Jane Eyre is one of my very favorite books, so I simply cannot like a film version that leaves out important details.  I liked it when I first saw it, but had the nagging feeling that something was missing.  So I re-read the book, and discovered exactly what was missing -- about 1/4 of the book.  Among the scenes that were missing were the other reasons behind Jane's return to Thornfield.
And then there's Samantha Morton.  I cannot think of a film where I liked her, so that is another strike against this version.
Some have said that Timothy Dalton is "too handsome" to play Rochester.  Perhaps he is.  But he is such an incredible actor that I will forgive him. *grin*  I do appreciate Ciaran Hinds, and it pains me to say that I did not like him as Rochester. I read someplace that he hadn't read the book before making this film.  Well, it shows.  He rants and raves too much; there was no subtlety in his performance.  And subtlety is something Dalton understood in his performance.
An adaptation does not need to be a word-for-word translation from page to screen, but it does have to retain the spirit of the original for me to appreciate it, and this version does neither, so I cannot find much to like about it.
Jane Eyre is one of my very favorite books, so I simply cannot like a film version that leaves out important details. I liked it when I first saw it, but had the nagging feeling that something was missing. So I re-read the book, and discovered exactly what was missing -- about 1/4 of the book. Among the scenes that were missing were the other reasons behind Jane's return to Thornfield. And then there's Samantha Morton. I cannot think of a film where I liked her, so that is another strike against this version. Some have said that Timothy Dalton is "too handsome" to play Rochester. Perhaps he is. But he is such an incredible actor that I will forgive him. *grin*  I do appreciate Ciaran Hinds, and it pains me to say that I did not like him as Rochester. I read someplace that he hadn't read the book before making this film. Well, it shows. He rants and raves too much; there was no subtlety in his performance. And subtlety is something Dalton understood in his performance. An adaptation does not need to be a word-for-word translation from page to screen, but it does have to retain the spirit of the original for me to appreciate it, and this version does neither, so I cannot find much to like about it.