Jane Eyre

Just hearing that Jane Eyre has been adapted once again for the screen might bring about a mind-numbing "Of course they are" response. One of the most recognizable novels of all time, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is the quintessential novel of female independence and equality, and has been an oft-filmed tale for the big screen and for television. With the rise of female role-models being the bad-tempered and bad-mannered women of reality TV, Jane Eyre brings us back to how women should be thinking about themselves: "Equal--as we are!" as opposed to, "Do my boobs look hot in this top?"

Cary Joji Fukunago (Sin Nombre) directs this latest update by screenwriter Moira Buffini (Tamara Drewe), who takes the familiar story and makes it feel contemporary, giving it a gothic touch that will appeal to modern-day audiences. The film opens with Jane (Alice in Wonderland's Mia Wasikowska) stumbling out of Thornfield Hall, sobbing, and finally collapsing on the doorstep of a clergyman's (Jamie Bell) home. But then it thrusts us back to Jane's upbringing, which is a harrowing tale in itself.

At age ten, Jane (Amelia Clarkson) is not only physically abused by her adoptive brother, but emotionally manipulated by her aunt (Sally Hawkins). Her aunt wants so badly to get rid of her that she sends her to a boarding school where she lives year round. Once there, she is met with contempt by her headmaster and teachers, but because she is a strong-willed girl, she doesn't stand for much of what they dish out. Unfortunately, this makes her an outcast, and the headmaster insists that the other school girls ignore her for the duration of her life at the school. Thankfully, she finds a friend in Helen Burns (Freya Parks), but the friendship is short-lived when Helen dies of consumption.

Once Jane graduates, she is sent to be a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she is assigned to teach English to the master's daughter. The Hall is a massive home, overseen by the kindly housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench.) After years of abuse, Jane finally feels free and accepted. But when the master, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender, of Inglorious Basterds fame), arrives, Jane starts to feel the weight of oppression. Rochester is snarky, rude, and arrogant, but Jane, after struggling for so many years, matches him wit for wit. This banter impresses Rochester, who sees an equal in Jane, even though she is his paid "subordinate." Eventually, Rochester falls for Jane, and despite her naivety regarding intimacy and her past treatment by both the men and women around her, she falls for him in return.

But there is a mystery that will test both of them: The ghost that seems to haunt Thornfield Hall. Every night there is a moaning coming from the walls, and more than once, strange happenings occur late at night: A fire. A physical assault. Just what is this entity, and is it supernatural or is it something darker?

This version of Jane Eyre is skillfull in every way, and it's a testament to the actors and filmmakers that we care so much about what will happen to Jane. The screenplay by Buffini is Oscar-worthy, and the dialogue snaps with a clever immediacy that is energizing.

This beautiful film is heightened by spectacular performances all around, starting with Clarkson as Young Jane. A remarkably focused actress, Clarkson allows us into the Jane we will grow to know and love, and her ease in front of the camera is remarkable. Judi Dench is always lovely, and while she doesn't have a lot to do, she adds a much needed warmth to a world that is too buttoned up for its own good. Fassbender is stoically handsome, at first making us dislike him intensely, but finally allowing us in to the damaged soul underneath. The brilliance of his performance is that we don't always know if we can trust him, just as Jane doesn't truly feel she can have faith in his actions. But like most people, we are not black and white, and his behavior is brought on by an inner struggle he has yet to resolve.

Which brings us to Mia Washkowska. An accomplished actress in her native Australia, she has blazed a path for herself with well-received roles in The Kids are Alright and Alice in Wonderland. Here, she proves that she is "the" actress to watch. Something of a Gwyneth Paltrow/Clare Danes hybrid, she never strikes a false note, and the strength, anguish, and confusion she feels is readily available to us with just a glance. She is that good. It's a shame that the film is being released so early in the year, because she is a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination.

While the movie runs on a bit too long toward the end, it is a continuously compelling story with characters so rich and emotionally complex, you want to study them. This is a throw-back to the old Merchant/Ivory movies that, while being a bit talky, never failed to engage. And with master filmmakers at work behind the camera and a cast that brings Bronte's classic characters to life in front of it, this is a film worthy of our attention.