"Jane Eyre" (1983) TV mini-series

Director:

Julian Amyes

Writers:

Charlotte Brontë (novel) and
Alexander Baron (dramatisation)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 October 1983 (UK)

Genre:

Romance

Plot:

The story of Jane Eyre, the plain quakerish governess is told from her childhood until she arrives at Thornfield Hall to tutor the young Adele...

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series | Based On Novel

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Zelah Clarke	...	Jane Eyre (10 episodes, 1983)
Timothy Dalton	...	Edward Fairfax Rochester (9 episodes, 1983)
Carol Gillies	...	Grace Poole (6 episodes, 1983)
James Marcus	...	John (5 episodes, 1983)

Runtime:

UK:30 min (11 episodes) | USA:239 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:U

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

A huge chunk of Mary Tamm's role was removed during post-production.

Goofs:

Continuity: Mr. Rochester is seated with a sprained ankle on the sofa as he attempts to draw Jane out. At first, Mr. Rochester's left leg is stretched out and his right is bent upright. When he tells Jane to play the piano in the next room, he is shown with his right leg stretched out and his left leg is bent. When Jane re-enters the room, his leg is switched again.

Quotes:

Edward Fairfax Rochester: I wish at times I were a trifle better adapted to match with her, externally. Tell me now, fairy that you are, you couldn't give a charm or a filter or something of the sort?
Jane Eyre: I would be past the power of magic, sir.

Movie Connections:

Version of Jane Eyre (1921)

Soundtrack:

Prelude in A Major, Op. 28, No. 7

Most Superlative Version Of Jane Eyre

This wonderful 1983 BBC television production (not a movie, as others have written here) of the classic love story "Jane Eyre", starring Timothy Dalton as Rochester, and Zelah Clarke as Jane, is the finest version that has been made to date, since it is the most faithful to the novel by Charlotte Bronte in both concept and dialogue.

A classic becomes a classic for very specific reasons; when film producers start to meddle with a classic's very lifeblood then that classic is destroyed. Thankfully the producers of THIS "Jane Eyre" approached the story with respect and faithfulness towards the original, which results in a spectacularly addictive concoction that is worth viewing multiple times, to enjoy its multi-layers of sweetness and delight and suspense. The performances are delightful, the music is just right, even the Gothic design of the house and outdoor shots are beautiful, and set the right tone for the production.

My only criticism, though slight, is that this version, like every other version ever made of Jane Eyre, ignores the Christian influences that built Jane's character and influenced her moral choices. In today's modern world a woman in Jane's situation wouldn't think twice but to stay with Rochester after finding out he had an insane wife and was still married to her. "Oh, just get a divorce", she would say to her man, or she would live in sin with him. But Jane Eyre knew she couldn't settle for this course in life and respect herself. Why? This decision was based on the foundations of the Christian faith she had been taught since childhood, not from the brutal Calvinist Lowood Institution, but from the Christian example of a true friend, Helen Burns, who was martyred rather than not turn the other cheek. Someday I would like to see some version depict these influences a little more fully in an adaptation. A classic novel that ends with the heroine writing "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" should not have the foundations of that faith stripped out of it.