Jane Eyre, part 4
Mar. 15th, 2008 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brightlywovenIf the third episode is mainly happy (if bitter-sweet) times, that suddenly go bad, then the fourth is the sad times, finally relieved by the conclusion.
The episode opens with what looks like another desert scene, but on coming in to focus is revealed to be a moor, on which Jane is sleeping. Since we last saw her lie down on her bed to weep, the change is rather dramatic. As she wanders, collapses, and is eventually carried to a stranger's home, we have no indication of what has wrought this change, of what has happened in the intervening period. Here I Had my first real quibble with the scripting decisions
(being aware that I have such strong feelings about the novel, I've tried to hold back from saying things like, this, but for the first time I say....)
Jane has amnesia?!? WTF?!? Ok, events were traumatic. OK, flashback is a good style for depicting the way painful memory intrudes on life, and for exploring what objects and symbols have associations for Jane (fire, particularly is a recurring one, blurring love that warms and passion that burns, safe refuge and dangerous trap). Yes, I will even cede that Jane makes up a fake name and refuses to divulge her past to protect herself. But amnesia??? It's just such a hackneyed plot device, and there's no reason for it here.
The scenes Jane does (eventually) recall are very well done. I was afraid, prior to this, they were going to brush over Rochester's attempts to explain himself. I began to wish he had we reached WTF moment number 2
Rochester asks Jane to come and live with him as brother and sister. This is, I believe, actually a crime against his character. In Bronte's novel, when his 'wife' is exposed, Rochester persists in asking Jane to come away and life as his wife. He maintains that she can do this without breaking 'God's law' because Bertha cannot truly be recognised as his wife. His reasoning is thus: he was tricked into marrying a woman he did not know, and without knowing she was of a character he couldn't live with. Ordinarily in these circumstances, he could file for divorce. However he was prevented from doing so because she was now also diagnosed as being 'mad', a likelihood which had also been hidden from him. He claims he does not hate her because she's mad, but her madness prevents him from disentangling himself.[1] So, he believes, he has no wife. He may be self-deceiving, but he is genuine. I think, if Rochester's character is to have integrity, this is a critical point.
When (film) Rochester offers Jane a 'chaste' arrangement, and says 'I wouldn't tempt you into a life of sin', he instead is saying his actions were wrong, that he was involving her in a wrong knowingly, because he thought he could get away with it. Having failed to, he'll settle for less. This I found quite upsetting, and had to pretend it didn't happen.
Moving on from this, Jane's time with the Rivers, and her work at the Moreton school is well done (and not overly long, for those of us not St John fans). Anyone who has seen 1995's Persuasion, will be familiar with the softening of light, hairstyle and camera angles to portray the outward manifestations of inner calm, and certainly such tricks come into play here. I'm not sure why financial independence should make Jane's hair more becoming, unless it is a lifting of the Lowood hangover of self-humiliation in her dependent state.
The final long sequence - from mysterious summons, through flight to Thornfield, the telling of events there and reunion with Edward - are splendidly done, and sheer pleasure to watch. However I do wish the credits had rolled as the camera panned from Jane embracing Edward (with absolutely no Lowood restraint!) to the sunlight dancing on the river, as though fire had been contained by water. The last 'family portrait' scene was maybe a touch too much.
Overall, very much enjoyed, and highly recommended both to fans of Bronte as well as newcomers to the work.
[1] This glosses over rather how much of the 'diagnosis' of madness here is a cultural construct, particularly about a non-white woman, but for now, let's take Rochester on his own terms.
The episode opens with what looks like another desert scene, but on coming in to focus is revealed to be a moor, on which Jane is sleeping. Since we last saw her lie down on her bed to weep, the change is rather dramatic. As she wanders, collapses, and is eventually carried to a stranger's home, we have no indication of what has wrought this change, of what has happened in the intervening period. Here I Had my first real quibble with the scripting decisions
(being aware that I have such strong feelings about the novel, I've tried to hold back from saying things like, this, but for the first time I say....)
Jane has amnesia?!? WTF?!? Ok, events were traumatic. OK, flashback is a good style for depicting the way painful memory intrudes on life, and for exploring what objects and symbols have associations for Jane (fire, particularly is a recurring one, blurring love that warms and passion that burns, safe refuge and dangerous trap). Yes, I will even cede that Jane makes up a fake name and refuses to divulge her past to protect herself. But amnesia??? It's just such a hackneyed plot device, and there's no reason for it here.
The scenes Jane does (eventually) recall are very well done. I was afraid, prior to this, they were going to brush over Rochester's attempts to explain himself. I began to wish he had we reached WTF moment number 2
Rochester asks Jane to come and live with him as brother and sister. This is, I believe, actually a crime against his character. In Bronte's novel, when his 'wife' is exposed, Rochester persists in asking Jane to come away and life as his wife. He maintains that she can do this without breaking 'God's law' because Bertha cannot truly be recognised as his wife. His reasoning is thus: he was tricked into marrying a woman he did not know, and without knowing she was of a character he couldn't live with. Ordinarily in these circumstances, he could file for divorce. However he was prevented from doing so because she was now also diagnosed as being 'mad', a likelihood which had also been hidden from him. He claims he does not hate her because she's mad, but her madness prevents him from disentangling himself.[1] So, he believes, he has no wife. He may be self-deceiving, but he is genuine. I think, if Rochester's character is to have integrity, this is a critical point.
When (film) Rochester offers Jane a 'chaste' arrangement, and says 'I wouldn't tempt you into a life of sin', he instead is saying his actions were wrong, that he was involving her in a wrong knowingly, because he thought he could get away with it. Having failed to, he'll settle for less. This I found quite upsetting, and had to pretend it didn't happen.
Moving on from this, Jane's time with the Rivers, and her work at the Moreton school is well done (and not overly long, for those of us not St John fans). Anyone who has seen 1995's Persuasion, will be familiar with the softening of light, hairstyle and camera angles to portray the outward manifestations of inner calm, and certainly such tricks come into play here. I'm not sure why financial independence should make Jane's hair more becoming, unless it is a lifting of the Lowood hangover of self-humiliation in her dependent state.
The final long sequence - from mysterious summons, through flight to Thornfield, the telling of events there and reunion with Edward - are splendidly done, and sheer pleasure to watch. However I do wish the credits had rolled as the camera panned from Jane embracing Edward (with absolutely no Lowood restraint!) to the sunlight dancing on the river, as though fire had been contained by water. The last 'family portrait' scene was maybe a touch too much.
Overall, very much enjoyed, and highly recommended both to fans of Bronte as well as newcomers to the work.
[1] This glosses over rather how much of the 'diagnosis' of madness here is a cultural construct, particularly about a non-white woman, but for now, let's take Rochester on his own terms.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-17 01:04 pm (UTC)The bits that you've highlighted were the bits that jarred most for me. It did seem odd that Mr Rochester would ask Jane to go away as brother and sister - I like book Mr R's explanation much more. The flashbacks seemed a little odd. I think I would have slightly preferred no flashbacks/explanation. That she left after the wedding without seeing Mr Rochester again. I think this is what I might have done!
As for the amneisa- I didn't actually believe that she was amnesiac - I thought she was just not wanting to talk about her past - it was too painful to contemplate and so she was shutting it away.
I wasn't that keen on the family portrait, although it was kind of saccharine sweet in its own way, mainly because I thought the quality of the finished picture wasn't very good! An artists view I guess ;-)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-17 01:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-17 03:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-17 03:49 pm (UTC)I'm interested that the same points stuck out to a non-fanatic. I was worried I was being a bit purist. Also I agree the final potrait was not very good (and what was with the border?). The last scene was terrible, it's just the cut before it was such a perfect closure. (I'm normally the reader/watcher/listener saying 'more, more!' though, so I see their reasons).
Hello
Date: 2008-08-26 03:40 am (UTC)