"The Brontë romance could be the next indie hit"

A few new reviews of Jane Eyre 2011:

Mostly positive

Examiner Chicago:

Fukunaga bends the material to his own interests, the deep and intricate emotions of our heroine. The focus is much less on the constricting limitations of harsh Victorian society than on this female character as if she were a real woman, made timeless as a portrait of humanity. Fukunaga is making a bet that the audience will care as much about this woman as he does, and those who don’t, who are likely predisposed to indifference of such stuff as 19th century bourgeois literature, probably still won’t be converted. Nevertheless, it is as good a rendition as any. (David Orlikoff)

The Tower:

Charlotte Brontë's style in Jane Eyre reveals the thoughts and reflections of the young heroine, which, stylistically, a movie can never disclose. However, the movie captures certain aspects of Jane's intelligent character and repressed passion. Mia Wasikowska sufficiently captures the essential aspects of Jane. Michael Fassbender's portrayal of Mr. Rochester is certainly passionate, but lacks the controversial characterization that Brontë so carefully renders. He hardly inspires argument over his feelings and motivations, except in the most extreme case. Judi Dench is the only other actor in the film who makes a real impression on the audience, playing the role of Mrs. Fairfax, who runs Mr. Rochester's house at Thornfield.
What sets the movie apart is its gentle cinematography. The experience of the movie is very intimate as the audience feels as if it is participating in the story. [...]
Overall, the movie is well directed and acted, with minor setbacks in over-dramatization and format. Sometimes the plot is difficult to follow, particularly if the audience has not read the book. The movie is also very quiet, as opposed to the constant flow of Jane's thoughts expressed in the book. However, the gothic elements that Fukunaga lifts out of the book are prevalent and highly effective. The soundtrack is beautiful, and Wasikowska brings out the core characteristics of Jane's character: thoughtful, restrained, interiorly passionate, clever, and spiritual. Her strong portrayal makes the relationship with Fassbender's Mr. Rochester much more plausible. (Bekah Sewell)

The Ridge Review, a high school journal, Russian Roulette is Not the Same Without a Gun, Foxyayanna's Movies, Poets on Film and Plus One recommend it too. Critical Confabulations, however, has a few reservations and The Hedgehog Movie Blog and Movie Buzzers are not all that enthusiastic either. The Best Movies reviews the film and posts a few questions for book clubs/book blogs reading the book and watching the film. Flickr user 3mma2 has uploaded a picture showing some of the film's promotional items.

Time Magazine has high hopes for this film:

Among the specialty films, Jane Eyre expanded to 26 theaters in its second week and earned a blustery $478,000; the Brontë romance could be the next indie hit. (Richard Corliss)

The Heights publishes an interview with Cary Fukunaga and Mia Wasikowska:

It's a story that's been told 27 times on film. How many have you actually seen of those?
Carey [sic] Fukunaga: This is the first one. I had no idea. When I signed on I knew about the black and white one and that's it. And as I started to do more research just to get a feeling for that world, that style of world, I was amazed that there were so many versions of the film. I have no doubt it will be made again. Why? It's the same question of why do we do anything repeatedly. It doesn't have to be a movie. Plays, like Shakespeare are repeated around the world in different languages. It's about storytelling. At this point it's classic. (Charlotte Parish)

We are not leaving the silver screen just yet. Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights will also be released later this year and there's some speculation about it being screened at Cannes Film Festival or other festivals. IndieWire's Thompson on Hollywood states the latest rumours:

Other auteurs showing their films on the Croisette—assuming they get their films completed in time—could include [...] Andrea Arnold (Wuthering Heights). . . (Anne Thompson)

While Screen Daily takes it a bit further than that:

Not ready for Cannes or likely to be held for Venice and Toronto are [...] Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights. . . (Mike Goodridge)

But now back to wehre it all began, as the Keighley News has an article on the recently-opened exhibition on Patrick Brontë at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Also, a reader has written to The Telegraph and Argus to complain about dog dirt in Haworth:

It is with great regret that I write this letter, but we recently visited the home of the Brontës, and what we encountered was absolutely appalling – you call yourself a tourist destination? Dog dirt was everywhere. We took photos of the wonderful views and had to wipe dog dirt off our boots. [...]
The wonders of Stanbury village, including the turkeys we encountered – and their owner – and the Wuthering Heights pub, could not compensate for what we found.
Our everlasting image is of dog dirt on our shoes – and that is not the way forward. (B White)

We must say, though, that we were recently in Haworth and don't think we saw any dog dirt at all.

And now for the intriguing mention of the day. John Drennan discussing in The Independent (Ireland) the 'race for Senate':

The senator [Fiona O'Malley], who once stunned the nation with a rendition of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights on the Late Late, would certainly live up to the Senate's tradition of non-conformist eccentricity that is currently best epitomised by David Norris.

Unfortunately, that rendition doesn't seem to be on YouTube.

The Oxford University Press Blog shares an audioguide on Anne Brontë by Josephine McDonagh, author or a recent introduction to The Tenant of Wildefell Hall. Definitely worth a listen (or two).

The Literary Stitching League is getting ready for Jane Eyre 2011. The Book Gourmand discusses Villette. And finally Book's Digest (in French) posts about the juvenilia compilation Le monde du dessous.

Categories: Anne Brontë, Haworth, Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, Music, Weirdo, Wuthering Heights