To Eyre is divine

Thursday, April 11, 1996

Franco Zeffirelli’s triumphant adaptation of Brontë’s
classic boasts beauty, performance and passionBy Dina Gachman

Daily Bruin Contributor

Most likely, 19th-century novelist Charlotte Brontë would
be proud of the new film version of her novel "Jane Eyre." Unlike
most page-to-screen adaptations, the movie is a work of art that
does justice to its origins.

It is the story of a reserved, intelligent girl that suffers
through a parentless childhood, an abusive aunt, and the cruelty of
her stringently religious girls’ school. Jane (Charlotte
Gainsbourg) survives the school, only to fall in love with a dark,
mysterious man named Edward Rochester (William Hurt). The secrets
of Rochester’s past disrupt the lovers’ one chance of happiness,
and force Jane to confront her own demons.

Director Franco Zeffirelli ("Romeo and Juliet," "The Champ")
proves his ability to pull at the audience’s emotions, moving them
in a circle of tears, joy, and even an occasional laugh. Somehow he
does it without coming across as melodramatic or sappy. He begins
and ends the film with a drawing of the scene. The opening and
closing sketches give you the slight impression that you are
reading a book, or that you are getting the story straight from its
heroine ­ whose drawing talents are stressed in the movie.
Whatever the source, Zeffirelli’s decision to frame "Jane Eyre"
this way works, and draws you into its fairy tale-like world.

The director also made some excellent, and some not so
excellent, casting choices. The supporting actors are all
unforgettable and add much to the film with their small roles
­ except one. Who is the logical choice to play the wealthy,
beautiful woman who is after Rochester and his fortune? Some
luminous, unknown British actress? No, it’s Elle McPherson. Once
again McPherson jumps in as the screenplay’s description of the
tall, gorgeous female. If she really wants to make it in movies,
she should first of all learn to act, and second ­ watch out
for that one-dimensional pretty-girl stereotype that she’s falling
into. She just does not fit into this period piece. She’s a modern
supermodel, and this seeps through her attempt to hide her persona
with petticoats and curls. Thankfully, her screen time is brief.
Otherwise, she might throw the believability of the whole movie off
kilter.

Besides this mistake, Zeffirelli succeeds with his two stars.
Gainsbourg gives a career-boosting performance with her elegant and
entirely captivating portrayal of Jane. She has a unique face that
takes a little while to get used to. Not conventionally beautiful,
her looks begin to surpass even the supermodel when the depth of
her feeling (and her acting) is realized. She is dressed in plain
black for the majority of the time, and rarely does a smile creep
across her face. She is, in fact, the embodiment of Jane Eyre’s
sadness and intelligence. There is one shot in the film where Jane
is looking out of the window, and Zeffirelli lets the camera linger
on Gainsbourg’s face for just a few extra seconds. In those
seconds, her demeanor transforms into a million complex and
indescribable emotions. In that brief time, Gainsbourg’s power as
an actress is obvious.

Another memorable performance is given by William Hurt. The
actor seems to be taking a break from the bland, monotone, ho-hum
parts that he usually plays, and instead steps into a character
made up of infinite passions. Rochester’s life, like Jane’s, is
filled with a painful past and a lonely present. He is a man of
compassion, but his compassion extends to everyone but himself.
Until, of course, he meets Jane. Hurt gives a new dimension to his
abilities with this movie. He even pulls off a British accent so
well that it’s forgotten that he’s William Hurt the actor, and all
you see is Rochester.

Don’t let all of this romance frighten you if you’re wary of
emotional films. "Jane Eyre" is, undoubtedly, a romance, but that’s
by no means all it has to offer. It is full of human failings and
struggles, and laced with observations of society’s restrictions
and life’s weird way of giving people the fates that they deserve.
Mainly, it is the story of a young girl’s experiences ­ a
seemingly simple subject for a film that communicates so much.
"Jane Eyre" is a beautiful way to spend a few hours ­ if you
don’t count the minutes with McPherson.

FILM: "Jane Eyre," directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Adapted by
Franco Zeffirelli and Hugh Whitemore. Starring William Hurt, Anna
Paquin and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Opens today. Grade: A

(above) Charlotte Gainsbourg in Franco Zeffirelli’s "Jane
Eyre"

(below) Anna Paquin in Franco Zeffirelli’s "Jane Eyre"