Tacoma Arts in Review: "Jane Eyre" at the Grand Cinema

Among the plethora of film adaptations based on Victorian novels, two stories have been particularly favored: Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre – both of which have, in many ways, been worked to death. Yet there is a reason directors keep returning to these stories; if mined properly, they can prove a source of emotional gold. Director Cary Fukunaga (whose aptitude at revealing raw emotion was proved in the film Sin Nombre) handles this latest adaptation of Jane Eyre with a subtlety that makes the re-visitation worthwhile.

Jane Erye (Mia Waskikowska), an orphan shunted into a brutal reform school and raised without affection, has every right to be skeptical of the confessions of love made to her by the landed and wealthy Rochester (Michael Fassbender), by whom she finds herself employed as a governess. Waskikowska inhabits Jane’s wounded sense of suspicion: she is fully fleshed, psychologically complex, and equal parts exasperating and endearing – just as she should be. This latest portrayal of Jane draws us in with her strength and bluntness, and wins us over with her timidity and fragility. The only objection that might possibly be leveled against Wasikowska is that she is by no means plain – her translucent complexion and emotive eyes are, indeed, quite transfixing. Fassbender, while less engaging than Waskikowska (and far more handsome than Rochester has the right to be), is nonetheless believable as the moody yet tender Rochester; and the chemistry between them is real enough to distract from any shortcomings.

A rich sensuality pervades every frame, palpable enough that every gust of wind, every brush of austere fabric can almost be felt. The film is a study in precision and attention to detail, both in the way the shots are conveyed, and in what they contain. Painstaking care is taken to remain accurate in respect to costuming, scenery and props, a level of attention which captures and portrays an era of both great magnificence and great discomfort. There are many of the same cinematic sweeps of landscape that characterized Joe Wright’s 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice, a comparison further warranted by the fact that Jane Eyre is similarly (and beautifully) scored by Dario Marianelli. There is, however, something deliciously darker about Jane Eyre – and while it may not live up entirely to its gothic elements, it is sufficiently eerie.

There is something tender and wide-eyed about this film that makes its timeless romanticism seem surprisingly fresh and relevant for its translation into an era in which caution and repression have been thrown to the winds. While the repression that defines Jane and Rochester’s relationship can feel implausible to contemporary audiences, their smoldering chemistry is masterfully captured in this film, creating a powerful fantasy extolling the benefits of devotion and of holding out for the real thing.

“Jane Eyre” is showing at the Grand Cinema through April 21. For tickets and more information, visit the Grand Cinema’s site here

Review by Lindsey Flatt

ABOUT TACOMA ARTS IN REVIEW
Tacoma Arts In Review, a new column on Exit 133, regularly shares timely reviews and stories on art happenings in Tacoma written by local college students and community members. For more information and application details, go here.