Mildly disappointing version of this classic story! This early B&W definitely had both its strengths and its weaknesses. Wonderful performances from Joan Fontaine as the adult Jane and Peggy Ann Garner as the young Jane. As Rochester, however, Orson Welles came across as too stiff and angry. In the novel he is written as a troubled and frustrated man but capable of passion, love and even humor. None of this came across in this version. The script had numerous flaws. Jane’s early life was somewhat rewritten and abbreviated. Since her adult life was a product of her childhood, these story additions and cuts made it necessary to have read the novel in order to understand Jane’s personal struggles. Her life at Thornfield Hall was fairly well written although abridged, but after she fled Thornfield the story was so completely altered that this vital third of her life is butchered almost beyond recognition. When Jane and Rochester are finally reunited, the impact of their time apart is completely lost. The B&W filming is excellent but the cave-like atmosphere of Thornfield seemed more suited to the brooding nature of “Wuthering Heights” than of “Jane Eyre”. In spite of the secrets and intrigue at Thornfield, running through the entire novel is an undercurrent of passion, hope and love. Not so during this film. Even the conclusion leaves the viewer with a darker feeling rather than the joy that is felt in the novel. Even with its weaknesses, if you are a fan of this story this is definitely one to see. ***
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