I too love the novel Jane Eyre; in spite of not being of the fairer sex. I've seen two film versions; this one and most recently the Willian Hurt/Charlotte Gainsbourg version. I somehow was more moved by the later which was nevertheless a film with some grave casting errors (supporting roles) and a botched compression of the last chapters of the book.
I think readers forget that the novel is not really as passionate as they seem to want the film to be. There is not all that much dalliance between the two main characters at all. They are both totally reticent by nature and there is scarcely a hint of their mutual regard until the later part of the novel. At least, I don't recall the narration in the book being explicit in revealing the emotions. It is like, in the book, the payoff is the wish-fulfillment of the reader even more than the characters.That would be hard to convey in a film. So,in this regard I think the Zefferelli film succeeds more. In my opinion a Fassbinder/Gainsbourg version with the Zefferelli sets would be superior. And I do agree with most folks, the man is supposed to be ugly. The greatest version will have an actress like Gainsbourg who is both ugly and the most beautiful woman alive simultaneously and an actor who is generally ugly on the surface and possibly much deeper until we are shown otherwise.
Finally, I would like to see a version that does justice to the back half of the novel where pressure is rising on Jane to marry the minister. That create great tension for the reader in the novel.
I think readers forget that the novel is not really as passionate as they seem to want the film to be. There is not all that much dalliance between the two main characters at all. They are both totally reticent by nature and there is scarcely a hint of their mutual regard until the later part of the novel. At least, I don't recall the narration in the book being explicit in revealing the emotions. It is like, in the book, the payoff is the wish-fulfillment of the reader even more than the characters.That would be hard to convey in a film. So,in this regard I think the Zefferelli film succeeds more. In my opinion a Fassbinder/Gainsbourg version with the Zefferelli sets would be superior. And I do agree with most folks, the man is supposed to be ugly. The greatest version will have an actress like Gainsbourg who is both ugly and the most beautiful woman alive simultaneously and an actor who is generally ugly on the surface and possibly much deeper until we are shown otherwise.
Finally, I would like to see a version that does justice to the back half of the novel where pressure is rising on Jane to marry the minister. That create great tension for the reader in the novel.