Jane Eyre

On its publication in 1847, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre was something of a radical text. Its protagonist was a fiery, self-sufficient yet morally intact female who prompted one critic at the time to denounce the work as "one of the coarsest books which we ever perused." For a heroine considered so audacious, Cary Fukunaga's take on the English classic could do with a bit more bite.

Though Fukunaga has rearranged the narrative - rather than beginning with her childhood, the film opens with Jane (Mia Wasikowska) fleeing over the Yorkshire Moors and collapsing outside the house of clergyman St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) - Jane Eyre employs few gimmicks. Bronte's novel is depicted with the conservatism of someone who's afraid to fiddle too much with the original. Rather than being governed by overstylized cinematography, then, it is characters alone that drive the narrative.

Jane certainly has a lot to say for herself; indeed, she is considered to have been at the vanguard of feminism. A harsh upbringing by her callous Aunt Reed (the formidable Sally Hawkins) leads to her first act of defiance, as she stuns the guardian with: "People think you are good, but you are hard-hearted." A subsequent stint at the grim Lowood charity school, where Jane is constantly threatened with the awaiting depths of hell, makes her sturdier stuff still.

But it's on arrival at Thornfield Hall to start work as a governess that Jane really comes into her own (at this juncture, child actor Amelia Clarkson is succeeded by Wasikowska), encountering as she does handsome, brooding owner Edward Fairfax Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Her refusal to be deferential to Rochester ironically renders Jane more attractive to him, and the ensuing relationship has them ricocheting insults across the drawing room with flirtatious venom.

A mutton-chopped Fassbender plays the tortured master well; his gibes at Jane's upbringing and "story of woe" are those of a lonely man who's been stung by love before and isn't ready to accept that a subordinate is worthy of him. Wasikowska is the perfect foil - she gives Jane sass alright, but never flaunts herself sexually, neither does she act the demure flower. Any moments of weakness from Jane (her jealousy at Rochester's flirting with Blanch Ingram) are soon counteracted with attitude, such as her refusal to take extra money for her duties. Both actors understand the unorthodox relationship, and together, they're enticing to watch.

By the bye, Judi Dench's friendly housekeeper, Mrs Fairfax, though used sparingly, is unsurprisingly a highlight, with Dench's Yorkshire heritage ensuring the accent is impeccable.

Jane Eyre's cast does more than enough to command attention for the span of the film, but one can't help feeling the composition is a little too straightforward. Some big-screen magic is missing.

One strand that's definitely undercooked is Jane Eyre's horror element: bedrooms mysteriously set ablaze and house visitors being stabbed as they sleep. Though this is all covered, it's not pronounced enough and therefore not horrific enough. Here is a rare case of a movie that could actually do with more melodrama: orchestral blasts, punch-drunk camera angles, the occasional demonic screech.

When the truth behind the strange goings-on is eventually uncovered, it's with a whimper, not a bang. Such a revelation should send a shiver down your spine (and preferably up again), but it doesn't. This subsequently undermines Jane's running away, which is arguably the most important decision she makes.

As a story in its own right, Jane Eyre remains in vibrant health. Though its rebellious lead doesn't sparkle quite so uniquely anymore, Jane is still a vividly alluring character, which Wasikowska realizes to stunning effect. Fukunaga's no-nonsense approach doesn't mar Bronte's novel per se, but neither does it add anything innovative of its own. It lacks the "wow" factor that would place it in the league of great literary adaptations like Lean's Great Expectations and Hitchcock's Rebecca.

Ultimately, there's nothing to argue that Jane Eyre couldn't have functioned just as well as a solid TV adaptation.

Will Noble can be reached at
wnoble@praguepost.com