Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a tough adaptation. You need a host of competent actors for the minor roles, good child actors and a brooding, fiery Bronte hero for Rochester, capable of attaching a variety of women and inspiring devotion in one of literature's great heroines.

There have been plenty of great Rochesters, George C Scott and Ciaran Hinds to name but two, and Toby Stephens may be another. The ladies certainly seem to think so.

But in Ruth Wilson we may finally have a memorable Jane Eyre. An actress who is strikingly beautiful but not superficially pretty. Who can look dour and empty, who is believably dull and innocent and yet simultaneously contains the fire for a great love story. She has fabulous poise and control. Only the smallest alterations of expression are required to communicate changing emotions bubbling below the surface. One of the reasons it fits so well into four hours is that Ruth can do 10 pages of prose with one change of expression. Adorable.

It goes along at a fair old pace. Jane is into and out of Lowood in the first 10 minutes. But the texture is right. The two central characters have sparked on and off each other very convincingly.

Will it be the one?

(After the Final Episode) There's no doubt. It is THE one. Started extremely well and got better and better. There are so many outstanding moments between the two leads and not just in the big scenes. Watch Ruth Wilson's incredible acting in the stairwell as she summons up the courage to enter the tower room to nurse Mason, balanced by Toby's concern followed by his wordless decision to trust her. Or his petulance as he welcomes her return from Gateshead, turning to delight in Jane's pleasure in coming home. The last episode is unforgettable. As good as television gets.

Magnificent.

Jane Eyre is my favourite novel of all-time. I do not say this lightly.

I have seen exquisite stage and screen adaptations. I have seen brutally laughable attempts. We won't go there...

The likes of Timothy Dalton and Michael Fassbender were incredible in their own right and their performances are cherished and highly regarded.

But Stephens was made for the part and captures the dramatic depth, the complexity of Rochester and gifts him with a spell-bindingly cheeky humour that is captivating and lovable.

Ruth Wilson is sublime as always. As a young girl reading and learning from Jane's struggles and loneliness, watching Wilson in 2006 amazed me as, for me, she embodies the values, the heart and willpower of Jane at an exceptional level. Her silence is loaded with depth and psychology. Her delivery hasn't been matched.

Wilson and Stephens are a joy to behold - heartfelt and credible as loving, humorous and silently powerful soulmates.

The ensemble supporting them are on par with the leads, complementing their chemistry and helping to bring this Bronte universe to life.

From the direction, production design, soundtrack and locations, this is a wonderful adaptation that must be seen and valued by as many people as possible.

Other adaptations have a rightful place in our understanding of various aspects and interpretations of the dynamics between the characters. The novel is so multi-faceted it is only to be expected that certain details captured in contrasting ways across all adaptations will resonate differently with people.

But to me, this adaptation epitomizes the psychology, the emotional depth, the connection and the humour of this literary couple. It asserts Jane's independent singular mind and heart. I return constantly to it.

It is definitely worth your consideration. And I say this 14 years after its initial release!

A wonderful adaptation of this classic. The casting is excellent, Ruth makes a delightful and intriguing Jane and Toby Stephens is an utterly fantastic Rochester. This is a compelling series, each episode leaves you anxious to see the next. The set designers, costume designers have excelled themselves and the lighting in particular is superb.

The acting is generally of an extremely high standard and has been very well cast. I would not be surprised to see this adaptation doing for Bronte what Pride and Prejudice did for Austen. Toby Stephens' Rochester is even more ruggedly handsome and desirable than Darcy (if that is at all possible). This should be on everyone's list of things to watch.

...but now I am truly hooked. As I waited patiently for each hour of more Jane, I grew to admire the way the book was handled. Yes, much of Jane's past is missing, but what is there is captivating. Georgie Henley is scarily mature - more than she has a right to be - and her understanding of young Jane's gravity and passion was wonderfully portrayed.

When Ruth Wilson took the scene, I didn't see at first how she was the unearthly Jane I had read. But it became clearer and clearer, and by far she is the most human and understandable Jane yet. Her face speaks volumes as she says nothing. "That face," comments Toby Stephens' Rochester. It is true. Though we see her silent face many times, we have no problem guessing exactly what she is feeling.

At first, I thought Toby was disappointing. I quite liked the sarcasm of William Hurt in the 1996 version, and Mr. Stephens seemed more brash than sarcastic, more flirting than teasing. But it was the chemistry that quite obviously grew between these two characters that has solidified Toby Stephens as Edward Fairfax Rochester for me. For the first time in a movie version, I realized how much the two had become friends first, and then soul mates.

Two other things were handled extraordinarily. The sex and the scary. From dark corridors and floating candles, burning beds, portraits of mad people and blood dripping, Susanna White got her Gothic right. It is almost a ghost story. This suspense keeps the story from being overly lovey-dovey, and shows a real contrast between the white taffeta-covered aristocracy, and the darkly-clad Jane in Rochester's dim study.

As for the X factor, this is not Jane Austen. Women can have conversations with men alone in rooms. Dark-haired, exotic beauties can seduce with a look, cheat with a smile and sin the world round. All of it is not afraid to show up in this version. Rochester and Jane's connection, displayed quite innocently and platonic in some versions, blazes with passion in this. The flashbacks in the final hour of series are some of the steamiest and most emotionally charged parts of this production.

It's heart-warming, passionate, suspenseful, full of beautiful scenery and costuming; all in all, a whole 4 hours of excellent entertainment. Don't miss out.

This is the first adaptation of Jane Eyre that I have seen and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Ruth Wilson, a relative newcomer to TV, is fantastic in the role of Jane. She captivates the role brilliantly and her facial expressions say it all, she need not ever speak. She is an amazing actress and I hope to see her more in the future.

What can I say about Toby Stephens in the role of Mr Rochester? He was born to play the this part as he captures the brooding, mysteriousness of Mr Rochester perfectly. He is an amazing actor and extremely handsome, he has now replaced Mr Darcy as the love of my life, I didn't think it was possible girls but watch this and you will feel the same.

The chemistry between the two actors is amazing, I don't know what I am going to do with my Sunday nights when it finishes.