Impressions
Jane Eyre in her new avatar
The debate between movie buffs and bookworms is as old as the origin of films. Some say it stems from the eighteenth-century debates between poetry and painting, thus fostering views in which words and pictures are opposed. Before we get tangled up in this debate we should bear in mind that movies and books are two entirely different genres of entertainment. The action that is compelling and intriguing to read in a book might seem unnatural in a movie. Think of the Harry Potter movies, which are technically brilliant and completely devoted to the books. Yet I am sure those who have read the books will agree that the films lack a certain magic which can only be felt by readers. Moving on, I must confess that I found the latest adaptation of Jane Eyre quite compelling. Being a firm believer of the notion that movie makers possess a talent for butchering the text, I had to watch Jane Eyre, 2011 twice to re-evaluate my beliefs. The "poor, small and plain" Jane has had me mesmerized since I won a copy of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel as a prize in my sixth grade. From the very first pages I was swept into the life of Jane, which was an amazing tale of grim suffering and fervent passion. Of course, back then I was a mere twelve-year-old and could not fathom every emotion felt by Jane. Yet I found myself drawn to her, laughing and crying with her. I have read "Jane Eyre" at least three times since then. The latest adaptation of the novel was like a therapy for a fragment of my adolescent self residing inside me who had fallen in love with Jane Eyre so long ago. Meticulously directed by Cary Fukunaga from a neat script by Moira Buffini, the film captures the truly haunting life of Jane and follows her growth in a subtle but powerful way. Son of a Japanese father and a Swedish mother, Fukunaga shows just how to embark upon the intimidating task of turning a beloved work of classic literature into a movie. The movie opens with the mature Jane instead of telling the story chronologically as in the novel. In doing so, the screenwriter forges an emotional bond between Jane and the audience. The opening scene shows Jane (Mia Wasikowska) dashing across the stormy landscape, in a desperate flight to escape a painful truth. She lands at the doorstep of a young clergyman, St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell), and his two sisters (Holliday Grainger and Tamzin Merchant) who take her in and nurse her back to health. Her earlier life then unfolds in a series of flashbacks. Landing in the household of her aunt Sarah (Sally Hawkins) after her parents die of typhus, young Jane Eyre (Amelia Clarkson) is abused by her cousins and despised by her aunt. She is later shipped off to a strict boarding school and suffers greatly at the hands of the cold, unusually strict administration. Nonetheless she manages to cultivate her instinctive decency and self-assuredness. After completing her education, the 18-year old Jane finds work as a governess for Adele Varens (Romy Settbon Moore), the ward of Edward Fairfax Rochester (Michael Fassbender), master of Thornfield Hall. Jane, a teen orphan seems visibly wary as she starts her career in gloomy Thornfield Hall. Even the presence of the friendly housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench) cannot hide the fact that disturbing secrets are a living, roaming presence at the mansion. However, she masks her fear with her calm self-assuredness and it does not take long for young Adele to adore her. The surly Rochester also falls under the spell of his modest yet captivating governess. Someone who wants distraction from "the mire of my thoughts," Rochester is visibly refreshed by the spirited conversations he has with Jane. Although Buffini's script trims off some of the fat, it preserves Jane's urges for freedom. For Jane, freedom means the ability to think and act without external constraints, pretence or fear. Rochester senses the strength of her character and respects her for having a mind of her own. The lovely Aussie actress Mia Wasikowska, 21, best known for playing the lead in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland brings innocence and carnal curiosity to the role of Jane. With her stark, starched dresses and blunt, elastic face, she makes it seem more real as she draws you in, making Jane's pain and incredible resolve tangible. What about the charming, wounded, cynical, wild Mr. Rochester? The 33-year-old Irish actor Fassbender also accurately personifies the glowering and intense Rochester. Both Wasikowska and Fassbender have the right chemistry and make the screen sizzle with undercurrents of bridled passion. The novel's blend of religious dogma, Gothic horror and restrained sensuality satisfied the appetites of readers of the Victorian era and continue doing so today. It reminds us that women other than Jane Austen wrote timeless, rich tales in an age when women were considered little more than property. Brontë's Jane Eyre may not be rich and glamorous, but she possesses rare virtues like honesty, courage, compassion and humility, the kind of person every reader imagines himself to be deep inside. It is hardly surprising that this book has inspired so many film adaptations over the last century, the latest of which was directed by Fukunaga. He has reincarnated a classic for a new generation, letting Jane Eyre breathe in her new avatar.
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