Jane Eyre

First, I doubt if I can give ANY version of Jane Eyre a 10, as every version I have seen so far puts too much emphasis on the part of the book involving Rochester and Jane (which is important) and not enough on her proposal of marriage from the vicar (which is VERY important to Ms. Bronte's theme)--this juxtaposition of plots is essential. It is mentioned in passing in several of the movies but never is allowed to have the prominence that it had in the book.

Now, despite this, I would say that this is my favorite version of Jane Eyre, though the Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine version of the 1940s is close to being as good.

George C. Scott is a great Rochester--very gruff, brooding and unattractive--as well as an incredibly fine actor. Susannah York is a stronger and spunkier Jane than Joan Fontaine's and I prefer the spunkier one. The only area where the 1940s version seemed better was in the back story at the horrible school where Jane was raised.

This film needs restoration. It is so dark in some places you can't really see anything. George C. Scott is flat and wooden; no emotion. Susannah York is too old for the part. The movie is too short. With all that said I still rate it a 7. Give it a try but lower your expectations.

This movie's greatest strength is George C. Scott as Rochester. He is stern, abrupt, powerful, and playful - his character is fascinating and we can see why Jane becomes fascinated by him. Physically, too, he embodies the Rochester of the novel - large and athletic, not exactly handsome, but not exactly ugly, either. His performance makes this movie worth seeing.

The rest of the cast is competent, with special mention of the actress who plays Blanche Ingram. She plays that character with an important degree of authority to remind us of Jane's vulnerability.

I believe that anyone studying either the novel or the adaptations of Jane Eyre would benefit from watching this version.

... but not quite. The 40s version had the mist and the overacting of the great Mr Welles - this has a fabulous cast, particularly Scott and York who are both superb, but just falls short of the magic of the creaky old b&w version. This one has its moments a-plenty though and is well worth tracking down. A definite 8 out of 10.

I thought this little obscure adaptation was one of the better versions of the Bronte novel to ever be put on film. I would say that George C. Scott's Rochester ties with the best interpretations of the character with the likes of Mr.Orson Wells and Ciaran Hinds. The musical score (one of the earliest works of John Williams) was a haunting little melody that fit the film perfectly and I found the laughing and the "Grace Poole" parts more mysterious, even slightly more frightening. This version also has Blanche Ingram portrayed as Charlotte Bronte' had visioned, a tall brunette of a slightly older age and not rediculously imitated by a supermodel as in some other adaptations. Ms. York did a remarkable job as Jane Eyre, however, I believe the best Jane Eyre performance goes to Samantha Morton in the BBC 1997 version. However, Susanna York and George C. Scott's scenes have the most chemistry and tenderness in them. I thought this little version (even with Jane's 70's hair-do)was great and after a long search I finally found it on video. 8 out of 10.