Jane Eyre (1996, Franco Zeffirelli)
When I first heard director Franco Zeffirelli was going to film Bronte’s classic novel ‘Jane Eyre,’ I immediately thought that he was an odd choice for the project. Zeffirelli has a tendency of making everything look beautiful and I did not think he could adapt a Gothic tale. I was also surprised about the casting of William Hurt as the mercurial Rochester. Well, now that I have finally seen the movie, I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the best adaptations of the novel. I liked the fact that this beautiful production stays close to themes of the book but the rhythm of the film is all Zeffirelli’s doing. If you are hung up on the idea that movies must be replicas of the book they are based on, then this film is not for you. Personally, I think the film works marvelous well.
The elements of mysteries found in the story are somehow downplayed by Zeffirelli, while the romance is amplified, and I think this approach works great. As for the acting in the film, I think Hurt is simply superb. I have seen many actors play this part, but Hurt is one of the few thespians who don’t come across as an overbearing ham. Hurt finds Rochester’s soul, and the film benefits greatly from his deeply felt performance. Charlotte Gainsbourg is also great as Jane. The lovely music score by Claudio Capponi and Alessio Vlad, and the excellent cinematography by David Watkin are memorable contributions to the film. I never thought I could say this about the film, but I think it is definitely one of my favorite film adaptations of Bronte’s immortal classic tale.
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