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Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

By Patrick Samuel • March 7th, 2012
Static Mass Rating: 5/5
JANE EYRE (Blu-ray)
Universal Pictures

Release date: March 12th, 2012
Certificate (UK): 12
Running time: 120 minutes

Director: Cary Fukunaga
Writer: Moira Buffini
Composer: Dario Marianelli

Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench, Jamie Bell

When I was at school, I had a lot of trouble with the classics. Not all of them though, Bram Stoker, Lovecraft and Mary Shelly weren’t a problem, but Daniel Defoe, Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte I struggled with.

Why? I’m not quite sure, especially after seeing Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation. It’s given me an entirely different perspective on this 19th century novel, visualising it in such gothic splendour that there wasn’t a moment during the film’s 120 minutes that my heart simply didn’t skip a beat.

Jane Eyre

Mia Wasikowska plays the title role of Jane, who flees Thornfield Hall where she works as a governess for Edward Fairfax Rochester’s (Michael Fassbender) young daughter, Adèle Varens. Despite her reclusiveness and Rochester’s impulsive nature, the two fall in love, but unknown to her is the dark secret he’s kept hidden. It’s an inevitable revelation waiting to destroy them both.

Jane finds shelter in the home of a kind clergyman, St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell), and his family. There she takes on a new job while she recuperates, but knows only too well that one day she will have to face it all, including her beloved Rochester.

Told in flashbacks, Fukunaga pieces together a story I couldn’t tear my eyes away from, not even for a second. Although he moved the time period up by a few years to improve on the costumes, Jane Eyre emerges as the film I always wanted to see in my mind when reading the book, which I struggled with in my youth.

Jane Eyre

It’s impossible to contain the emotions as we see Jane making her way back to Thornfield Hall, only to discover the horror of what happened during her time away. It’s a breathtaking film, based on a story I am only now starting to understand and appreciate. The performances are stunning; Wasikowska is everything you could ask for here and Fassbender is magnificent as the frighteningly charming Rochester.

I was captivated by the cinematography and score as well. Never have the grey skies and wet fields looked as achingly beautiful as they have in Jane Eyre and as Dario Marianelli’s score worked its magic it was Jack Liebeck’s masterful violin playing that moved me quietly and peacefully to tears.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • Director’s Commentary
  • Deleted Scenes
  • A Look Inside Jane Eyre
  • To Score Jane Eyre
  • The Mysterious Light of Jane Eyre

Needless to say, Jane Eyre has renewed my interest in classic literature and in no time at all I was thumbing through the fiction section at my local library under “B” to relieve those moments I had only just experienced on the screen. For all its beauty and tragedy, it’s a story that will remain with me for a long time to come.

Jane Eyre

Patrick Samuel

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

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