BIG SCREEN: Jane Eyre Revieux (Rated PG-13)

In case the years since high school have erased the plot of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre from your memory, here’s a quick refresher… Jane is an orphaned young woman whose fiery spirit remains intact, yet buried beneath the surface after years of abuse and repression -- first at the hands of a wicked aunt, then the cruel headmaster and teachers at her Dickensian boarding school. When she’s finally set free and becomes a governess, she finds that, sadly, society can be similarly cruel and repressive. She finally seems to have a true shot at happiness when Rochester, the only man she’s ever loved, proposes to her, but a horrible secret he’s been harboring shatters her short-lived bliss.

After formulating my opinion regarding this latest film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s 19th century Gothic novel, I snooped around the internet to see what other people thought. I had a sneaking suspicion, and sure enough, the one thing that most other critics praised was the main thing I did NOT like about this movie: the performance of the lead actress.

Mia Wasikowska played Alice in Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland, and I found her to be consistently sort of cold and detached, which, I assumed, was probably what the delightfully odd Burton was after. (I find it’s best not to really question or analyze his choices, just go along for the ride.) But, I was curious to see what else she could do. Especially in such a challenging role as Jane Eyre.

I was impressed at first, as she masterfully conveyed a painful restraint that speaks to the conditions poor Jane had lived under all those years. But as the story progressed, I was disappointed to see very little else from her. She plays opposite the fabulous Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax, Rochester’s housekeeper, and a very aptly cast and fiery Michael Fessbender as Rochester. But I never saw the least hint of affection or passion behind her eyes – just that same painful restraint. Wasikowska’s performance remains so understated throughout the movie that it seems as though the cruelties and the inequities of gender and class Jane endured were successful in pretty much dilluting her spirit. Which is exactly the opposite of what the novel portrays.

But, alas, all was not lost. The non-linear approach was refreshing, the pacing was perfect, the cinematography was appropriately bleak, damp, and dreary, and the handling of the horrifying aspects of Rochester’s dirty little secret was quite tasty and suspenseful. But when the lead actress in the title role fails to deliver (or is not directed to deliver) a complex enough performance, sadly, the overall experience is just… meh. Worth it, however, for Bronte fans -- whom, I’m sure, will enjoying comparing and contrasting the novel and various adaptations – and for students, as a supplement to their required reading.

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