that won't even come close to embodying what the book really says?
Next, I must address Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre. (Yes, I know she's dead.)
Dear Miss Bronte,
I'm extremely sorry for the poor attempt Focus Features and Cary Fukunaga made of this rendition of your wonderful classic. I'm sorry I paid the money I did to watch it. But I will tell you, this failure on the screen accounts for the fact that your work is so good that nothing can match it. I wish you could have been here to talk to the people who obviously needed help in making this movie.
Dear Reader of Jane Eyre,
You may have not read Jane Eyre, but whether you have read the book or constantly read the book all the time, I am sorry you had to endure this version of the book. Let me just tell you, RedBox it. Don't wast money seeing it in theaters. Many good scenes take place in the play, but the lack of enough details defeats any hope of a good moment in the movie.
If you have not read the book, let me just tell you this. You will enjoy the movie more if you have not read the book. But at this point, I would just suggest to get a copy of the book and read it. The book is so much more phenomenal and carries the plot so wonderfully. The depth of emotion and feeling does not reveal itself in the movie as it does in the book.
Yes, this is my review of "Jane Eyre." I don't recommend it, especially if you've read the book.
It just made me sad.
Until Next time,
God Bless
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