Jane Eyre PART 2 | Page to Screen Comparisons

[@AnnieThyme]

I was surprised at how many of the adaptionsbfrom these 2 videos I had seen! it has been years since I saw most of them (barring the 2011 one which I watched last year) and this made me want to go back and revisit them all and the book again. I love this book to film series and can't wait to see what you choose to do next! I hope you are having a great day! :)

[@macklinloosley-millman9215]

The Autobiography of Jane Eyre is a great adaptation. It is a modern interpretation, but it is excellent and I love Jane.

[@rosasutubechannel]

Except they dont get the whole ending because he quit.

[@AmandaQuotidianBooks]

You are so right in regards to the Toby Stephens/Ruth Wilson adaptation. They add a lot of things that aren't in the book, but I like it so much because it still feels like the Jane Eyre world I built in my head, and I think it really aids the modern audience in understanding Jane herself and her relationship with a "much older" man. I saw the most recent adaptation in the theaters and was so disappointed. They stripped it down so much that I found it quite hollow of emotion, and Jane Eyre is such a passionate novel. It was all wrong for me. I'll have to see some of the other ones, though, and see if I change my mind! Thanks for the lovely video!

[@kirstyhill620]

+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) I agree I like the added bits for pretty much the same reason as you, it gave Jane more depth and made it more real, it didn't come across like something adapted from Fiction it came across as someone's actual history. I think the best thing about it though is the chemistry between Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, fantastic!

[@AmandaQuotidianBooks]

Kirsty HIll Absolutely! Their chemistry makes the entire movie!

[@LaurenWade]

+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) I do absolutely love the Stephens/Wilson relationship - definitely the best thing about that adaptation, especially compared with the 2011 one, although it really is such a different take on the mood that it's difficult to do a fair comparison! The only thing about that one is, exactly as you say, the revisions are there to help the modern audience - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a departure from the book from a purist perspective. Depends what you're looking for in your viewing :)

[@Maria_Efe]

Great videos! I rewatched the 2011 movie the other day, and I was once again blown away by how beautifuly it is shot and how haunting the soundtrack is, but I did feel that they had left most of the humour out (for example, they changed the scene when Jane asks Rochester for her wages a bit, by cutting the lines where he teases her). I agree that there isn't yet a "perfect" adaptation of Jane Eyre. I did enjoy the 2006 BBC mini-series, and Toby Stephens's Rochester is probably my favourite so far; I felt he was both brooding and sarcastic. I have also watched the 1996 movie, but I don't remember much, so maybe I need to rewatch it. Anyway, you've really made me want to watch the 1943 movie! And perhaps reread the book as well. ^_^

[@LilyEleanorReads]

I love this video series! I haven't actually watched an entire adaptation of Jane Eyre but your video is really helpful. Thanks so much!

[@hannahb9999]

the 2011 version is the only version i've seen, and it was what convinced me to read the book! (it's *so* beautifully shot, sometimes it looks like i'm watching a painting.) but now that i've heard your criticisms and read comments with similar criticisms, i'm super curious to watch these other versions!

[@hanffd]

I also especially love the version with Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds, mostly because of dramatization of the relationship between Jane and Rochester. It captures the love, the passion, and the intellectual meeting of minds between the two main characters. Thank you for this video.

[@hanffd]

I agree with your objections to the portrayal of Bertha in the Morton / Hinds version but at least Rochester's words imply that he cares about Bertha's welfare, that he has kept her with him because he is sure she would die in an asylum. This is in keeping with the book.

[@LaurenWade]

Yes! I forgot to say that actually - the response he gives for keeping her in the house is one of the most believable and forgivable. Literally just her appearance - otherwise I would have loved everything about that film! X

[@penrynsdreams]

Man, you've taken the words out of my mouth for all of the adaptations I've seen (the three most recent ones), which I think means I should check out the 1940s one! I do think the Cieran Hines and Samantha Morton one is my favorite, but it's the only one I saw before reading the book, so I'm probably hopelessly biased. The ones I've seen have all had interpretations of Jane and Rochester and their relationship that I really enjoy for various reasons, which overshadow my other desires in a perfect adaptation (like a humanized Bertha *shakes fist*).

[@LaurenWade]

+Jessica L. Ahh, bias is so hard to overcome when you see films before reading the book! You can't help but have certain images in your head. I think that adaptation is really under appreciated, but it is very difficult to find so maybe that's why not many people have seen it? I loved it though! x

[@carybaxter274]

Because I am a fan of Charlotte Bronte's book, I have enjoyed watching all the interpretations, but I agree that the 1997 version with Samantha Morton is the best. Your observations were keen and entertaining.

[@CalonLan15]

The first version I saw was the Wilson/Stephens version when it was aired. I actually hadn't read the novel when I watched it so I feel I need to watch it again now that I have! I remember enjoying it a lot at the time. I like the most recent film version (Fassbender

[@villekullart]

Thanks you so much for this! The page to screen videos are sooo great and helpful! I have to confess i haven't read the book when you uploaded part one but i tried to watch the new adaptation with fassbender and i couldn't watch it all, it feels so far off the description everyone gave me about the book and i went into it with the hope its a bit austen like and it wasn't, obviously. So i stopped watching it in the middle and put off reading the book, because i didnt felt like the story is really good. I was SOOO wrong! After you uploaded part 1 i watched two adaptation of the book (a movie and a tv show ... not so sure which ones but both featured in your previous video) and read the book. The story is so great and thanks for bringing me back to it!

[@villekullart]

+villekull Art OH and I'm going to give the new adaptation a second chance, especially since i like the actors in it a lot. Let's see how that goes

[@greymouse718]

There is only one version worth seeing. It is 1983. The cast is splendid. The main characters are unforgettable. You feel their passion, it thrills you. Besides, it's true to the novel. The scriptwtiters shouldn't alter the plot. They can't do better than Bronte had done. We should bear in mind that it was the 19th century. It's English classic, that's why we love this novel as it had been written by the author. No one would think of adding something new to Raphael's pictures to make them look mordern. Why do the scriptwriters dear to do it with classic literature? Then all those adaptations, like 1996 and later are anything but "JaneEyre".

[@vatnsmelona-4571]

Aww I love the miniseries - Toby is my favourite Rochester but the only one I've seen hmmm I love Charlotte gainsbourg tho! so you've got me excited about that adaptation also the Orson welled and Samantha Morton one I'm going to have to watch!!

[@popolitokonkoko]

Hi Lauren, I love your Page to Screen series! My comment is not about Jane Eyre, but I have a brilliant idea and request: You should do this for A Christmas Carol around Christmas time! It would be so perfect!!!

[@tymanung6382]

The spirits time space travel capabilities resemble high tech/high physical.science alien without UFO/UAP.

[@-ParisTexas-]

Thanks for this. I love Jane Eyre, the book and the adaptations. The first series I saw was the 1983 one with Timothy Dalton. I really loved it then. And every week I would look forward to the new episode. Being only 11, I had not read the book, but I started my love for it. I also saw the 1997 one with Charlotte Gainsbourg and the 2011 one with Mia Wasikowska. But by far my favorite is the 2006 series with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens.

[@rosasutubechannel]

Ok how did you watch the first 3 episodes with no idea what was coming next and still want to watch more at age 11! Those are incredible hard to sit through for me even now, and 1983 is my favorite too.

[@brandyloutherback9288]

I also liked how in the scene we meet Rochester, Jane's corset is pulled too tightly, so Jane must bee really out of it!

[@rosasutubechannel]

From whitch one

[@littlenimi774]

I am horrifically guilty of just skipping to find my favourite one and I was so happy to hear my thoughts basically echoed when I never hear it talked about 1997 for the win!!! I think the Jane and Rochester are SPOT ON Ciaran Hinds is the best Rochester I have seen thus far, it is the only adaptation I own on dvd. I will watch the rest of the video, just needed to gush about this!!!! You are so right about the way that Bertha is presented though which has always been the bit that's bothered me and I never understood why it bothered me until I read Wide Sargasso Sea during my A levels!

[@katetonkin9080]

I would have to agree with you, Lauren, that they have yet to perfect the adaption of Jane Eyre but of the three I have seen there are different points that I feel has achieved the story in my own mind. I watched the Timothy Dalton series before I read the book, and strangely it had no influence on my reading, rather I found it good but almost awkward. Dalton was a physically good Rochester for me, but Toby Stephen's had more of the emotion and tone of the book character. Studying the history and social ideas of the early nineteenth century gave me a greater appreciation of the Toby Stephens version, and the relationship works best for me. Additionally, Ruth Wilson's intensity and emotion were a better fit for my reading of Jane. However, the most recent movie held the best St John for me, I don't know why but none of the other conveyed St John as well as Jamie Bell. He was my perfect St John. Thanks for a great two-part video.

[@LaurenWade]

+Kate Tonkin The more I think about it, the more I love Toby Stephens! Definitely one of the most convincing relationships :) Ha, yes I love Jame Bell as well. Didn't really get a chance to talk about the St Johns, but there are certainly some weird interpretations out there! xx

[@shellyowens8629]

I really liked this two-parter :) When I was rereading Jane Eyre for my comps, I decided to watch whatever adaptations Netflix had to offer. It was neat seeing all the different interpretations on screen, though I missed the one with Orson Welles -- I'll have to get on that! But I do have the latest two versions on dvd and I decided that the one with Ruth Wilson is my favorite. I loved how the structure of the one with Fassbender begins in the middle, but at the same time, the actors didn't inhabit the characters as well for me as Wilson and Stephens.

[@kirstyhill620]

I loved this review of the adaptations it's so interesting to hear what you think and look through the comments to see what others think too. We all have our favourites and it's always interesting to see why others might prefer a different one to me.Will you be doing anymore of these? If so do you know which one you will be doing next as I haven't many of the classics that have adaptations and would like to read the book for the next one you do so I'm not out of my depth :)

[@LaurenWade]

+Kirsty HIll Oh, that's something I never thought about - announcing which book I'll be doing next! Thanks for that! I am planning on doing Anna Karenina next, but it's a long book so not sure about timings. Will have to let everyone know when I'm certain about my schedule so that folks can read along :)

[@LaurenWade]

+Reads and Daydreams just realised that could be read as sarcastic....it's not!! I genuinely never considered that people might want a heads up :)

[@kirstyhill620]

+Reads and Daydreams Don't worry, I didn't read it as sarcasm. I've seen the Keira Knightly film adaptation but I've never read the book. Look forward to seeing the next one :)

[@GraemeBell9864]

Read 'Wild Sargasso Sea' by Jean Rhys. It's Bertha''s back story.

[@LaurenAndTheBooks]

I loved these two videos Lauren! And it's made me want to re read Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. Have you read Wide Sargasso Sea? If not, you should definitely check it out! X

[@LaurenWade]

No, I've not read Wide Sargasso Sea yet (don't like the idea of prequels/sequels written by different authors as a general rule) but have head such good things that I'm really looking forward to it!

[@LaurenAndTheBooks]

+Reads and Daydreams I studied it for A Level and it's been a favourite of mine since. I feel the same about prequels/sequels written by different authors but this really is something special! X

[@LadyofLetters]

Lovely video! I agree with you on a lot of points here. Personally, the Ruth Wilson & Toby Stephens version is my favourite "Jane Eyre". They do make some slightly silly changes and have major pacing issues, but it's not afraid to amp up the gothic drama which is so necessary to make the story work. I also think that Wilson and Stephens are great as their characters, particularly Stephens who is my favourite Rochester and always how I pictured the character. I did watch it at an impressionable age (when I was about 13 or 14) and it really helped me fall in love with the book, so perhaps I'm biased. I thought the 2011 film was ok, but nothing special. It looks fine, and I quite liked the use of flashbacks but I found the film plain and dull. If you try to make "Jane Eyre" realistic, it's just not going to work. I thought Mia was very lovely as Jane, but I thought Michael Fassbender was completely wrong for the part and didn't bring any of the wit and flamboyance which made Toby Stephens so great.

[@LaurenWade]

+Lady of Letters But, Emily....he's so beautiful!!! You're right though, I do really love the tone of the 2011 as a film in itself, but it definitely falls flat as a Jane Eyre. It's an interesting question though, as so much of Jane Eyre is a little ridiculous, but you go with it in the book, and I've found that it's so difficult to achieve the same feeling onscreen.

[@CarolynsReadingRamblings]

Of the more recent adaptations, the 2 that I have seen and really enjoy are the 2006 and 2011 adaptations and while I do think that the 06 was closer to the book I love Michael Fassbender's Rochester! When he does the string speech (dunno if that is what it is called but do you know the part I mean?) he just delivers it so well! However, my favorite adaptation is actually a modernized literary webseries called the Autobiography of Jane Eyre, which I cannot recommend highly enough. All the actors did a great job, the transition to modern day is really well written while still staying true to the feel of the book. Also, this is silly, but one of my favorite things about this version is that it is the only one I've seen that even mentions Miss Temple (but I have only seen 3 or 4 other adaptations so she may have been in one you've seen?). Anyway, highly recommend that one and this was a great video :)

[@ArteoftheMist]

I love this series, the day is always good if I see you've put it up. I have to agree about the Fassbender versoin being brooding. I think the superfluous parts they took out are the ones I enjoyed in the books and the other adaptations which may be why I wasn't the biggest fan of this movie. I'll have to check out the Noir version, sounds really interesting :)

[@LaurenWade]

+Artemist Aw, I'm glad that you like them! I do still enjoy the Fassbender movie for different reasons :) It's so difficult! The adaptatons are all so different! :S x

[@Nataliecj]

I've only seen the Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles one and the Mia Wasikowska one, but you're right, they haven't really made a solid Jane Eyre yet which is weird because it's such a great book. It just must be a difficult novel to adapt! The most important thing for me probably is that Jane and Rochester have really good chemistry, if the chemistry isn't there it loses all the passion of the novel. I love this video series, any idea what you're going to do the next Page to Screen on? Maybe another Jane Austen? Adaptations can go very right or horrible wrong!

[@LaurenAndTheBooks]

Ps please do this for Wuthering Heights! X

[@LaurenWade]

I have already! :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYDRZn9mpNR_irM

[@LaurenAndTheBooks]

+Reads and Daydreams FANTASTIC NEWS! I shall be checking this out! X

[@francestaman8032]

It's interesting how many and varied interpretations there are of this book! Though I love most of the recent interpretations I find the 2011 version so aesthetically beautiful and the moodiness suitable, but if we're being honest it has a lot to do with Michael Fassbender...

[@LaurenWade]

Yeah, I do really like the mood (and Michael Fassbender's face) and it's such a lovely, watchable film :)

[@morganp4249]

These videos are my current fave thing!! What book~movie are you thinking of doing next?

[@tymanung6382]

Interesting..The Bronte s themselves were Celtic origins---father Patrick was Irish,.mother Maria was Cornish? They seemed to attempt (well) to assimilate as English (though overt Celtic identities would have provoked English chauvinists against them. They already were initially wary of male chau vinism.

[@abcdefgold]

I really did love the 2007 adaption, but my little niggle with Rochester was that occasionally he came off a little too...Hugh Grant-ey? I'm not sure that's totally fair, but the scene when he offers Jane some money before she visits her sort of family and then he asks for it back, he's very charming and it's a very sweet scene but in my head I was thinking "Oh, it's Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones' Diary." A bit off putting because the characterisation felt a little modern.Then again, I guess Hugh Grant's character in Bridget Jones' was based on a 1800s era character... Maybe he was a bit too good looking, but I loved their relationship I thought they made the best on screen couple! 2007 Rochester was wonderful when he was playing vulnerable. Also, I think it made sense to go with a younger actor to play Rochester. Age differences in older novels always catch me a little off guard, so maybe casting actors closer in age suits a modern audience better : ) (That scene where Jane & Rochester are basically making out on his bed could have been edited out though, not only did it seem out of character for Jane, but it made her decision to leave seem a little cold-hearted. I don't think Rochester would have been out of his mind to believe she had basically forgiven him, or was at least open to forgiving him, after that....and then she just leaves :0)

[@LaurenWade]

+ellensarah Ha, I completely see the Hugh Grant thing! I think they are definitely one of my favourite couples, but yeah, I guess the problem I have with the adaptation isn't that I don't like the changes (him being younger etc.) and additional scenes, because they do benefit a modern audience, but that if so much is changed can you really call it a great adaptation of Jane Eyre? Because it's not reeeaaally what Charlotte Bronte wrote anymore. Hmmm! :) Oh yeah, that scene feels a bit unnecessary I think, but it does at least reveal their passion for each other. I still didn't read Jane as heartless though as, ultimately, he's still married to someone else and it would have been a huge sacrifice for her to put herself in that position. I think it's more of her wrangling with her feelings and wanting to forgive him but being unable to :)

[@abcdefgold]

Reads and Daydreams I definitely didn't read Jane as heartless in the book, just in the film, the addition of that little scene before her departure just seemed a little cold to me, still I thought Ruth Wilson did a wonderful job making Jane so...'book-like' : ) After this 'page to screen' series i'll definitely be checking out the 1997 version too, which I haven't seen yet, maybe Samantha Morton will be my new 'perfect Jane' :)

[@rosasutubechannel]

She did forgive him completely, she always did, but she still had to leave. (For her own self respect, and her beliefs, also she believed living like that would ruin what they had)

[@locacamel]

I absolutely love these videos. I'm going to look into the 1997 version. I thought the 2011 adaptation was beautiful but didn't think much else of it. Have you read "Wide Sargasso Sea?" Its the story of Bertha before moving to England

[@LaurenWade]

+Laura Martinez I haven't yet but am looking forward to it - have heard good things :)

[@TheStarflight41]

1997 if you want to see chemistry and real passion... and an amazing cast. Samantha Morton is simply perfect as Jane Eyre.

[@rosasutubechannel]

...are you sure you remember that fire scean from 1997? For me they compleatly ruin the fire scean with him being overly jerky and shouting at her multiple times (and she dose not help and then runs out in what appears to be terror of him.) He is also too mean in a bunch of other sceans. Similar to 1970 he is just too mean. Most others make him to nice. And then 1973 is just... i mean he is really good but... yah you know way to slow. 1983 really captures why they fell for eachother, and the fun they have, without losing the essence of the characters in a way I don't get from the others except maybe 2011 but they make that one to romantic.

[@amybuchler8874]

My favorite Rochester is Timothy Dalton, although not my favorite film version. I honestly don't have an overall favorite Jane Eyre. I feel like every film leaves me feeling that it doesn't do the book justice in its interpretation.

[@KJTR90]

I have the same thoughts about the Zeffirelli version... it's not bad, the pair works great together, but it's just not "Jane Eyre". I've seen the Hinds/Morton (Capt. Wentworth/Harriet Smith) version years ago, I don't quite remember it -- I'll sure rewatch it. My first beloved version was the Timothy Dalton/Zelah Clarke version, though now it does seem quite old-fashioned. I really like the 2007 version -- but it took me 2-3 rewatchings to warm up to the changes. Ruth Wilson is such a perfect Jane and we do have a nice cousin-relationship. I agree that some parts of the original work great in the novel but not so much on film or in a mini series. Also it really requires skill to show the Jane/Rochester relationship properly and not creepily. Have you seen the Canadian webseries modernization "The Autobiography of Jane Eyre"? It's lovely; the first two episodes are slightly awkward, but then it gets great. It is surprising how they managed to modernise this story in a believable way!

[@EDDIELANE]

nowadays we want Rochesters who fuuuuuuuuuuu……..