Jane Eyre (1996)

Directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, William Hurt, Joan Plowright, Fiona Shaw, Anna Paquin, John Wood, Geraldine Chaplin, Richard Warwick, Josephine Serre, Leanne Rowe, Amanda Root, Billie Whitelaw, Maria Schneider. [PG]

This blandly cozy and tasteful adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë novel gets to the point quicker than the Gothic romance novelist, but lacks personality and turbid atmosphere. As the plain, solemn governess of the title, Gainsbourg’s timid uncertainty is expressed in a deathly dull fashion for too long, and even as her pain gives her presence, the strong will never fully emerges. But worse off is the miscasting of Hurt as Rochester, who looks uncomfortable in the period attire, neither inspires nor emanates any sense of passion, and seems an amateur when it comes to brooding. Suitable set dressing and solid character work from the likes of Wood, Plowright and Shaw help, but not enough; stick with the 2011 version from Cary Fukunaga (or even Robert Stevenson’s 1943 adaptation, for that matter). Screenplay credited to director Zeffirelli and Hugh Whitemore.

47/100