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Monday, October 03, 2005

This is a pun.

Next she bore the Kyklopes with over-proud heart,
Brontes and Steropes and hard-hearted Arges,
who gave Zeus thunder and made the lightning-bolt.
They were like the gods in everything else,
but a single eye was in the middle of their foreheads;
they were given the name Kyklopes because
one round eye was in their foreheads;
strength, force, and skill were in their works. (Theog. 139-146)

This is a distracting bit of Hesiod. But note: strength, force, and skill were in their works. Apt, yes? ;)

As usual, very interesting stuff on the wire and at BronteBlog including another DVD release of Wuthering Heights! I'm not sure how widely known this is, but in my circle it has been much talked of... We expect that the BBC production of Jane Eyre, the beloved version with Sorcha Cusack and Michael Jayston, will be released sometime next year. Alisa from L.E.R.O. first got wind of this after emailing Eureka Video. However, there has been much confusion on this. Even though the news has been verified independently, Eureka and the BBC can't seem to decide who is actuallying releasing it--the BBC say Eureka, Eureka says the BBC. So long as it can be in my hands sometime in the near future, I really do not care. I'm one of the lucky ones. I didn't know about it until this year and I was able to get a recording made from someone's 30 year old copies (thank God for PBS and the CBC!). I have not had to wait 30 years like quite a few fans I know.

I know that from the news on BronteBlog it looks like new adaptations are not forthcoming but I can't say that I agree. The trend seems to be that a Bronte film is made at least once a decade. I believe there has only been one decade or so when this didn't hold true, and in many cases there are a lot of films made in that space of time. Our last one was 1997 I think... I someone has written a screenplay of Villette! Ah! Now wouldn't that be tremendous?! [apparently it had been done by the BBC but I haven't yet been able to find out if copies of it still exist or if it has been lost].

ETA:
I also have an idea. I'm considering posting some of illustrations I've been hoarding over the past year. I collect antique books, and illustrated copies of Jane Eyre. I have quite a few, but friends have simply... piled them on me. I cannot keep up! I have books still to scan (I'm an obsessive compiler, I think ;). I had intended this to be an illustrated blog (see Mr. Bulwer-Lytton in Petticoats below) but I don't often have the energy to make a sketch a day on top of everything else. Anyone horrified at the idea? Here's a random picture--the cover of the 1857 play.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe you're right. As you probably know there is a project around named "Brontë" that it seems will be shooted some day around 2006. We posted some time ago some information, but in the imdb board section the director and writer gives information on a monthly basis.

M. from the BrontëBlog

The HoneyNerds said...

Oh I think posting the illustrations you've collected would be great! I've been meaning to ask you- do you have the illustrations from the 'Reader's Digest' version of JE- by Richard Lebensen? I liked some of his illustrations, especially the one of the proposl.

Brontëana said...

to gaaldine:

Thanks for stoppping by. You're doing great work over there. I didn't know about many of the upcoming books listed there. In particular, I can't wait to see the one on the Victorian plays. :)

I was thinking more of adaptations, but you're right. A biopic would be welcome too (although I'd really like to see another adaptation--I can't seem to get enough of the things no matter how terrible some of them are!). I'd like to see another version of Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and possibly Villette and Shirley. I don't think Agnes Grey or The Professor will stand a chance with the movie industry.

I had to write a film treatment for a course I took and it was a disheartening experience. If your characters are well rounded, chances are the powers that be will say the plot isn't clear, if the plot is clear and interesting they'll say that the characters are flat.

Brontëana said...

to thisbeciel:

Ah! I was waiting for someone to give their opinion on my little idea. I guess one person out of one means I go ahead with the plan unanimously ;)

I do indeed have those illustrations and many more besides. I have some from the 1920s and one from the 1870s I think (it was from ebay and you can see an old advertisement for cigarettes on the facing page!!!). I haven't collected all of the ones out there because some of them are simply awful. There's an antique copy of JE at the university library but I haven't taken it out because the illustrations are junk. I'm such a snob when it comes to such things. I will copy them anyway, because it would be the right thing to do.