Themes: Star-Crossed Lovers, Haunted By the Past, Orphans
Main Cast: William Hurt, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joan Plowright, Anna Paquin, Geraldine Chaplin
Release Year: 1996
Country: IT/FR/US/UK
Run Time: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Director Franco Zeffirelli stresses emotional realism over gothic chills in this restrained adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic. The screenplay, by Zeffirelli and Hugh Whitmore, remains relatively faithful to the original story, beginning with a condensed look at the troubled childhood of young Jane (Anna Paquin) and her mistreatment by a cruel aunt (Fiona Shaw). The bulk of the film centers on Jane as an adult (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a prim governess who accepts a position at Thornfield Hall caring for the young Adele (Josephine Serre). There Jane also must deal with the estate's head, Edward Rochester (William Hurt), a mysteriously brooding yet oddly alluring older man. She finds herself drawn to Rochester, but their potential romance is threatened by Jane's fears and Rochester's internal torment. Rather than the spooky visuals of earlier adaptations, Zeffirelli and cinematographer David Watkins opt for a subdued gloominess, placing emphasis on Gainsbourg's and Hurt's wounded portrayals. Fans of the gothic will likely find Zeffirelli's interpretation anemic in comparison to the passionate 1944 version with Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles, though others may appreciate the more naturalistic and faithful approach. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Review
Zefferilli's film version of the oft-filmed Brontë novel is surprisingly short on romance. In the prototype Gothic romance, the eponymous young heroine (Charlotte Gainsbourg) takes a post as a governess at the vast abode of Mr. Rochester (William Hurt), a tall, dark, wealthy stranger, whose darkened brow betokens a stormy past. For whatever reason, Zefferilli has chosen to abandon his florid brand of romanticism in exchange for quietly tasteful production values without much in the way of expressiveness. Eschewing the evocative power of myth and archetype, he opts for realism and psychology in what feels like a romance between a shy bookstore clerk and a saturnine professor. To that end, he's cast the film well. Gainsbourg makes the heroine's quiet goodness and gift of insight believable, while Hurt emphasizes Rochester's pain and complexity, scanting the aggression and passion which is an integral part of the character. The excellent cast includes Anna Paquin, Joan Plowright, Billie Whitelaw, John Wood, and Maria Schneider. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
