He engages Fontaine to be governess for his 'ward' Margaret O'Brien and love cannot take its course because of some really big barriers. Rochester who carries a secret tragedy within him.
Orson Welles with his stage training and magnificent voice and pieces of subtlety in his manner scores well as Mr.
The miracle is that Jane Eyre doesn't become as twisted as Catherine Sloper. In many ways the Garner/Fontaine character of Jane Eyre echo how Joan's sister Olivia DeHavilland as Catherine Sloper was brought up in The Heiress. Fontaine has played glamor roles, but she dialed down the surface beauty to give a finely etched performance as the shy young thing brought up in cruelty by her aunt Agnes Moorehead and schoolmaster Henry Daniell in the institutional school she is sent.įontaine is great, but she is also building on the performance of Peggy Ann Garner as the young Jane Eyre who has enough resiliency to overcome a really horrible childhood. Bruce could be a plain Jane.Īlso Joan Fontaine fresh off her Oscar for Suspicion was a far better actress. And no one could possibly have believed the glamorous Ms. And as befit that studio the budget for the project was pretty anemic. I had previously reviewed a 1934 version that starred Virginia Bruce and Colin Clive had done for Monogram. I count 22 versions on the Internet Movie Database, but this one starring Joan Fontaine as plain Jane Eyre and Orson Welles as the brooding Rochester is probably the best known. Reviewed by bkoganbing 8 / 10 The best Jane Eyre aroundĬharlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is certainly one popular item for adaption to the big screen and small. Overall, I loved this film and adaptation. Agnes Moorhead, Hilary Brooke and Elizabeth Taylor give superb performances even if their performances are brief, Henry Daniell is appropriately icy which makes his and Jane's conflict even the more interesting, Peggy Ann Garner is a very believable young Jane and Margaret O'Brien is cute. Orson Welles's Rochester is brooding and boisterous though I do understand why some may find that he overdoes it, I personally think he is more subtle than some of his other performances, and Joan Fontaine is a delicate, dignified and attractive(if slightly wan) Jane. The dialogue is suitably literate and intelligent, and Stevenson directs imaginatively as he always did. On its own terms it excels even more, particularly in the beautiful production values, the crisp black and white cinematography helps convey a genuine atmosphere, and Bernard Hermann's haunting score, his second best of the 40s after The Ghost and Mrs Muir.Ĭharlotte Bronte's story is so timeless, and I liked the passion the film exuded, how well-measured the pace was and the conflict between Jane and Brocklehurst was kept intact. The book is so wonderful, and I think this is a solid enough adaptation of it. That said, I had no problem with everything else. I do agree about the last 3 lines of the film hinting at a happier denouncement, which will have divided some people, I would have preferred it personally if they had maintained the "grimmer" tone of the book. But I do prefer this 1943 film to the 1970 version which was compensated by the production values, the score and the performances but could've done with more conflict(particularly between Jane and Brocklehurst) and a better VHS/DVD transfer, the 1997 version which had a great cast on paper but too short, too rushed and under-characterised and the Zeffirelli film which had its moments such as the way it was made but dull. Is it the best adaptation overall? No not for me, the 19 versions just beat it.
I think of the film adaptations of Jane Eyre, this film is the best one. Reviewed by TheLittleSongbird 9 / 10 One of the better adaptations of the book Meanwhile, the secret of Thornfield Hall could ruin all of their chances for happiness. Rochester seems to be returning the attention, he invites the beautiful and wealthy Blanche Ingraham (Hillary Brooke) and her party to stay at his estate. Denied love all of her life, Jane can't help but be attracted to the intelligent, vibrant, energetic Mr. Small, plain and poor, Jane Eyre (Joan Fontaine) comes to Thornfield Hall as governess to the young ward of Edward Rochester (Orson Welles).