Jane Eyre is a classic novel that has been depicted time and time again through a variety of media, especially film. It’s a tale of love, independence, and most of all, social criticism. The last film to see a release on the big screen was in 1996; has enough time passed to revitalize the 1847 novel once again or is it something that should continue to remain on our bookshelves?

All her life, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) has been searching for a home. Once living with her abusive aunt and cousins, she is then transferred to an even more torturous school where the children are taught the proper way to behave or else are subject to harsh punishments. It’s only when she becomes the governess of Thornfield Hall that she finds solace from the pain she’s experienced all these past years and falls into a somewhat forbidden love the its master, Mr. Rochester.

As the novel is more than 400 pages in length, naturally some things have to be left out or resolved quicker than expected, especially since the film is only about two hours. The novel is split up into various sections that tell Jane’s story as she moves from place to place. The film is very similar in this manner although we see them in a more jumbled up manner, beginning with Jane leaving THornfiled Hall. It isn’t until later in the film where we see why she does this. 

Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids are All Right) puts on quite the performance as plain Jane. While she can be dull and rather uninteresting at times, there’s so much more to her than meets the eye. Even though she’s only supposed to be 18/19 in the film, she acts very mature for her age, often engaging in intelligent conversations that can boggle the mind.

That’s the thing about the film, and many other similar period pieces. You have to really pay attention and concentration about what is being said if you want to follow what’s going on. This isn’t something you can just sit back and watch. You have to actively listen and piece together all the details in order to get a clear picture. For some, that might be a turn off.

I was surprised however, at the amount of humor involved in the film. Whether this was intentional or not is unknown but the humor is very subtle and dry. Still, don’t be surprised if you find yourself letting out a laugh every now and again.

Jane Eyre has all the typical elements of a period piece (minus Keira Knightly of course) and manages to keep you engaged for the majority of the film. It does drag on somewhat towards the end but overall, it’s enjoyable. It’s definitely not for everyone but if you’re looking for something more in depth than explosions and gun fights, then Jane Eyre is a welcoming alternative.

Follow me on Twitter @Majiesto