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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Day 05 - Favorite love story in a film

I'm a sucker for a good love story, so this is a tough one.  I guess I'll go with an obvious one, Jane Eyre (1983).  Okay, this is actually a mini-series, but it's my favorite filmed version of my favorite book, so I'm saying it counts.


It stars Zelah Clarke as Jane Eyre and Timothy Dalton as Edward Rochester, and while Clarke fits the book's descriptions of Jane being short, unassuming, and plain, Dalton is physically all wrong to play Mr. Rochester.  He's tall, handsome, and nicely built, while the Rochester in the book is short, ill-proportioned, and not much to look at.  But Dalton so perfectly captures Mr. Rochester's personality that I have to forgive him his good looks.  He broods so perfectly, you see, plus he growls, rants, cajoles, and glowers in precisely the right proportions -- he's the perfect Rochester in everything but appearance.  (This is just like how Hugh Jackman is completely wrong, physically, to play Wolverine, but he portrays Wolvie so sublimely I don't care that he's not nasty, brutish, and short.)


Anyway, Jane Eyre is all about the romance and how it brings Jane to life in ways she never imagined, turning a lonely governess into a happy bride-to-be.  Then, of course, the whole thing falls apart and we're all desperately sad for quite some time.  But an unhappily ended romance could never be my favorite, so you know everything gets sorted out in the end.


I first read Jane Eyre in high school, and between it and Rebecca, I became a firm fan of May-December romances and Byronic Heroes, the broodier the better.  Got a dark past, sinister secret, irresistible charm, and a desperate need to be cheered up?  I'm all yours.  Fictionally speaking, of course -- in real life, I married the least-Byronic guy you'll ever meet ;-)

10 comments:

  1. But Dalton so perfectly captures Mr. Rochester's personality that I have to forgive him his good looks. He broods so perfectly, you see, plus he growls, rants, cajoles, and glowers in precisely the right proportions -- he's the perfect Rochester in everything but appearance.

    This just made me grin and grin!

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  2. Hee :-) It's quite true -- I really can't think of anyone else as Rochester.

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  3. I agree! :D I love Timothy Dalton as Rochester!

    I also wanted to add that Jane Eyre is a good choice for a love story.

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  4. I kind of decided not to even bother seeing the new version because I love this one so much. Maybe on video sometime. Maybe. But no one can hold a candle to Dalton in this role, IMHO.

    Glad you liked my choice :-D

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  5. Intriguing! I need to see if this is at my library! I suppose Michael Fassbender was a bit too handsome for Mr. Rochester, too...Neither of these Mr. Rochesters fit the one in my mind. :( But I certainly don't think their looks mar the story! :)

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    1. Michael Fassbender is not quite so handsome as Timothy Dalton, in my book, but he was also too nicely put together to fit the description. However, he did a nice job (I reviewed that version somewhere around here), just not as much to my taste as Dalton's. Definitely try to find this! Because it's longer, it gets to dig deeper than the new movie version.

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    2. You know what's weird? I found a BBC version of Jane Eyre at the library, but it has a totally different cast! I couldn't find the one you told me about, but it might just be out right now.

      Have you seen this other BBC version; and, if you have, is it very good?

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    3. Nope, I haven't seen another BBC version -- who's in it? I know there's a version with Ciarin Hinds as Rochester too, but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, and I don't know if that was for BBC or not.

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  6. This other BBC Jane Eyre stars Sorcha Cusack and Michael Jayston (you can look at it on Amazon)...I should grab it next time I go. :) I looked up the other one with Ciarin Hinds, and that one is by A&E. Wow, there are so many versions!!! :)

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    1. Huh, nope, never even heard of that one. But yes, there are lots of them -- it's a popular story, I guess!

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