| Jane Eyre | |
|---|---|
British theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Cary Joji Fukunaga |
| Produced by | Alison Owen Paul Trijbits |
| Screenplay by | Moira Buffini |
| Based on | Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë |
| Starring | Mia Wasikowska Michael Fassbender Judi Dench />Jamie Bell |
| Music by | Dario Marianelli |
| Cinematography | Adriano Goldman |
| Editing by | Melanie Oliver |
| Studio | BBC Films Ruby Films |
| Distributed by | Focus Features |
| Release date(s) | 11 March 2011 (United States: limited) 9 September 2011 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 120 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English French |
| Box office | $31,532,663[2] |
Jane Eyre is a 2011 British romantic drama film directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. The screenplay is written by Moira Buffini based on the 1847 novel of the same name by Charlotte Brontë. The film was released on 11 March 2011 in the United States and 9 September in Great Britain and Ireland.
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The film is a co-production between BBC Films, Focus Features and Ruby Films.[3] The script by Moira Buffini appeared on the 2008 Brit List, a film-industry-compiled list of the best unproduced screenplays in British film.[4] The story is largely presented by way of flashbacks.[5] In October 2009, it was announced that Cary Fukunaga would direct the adaptation.[6] Fukunaga had been in England promoting a film when he met with the BBC and learned about their plans for a new adaptation.[7] The filmmakers decided to play up the Gothic elements of the classic novel.[8] Fukunaga stated, "I’ve spent a lot of time rereading the book and trying to feel out what Charlotte Brontë was feeling when she was writing it. That sort of spookiness that plagues the entire story... there’s been something like 24 adaptations and it’s very rare that you see those sorts of darker sides. They treat it like it’s just a period romance and I think it’s much more than that."[9]
The trailer for the film featured the title theme from Goblin's soundtrack for Dario Argento's horror film Suspiria (1977).
Mia Wasikowska would star as the title character and Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester.[8] Fukunaga and the producers wanted an actress close to Jane Eyre's age in the novel, in contrast to many previous versions.[10][11] Fukunaga liked Wasikowska's "sense of observation in her eyes" and that "[she] could communicate [Jane's inner turmoil] in a way that didn't feel theatrical".[12][13] He felt her looks could be played down as required for the role.[12] On casting Rochester, the director stated that while there were actors closer in appearance, he felt Fassbender had the spirit of the character.[12] Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins, Simon McBurney, Imogen Poots, Holliday Grainger and Tamzin Merchant also joined the cast.[14][15]
Principal photography began on 22 March 2010 and concluded in mid-May.[3][16][17] Filming locations included London and various locations in Derbyshire, including Chatsworth, Haddon Hall, Derbyshire Dales, Froggatt and Fox House in Sheffield.[18][19][20] The score is composed by Academy Award winner Dario Marianelli.[21] Another Academy Award winner, Michael O'Connor, designed the costumes.[22] Although they estimated the setting was the late 1830s, they settled on four to five years later in 1843. Fukunaga commented that "the clothing style of the '30s was just awful. Every woman looked like a wedding cake." However, they decided to allow a few characters in older fashions to reflect that some would not have updated their style.[23] He looked at some 60 residences for one to represent Thornfield Hall but settled on the previously-used Haddon Hall as it had not undergone much redecorating.[13] The conditions were very cold and Fukunaga admitted that Wasikowska nearly got hypothermia on the second day while shooting the rain sequence; however, he could not imagine filming anywhere else, saying "Northern England – Yorkshire and Derbyshire, the moors and dales – they look like they’re something straight out of a Tim Burton horror film. The trees are all twisted by the wind; the bracken and the heather on the moors have this amazing hue. And the weather is so extreme and it changes all the time. The house even, Haddon Hall, is just so steeped in history, the spaces, the galleries, they sort of just breathe and you feel the presence of the history."[24]
Focus Features holds worldwide distribution rights.[14] The film is rated PG-13 in the United States. A trailer was released in November 2010.[25] Fukunaga said his director's cut was about 2 hours and 30 minutes.[23] The final cut is 2 hours.
Opening in limited release on four screens on 11 March 2011, Jane Eyre grossed $182,885, for a per theater average of $45,721[2] – the best specialty debut of 2011 to date.[26] As of 14 July, its North American total stands at $11,242,660.[2]. On September 9, Jane Eyre entered #3 in the UK Box Office, behind The Inbetweeners Movie and Friends with Benefits.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 86% based on 138 reviews are favourable.[27] Among the 36 reviews from "Top Critics", consisting of the most notable critics, the film holds an overall approval rating of 86%.[28] The site's consensus is that "Cary Fukunaga directs a fiery and elegant adaptation, while Mia Wasikowska delivers possibly the best portrayal of the title character ever."[28]
A. O. Scott made the film an "NYT Critics' Pick", saying "This Jane Eyre, energetically directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) from a smart, trim script by Moira Buffini (Tamara Drewe), is a splendid example of how to tackle the daunting duty of turning a beloved work of classic literature into a movie. Neither a radical updating nor a stiff exercise in middlebrow cultural respectability, Mr. Fukunaga’s film tells its venerable tale with lively vigor and an astute sense of emotional detail."[29]
Richard Corliss of Time named Mia Wasikowska's performance one of the Top 10 Movie Performances of 2011.[30]
The film (Michael O'Connor) received one nomination for the Satellite Award for Best Costume Design.[31]
| Year of ceremony | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | National Board of Review Awards[32] | Spotlight Award | Michael Fassbender (Also for Shame, A Dangerous Method, and X-Men: First Class) | Won |
| Satellite Awards | Best Costume Design | Michael O'Connor | Nominated | |
| British Independent Film Awards[33] | Best Actress | Mia Wasikowska | Nominated | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Michael Fassbender (Also for Shame, A Dangerous Method, and X-Men: First Class) | Won | |
| 2012 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards[34] | Actor of the Year | Michael Fassbender (Also for Shame, A Dangerous Method, and X-Men: First Class) | Pending |
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