Search - Jane Eyre (1971) on DVD

An overlooked jem---best version of Jane Eyre

Y. Chen | LA,USA | 08/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Compared to the 40's version, this TV movie is very faithful to the book. George Scott is excellent for Rochester,and Miss York is just born to be Jane Eyre. She makes Jane a spirited, intelligent, independent young lady, which you can't found in Fontaine's performance. The music in the movie is so wonderful.It captures the essence of the story, exceptionally evocative and touching. I highly recommended this version to anyone who loved Charlotte Bronte's novel.It is well worth tracking down."

"I didn't mean to wound you like this..."

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 04/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In this lovely adaptation of "Jane Eyre", George C. Scott and Susannah York make an excellent pairing, and both have strong and attractive features without the "Hollywood handsome" look, which fits in well with the story. There is some powerful chemistry between them, and Scott just might be the best Edward Rochester on film; he followed his Oscar winning role as "Patton" with this British TV drama, which received theatrical release in Europe, but was only seen on the small screen in the US.

With tragedy upon tragedy, there is little joy and light to temper the plot, and even the love of Jane and Edward at its height is always overshadowed by the "mystery in the attic" of the dark and gloomy Thornfield castle. Of all the films in this genre, this is probably the saddest, but worth seeing for its often poetic language, and in the case of this production, the wonderful performances and fine direction by Delbert Mann. Supporting Scott and York in the cast are: Ian Bannen (St. John Rivers), Jack Hawkins (Mr. Brocklehurst), Nyree Dawn Porter (Blanche), and Jean Marsh as Mrs. Rochester.

The atmospheric score by John Williams is one of his best, and the cinematography by Paul Beeson, of marvelous landscapes in Yorkshire is beautiful (some of the locations include Dawnholme Church, Brimham Rocks, and Ripley Castle).

BUYER BEWARE: there are many versions of this film on the market, from cheap, grainy Extended Play VHS tapes to what I understand is a dreadful edit of it on DVD. Perhaps it is better to see it on the regular Standard Play VHS and steer clear of the rest; total running time is 110 minutes.
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Enthralling and Rich Production

gobirds2 | New England | 03/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Delbert Mann's direction is somewhat pedestrian but the cast and visuals more than compensate his static approach. George C. Scott is wonderful as Rochester while Susannah York is capable and satisfactory in the title role (Jane Eyre) yet she seems to lack some passion either from an inward or outward perspective. Jack Hawkins is brilliant as the malevolent headmaster. However, the motivations for his hideous nature are left unexplored. This version of JANE EYRE is beautifully photographed and richly textured and very compelling. John William's score is very British and appropriately composed to augment the visuals. In all this is a well intentioned and splendid production but seems to lack some of the mysterious and enigmatic qualities of earlier versions. Yet it is still very enthralling.
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Oh, come on...

Jean L. Kloth | Greenville, MS United States | 02/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, come on y'all...I admit I did not read all 29 other reviews, but this is NOT the worst movie ever made. I recently bought this DVD. The last time I saw this was on TV in 1971, I think it was a Hallmark Hall of Fame production? Anyway I remembered loving it and when I saw it again I still loved it. Has there ever been a plain Jane? of course not. Scott's Mr. Rochester came across as a man who has seen a lot of wear and tear in his efforts to forget his problems. Here he gradually wakes up to the possibility of a new life. He is reluctant, conflicted but unable to resist trying somehow to win Jane and begin again.
The script dealt very well with the made-for-TV constraints. The writer did not have the luxury of using big chunks of dialogue stright from the book, as the BBC might do (there is a wonderful Timothy Dalton/Zelah Clarke version that does just that) but zips along with great concision, hitting the high points with economy and clarity. This version tries to recast the characters' concern in modern terms and I think succeeds without seeming too dated thirty years on.
An the music is beautiful. It's like another character - the theme stayed with me all these years and it is as pretty and haunting as I remember.
And yeah, it was a nice production but the quality of the DVD is not very good. But not bad enough to keep me from enjoying it."