Hands down, the 1983 mini-series starring Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke is the best movie adaptation of Jane Eyre, the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte. This movie is very true to the book, and the actors were born to play their parts.
Timothy Dalton makes the most of his theatrical training and experience, bringing to life Mr. Rochester, the mysterious owner of Thornfield. The man is intriguing from the moment he appears in the movie. You know little about him, but you just feel that there is a reason for his sternness. His bright mind and sharp conversation reveal a man of great intellect, and his unusual manner betrays being familiar with grief and perhaps having resigned to it. There is some dark story behind all this, and you just can’t wait to see it unveiled, together with Jane.
Jane, played by Zelah Clarke, is impeccable. She is exactly the Jane described in the book: small and plain as a child, petite and plain as a young woman. You believe Mr. Rochester when he ways that he wouldn’t have guessed her age: she can be eighteen or thirty. In reality, she is 18, but her character is fully formed and so well-rounded that it puzzles and intrigues Mr. Rochester. Her calm demeanor, dignity, smart observations and thoughtful opinions are what attracts him, not physical beauty; this is a very important aspect of the book, and it is portrayed brilliantly in the movie.
I have seen the 1970 version with George C. Scott, and although I am a big fan of his talent, I did not like the movie. George Scott did a very good job as Edward Rochester, but his partner Susanna York was A) too old, B) too pretty to play Jane. There is no way she can pass for an 18 year old, and what happened to plainness? Besides, the movie takes too many liberties with the story.
The same can be said about the 1997 version with Ciaran Hinds, who just does not make a believable Rochester, in my opinion, although he is a very good actor. Franco Zeffirelli’s version (1996) I would have described as “good acting, poor casting.” William Hurt is tragically miscast, he does his best but is still not believable, especially for big fans of this story.
I have not seen the newest, 2006 release of Jane Eyre yet; according to most reviews, it is a good adaptation, but I doubt it that the 1983 masterpiece will be outdone.
