Actors on Playing Jane and Rochester

Another good thing about a new adaptation is that it brings out all of the previous ones! The Daily Mail posts this survey of mini-interviews with Janes and Edwards past (thanks to siansaska!) Also, the images from this post are from the internet and not my archive so this explains why some are tiny while others are huge:

"Unknown actress Ruth Wilson has shot to fame as Jane Eyre in the BBC’s current adaptation of the classic novel. The series, one would assume, would guarantee her a glittering thespian future. Costume dramas are often a springboard to fame and fortune for young actors: Samantha Morton was 20 when she played Jane in 1997 and then went on to star in Minority Report with Tom Cruise and Enduring Love opposite Daniel Craig. But they can also be a one-way ticket to professional oblivion. Here, we find out what happened to previous Janes and Mr Rochesters, and why they now look at the role as a double-edged sword.


SUSANNAH YORK starred with George C. Scott in the 1970 version of the film. Susannah, 64, is starring in a touring production of The Wings Of The Dove next year. As well as acting, she also writes film scripts. She recalls: At the time I was asked to play the role of Jane, I was quite hot, so to speak. Offers were coming fast and furious, so I was delighted when I got the part. I loved the book and it was a part I had always wanted. I was bewildered and upset, however, when people said I was too pretty to play a plain governess. I have always thought of myself as a character actress and I longed to be noted for my acting ability and hated it when people paid attention to my appearance.

I’ve never thought of myself as pretty and truly felt I was Jane. She’s not a showy character, but she is still passionate, and that’s what I liked about her. People are also saying that Ruth Wilson is too pretty. But I think she has just the right qualities and seems to have the same view and feel of, and feeling for, Jane that I did.

My co-star, George, was a big, craggy, gruff creature, and he was great for a chat. But our approach to filming was totally different. I liked to rehearse, but he would do a scene in one take then go back to playing backgammon. I thought he made a pretty good Rochester, though, as he had a real presence — although he was perhaps a bit too old. I must confess that I have yet to see my perfect Mr Rochester. Even Toby Stephens in the current adaptation, while a great actor, is not the Rochester of the book as he’s a bit too young.

I wouldn’t say I was typecast, but people tended to see me as a more serious actor afterwards. As a result, although I refuse to accept it when people put limitations on me, I’ll admit that it hasn’t always been easy to get roles since.

I don’t regret playing Jane, though. It was a brilliant part. Usually I curl up with embarrassment when I watch my performances, but when I watched my version of Jane Eyre, it seemed to me that I had struck the right note.



MICHAEL JAYSTON played Mr Rochester to Sorcha Cusack’s Jane in the 1973 BBC miniseries of Jane Eyre. Michael, 70, currently on tour with the play Heroes, says: I landed the role of Rochester as a result of a practical joke. My then wife, Heather, sent a funny letter to the director, Joan Craft, saying, ‘It’s about time Michael played Rochester’, and we used to think that I got the part as a result.Looking back, though, I was on a roll at the time. I’d just come from playing several highprofile roles such as Tsar Nicholas II in Nicholas And Alexandra, and A Bequest To The Nation opposite Glenda Jackson. And here was the ultimate romantic part.

Sorcha was only 23 and I was 37. People said there was an electrifying chemistry between us, which was true. I did find her attractive, but we kept things quite jokey on the set to alleviate the intensity. It’s not that romantic performing love scenes on a cold morning at 8am, with a props guy holding a hot fan right next to you to stop your lips freezing. Professionally, playing Rochester didn’t do me much good. I never played a romantic part on TV after that. I was baffled because when it was shown on TV, I received the biggest fan mail I’ve ever had.



SORCHA CUSACK, 57, never made the big time after playing Jane Eyre, but has had roles in such shows as Morse, Casualty and North And South. She is currently starring in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Romeo And Juliet. She says: Jane Eyre was my first TV job and, to be honest, I felt I was rather hopeless. With no major roles under my belt, my performance was flat. I was very lucky to get the role in the first place and I think I got the part because I’m plain-looking and, because I was born and bred in Ireland, I was ten years behind other girls in terms of sophistication. Both were key ingredients to the character.

As a child, people were always saying, ‘Isn’t Sinead [her actress sister] gorgeous?’ But my look was perfect for Jane. Rochester, Michael Jayston, said, ‘After this you’ll be huge,’ and, while we were filming, I did go to my bank manager and say, ‘I won’t need the overdraft any more.’ But I did need it as I didn’t get any big breaks afterwards. There was plenty of work, but not a role that changed the course of my career.Lots of theatre work followed, but several years after playing Jane, I put my career on hold for a while to return to Ireland to care for my late mother, who had heart problems. It’s nice looking back on the whole Jane Eyre period, and it’s lovely that I still get letters saying, ‘You’ll always be my Jane.’



ZELAH CLARKE starred in the lavish 1983 BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre opposite Timothy Dalton, who was said to be too handsome to play the brooding Rochester. Zelah, 52, says: Jane Eyre is the ultimate poisoned chalice. Everyone remembers the Rochesters, but no one recalls the Janes. I hoped the role might be a springboard — I never thought it would force me to retire. Before Jane Eyre I had done lots of TV costume dramas, but not a lead role, so I was thrilled when I got the part. Tim Dalton wasn’t a superstar then — in fact, I had more TV experience than him.

It was depressing when things suddenly stopped after Jane Eyre, especially as I had no idea why. But then I got married and my life changed. There is something undignified about old actors scraping around for work. I would never go back into the theatre; it ruins your social life and breaks up families. If I hadn’t done Jane Eyre, perhaps I’d have felt that I hadn’t proved myself. But I did and I have. Now, looking at the series, it seems old-fashioned, but I was pleased with my performance. Between roles I became interested in art, so perhaps I didn’t have such a desire to be a famous actress after all."

The Sounds of Quiet


I think this is a lovely tribute to the novel and to Ruth Wilson, from an article on Jane Eyre 2006 from the Belfast Telegraph:

Some writers describe [Jane] as a timid little thing compared to the masterful and overbearing Mr Rochester, but I have never understood the book that way.

On screen she shows a face both enigmatic and revealing and close-ups show an almost wordless communication with her new employer. She displays a respect tinged with asperity and limits her responses to "Yes, sir" or 'No, sir' while maintaining eye contact, her small smile displaying underlying dignity and seriousness of purpose.

Jane comes over as an indomitable character whose quiet ways hide an intellect at least as good as her master's. It did not take him long to discover that the new governess possessed an inner beauty that contrasted vividly with the glamour and artificiality of the beautiful women expected to appeal to Mr Rochester.

The actress playing Jane conveys all these emotions with an almost deadpan face and in a respectful manner, yet with a little smile on her face and a twinkle in the eye that makes you realise she is not intimidated or overawed. She seems to understand all the foibles of human nature and remain confident about her ability to cope with them.

No wonder Mr Rochester told her '? that look could prise secrets from the blackest soul'. The attraction he felt for her was a love governed by intelligence.

This new production of the book focuses more acutely on the personal interplay between the characters, and the proliferation of close-ups and facial expressions help enormously to make up for the loss of the human voice we deaf people suffer. The words by themselves lack impact unless we can see and feel the emotions, and this televised adaptation of Jane Eyre does it wonderfully.

Words of Wisdom

I have not had a proper anecdotal post for months, I believe. So, here is one. This has been a very harassing week. First I had to present a seminar on a Marxist poet for a Canadian modernism course, and I've been toiling away marking essays from a first year English course. I was finishing the last twelve papers today in one of the more secluded study areas on campus: a small Edwardian library. There were two other students there- one young man who would stare at a pile of papers covered with crypic biological symbols, and repeatedly cry 'Oh, ____! ____! ____! ___!' every few minutes. The other was more talkative. He inquired about my work, if I was a TA, and the mysteries of the grad student. When he asked what I intended to write my thesis on, I replied the Brontes. He shook his head. He had never heard of them. And so, one thousand miles from home, I find that here too the Brontes are forgotten.

I am extremely proud of my students. I know that I have no right to be proud of them but they're the best English class ever and I often brag about them behind their backs- as I am doing now. The professor apparently got most of the papers which were in the D-C range but I had mostly B papers. Today I finally reached the lower grade papers, and they provided me with some amusement. For instance, one paper on the importance of heritage and the sea to fishermen on Cape Breton island, Nova Scotia, Canada begins with a brief discussion of Chinese culture (there are no Chinese characters in the story, and no furter commentary on the Chinese in the essay...). I learned that I was born within in the Victorian period which, apparently extended until at least 1984. I am also indebted for this piece of knowledge: 'do not take money for granite.'

And Now a Word from St.John Rivers


We finally hear from (and about) the new St.John Rivers- Andrew Buchan- appearing this weekend in the last episode of Jane Eyre 2006.

Former Rivington and Blackrod High School pupil Andrew Buchan plays Jane's love interest, clergyman St John Rivers, in the last of the four part series.

"I didn't even get to snog anyone and felt like walking out, " he joked.

"Rivers is a stubborn one, quite uptight, and someone who always keeps things to himself.
"We both have blue eyes but I'm not sure if I match up to the other descriptions of him, the square jaw."
Andrew was in America when his agent offered him the audition for the part.
"I said, Oh come on, this isn't me,' but I went for the audition and I got it. I learned my lines in a bar in Soho, with big bad techno beats in the background which was ridiculous, but I still got the part.
"Filming was hilarious because they got me in all the gear - a massive hat and ruffled shirt - and took me to the middle of Derbyshire.
"All the crew were standing around and the producer held an umbrella over my head and said Welcome, this is your church.'"
His character in the adaptation is a local clergyman who rescues Jane from the moors.
He nurses her back to health and a year later he proposes to her, offering her a life of companionship as a missionary.
Jane finds herself with a dilemma: Should she stay with dependable St John Rivers or go back to Thornfield to face the demons of her past.

Dredging out the Archive

I confess, I enjoyed the third episode of Jane Eyre 2006 but I felt the passion was a bit flat. I knew I had a clip from the BBC's 1973 version somewhere, so I went looking for it (my DVD isn't working properly on my laptop!). I didn't find the clip but I did find these other interesting items!

In the name of harmony and world peace (at least among those who admire BBC dramas), here are Mr Rochester and Mr Darcy dancing together at last! (There is in fact a finer clip of Rochester dancing- actually he strips off his skirt, swirls it around like a matador cape and leaps off a chair...).

Can you guess what this is?



That's right. Colin Firth did play Mr Rochester but his scene ended up being cut from Saturday Night Live. They eventually replaced him with Jude Law (and NO I do not have any footage of Colin Firth as Mr Rochester!).

And lastly, I believe Bronteana reader chrisv wanted some proofs of my artistic talents. Here is my 'illustrated Rochester is love' bar (sorry I had to shrink it to fit the blogger page but if you click on it it will enlarge)*:

*Actually, it is no use. Just click here.

From left: 1980s RD edition, my (in)famous Jane Eyre comic book, two donations from a friend in Australia, detail from an india ink sketch by me, another detail from an india ink sketch by me, and that last one- my favourite- flying stickman Mr Rochester from a comic strip my friend Kristin created over a year ago. In it I heard that there was going to be a new adaptation of Jane Eyre starring Arnold Swartzenegger. He kidnapped Jane from the novel in a foul plot to 'crush their dreams like daisies.' Anyway, long story short I met a flying Rochester. Here he is flying into my arms! Look at how happy and sparkly he is! He's also naked, but radiating pink sparkles (everyone was naked, actually, except for Jane which was odd and probably caused a lot of brooding).

Monsieur de Rochester est un Vrai Menteur!

Yes, episode three brought back the snark, yo.

Carriage Scene! Yay! This is truly my favourite part of the novel, and this is the only time it has been adapted for film. It's lovely, but the best part of the scene is the dialogue, which was replaced of course. But it's still very nice. You should know that I'm calling Mr Rochester 'Ned' because that is his nickname with we of the League of the Extraordinarily Rochester Obsessed (that and 'Rochy'). And the Latin? I'm a Classicist, and I did actually figure out what his name would be in Latin (thanks also to a ph.d friend of mine studying the early moderns *tips bonnet*).



Ned: "You're not coming. Get out."
Jane: Yes, he can't come without his bonnet. It would be absurd!

Now, watch carefully the subtle and unique courting ritual of the rare Eduardus Rocastrum in his natural habitat. The Eduardus exhibits a peculiar fascination with hands, especially those of elfin governesses. Let us watch as he attempts to make contact...





Oh, bad luck there. She has shaken of his advance. But he will try again.



What will the fellow do now, met with a definative negative vocalisation as well as physical reprof (she said 'no' and pushed his hand away)? He's trying again! Plucky boy!



*SLAP!*





Ah, the Janet has used a very clever ploy there. A girl-child as a deterrent to the amor of the Eduardus. However, she has not counted on the call of the Eduardus- his 'badinage.' No one can resist.



See?

New Spin on the Darcy Moment

Well, we have heard a lot about this being Toby Stephens' 'Darcy Moment.' This article, however has a different approach:

And does this (praise be!) mark an end to the tiresome lionisation of Mr Darcy? I say Mr Darcy, but of course we all know I mean Colin Firth.

[...]

The slow burn ignited, and up in flames went effigies of Rochesters past; William Hurt (impressive sidewhiskers, but a bit bland), Timothy Dalton (rather shifty, but not in a good way), George C Scott (not dishy enough) and of course, Orson Welles (impressive, but I've never forgiven him for Citizen Kane, surely the most over-rated movie ever made).

[...]

All of which brings me back to the disagreeable cult of Mr Darcy, who in recent years has been consistently voted the greatest romantic hero in literature.

Last year a survey of heroes (romantic or otherwise) by the literary website Books.co.uk saw the aloof incumbent of Pemberley Hall triumph over the likes of Romeo Montague, Heathcliff and Rhett Butler, with Mr Rochester languishing very unfairly, I feel, at 15th - just ahead of Mr Pickwick.
It doesn't take a Nostradamus to predict malign forces at work; Mr Darcy's position has rather more to do with Colin Firth than Pride and Prejudice. How else can one account for the fact that Mark Darcy, of Bridget Jones' Diary - also played by Firth - somehow managed to insinuate his way into seventh position.

But why? Charlotte Bronte's Edward Rochester is a passionate, powerful man, by comparison to whom Jane Austen's Fitzwilliam Darcy appears not merely repressed, but sexually continent to the point of constipation. Yes, he's proud and insufferably arrogant, which - shhh! don't tell the feminists - always goes down well with us career girls, but there's something rather unmanly about his prickliness.

Unfortunately for the Darcy camp, last year I witnessed a 'literary death match' between Darcy and Mr Rochester in which Rochester beat Darcy more than two to one. And I'm sorry to say that most of the pro-Darcy aguments were nothing more than 'how could you not like him?' or 'how could you like Rochester? I don't understand.' How can that compare with: "my bride is here because my equal is here," "my second self, and best earthly companion," "I longed for thee with soul and flesh," with his intriguingly complex character? It just wasn't fair.

I think Charlotte Bronte still says it best in this letter where she defends her creation:

Mr. Rochester has a thoughtful nature and a very feeling heart; he is neither selfish nor self-indulgent; he is ill-educated, misguided; errs, when he does err, through rashness and inexperience: he lives for a time as too many other men live, but being radically better than most men, he does not like that degraded life, and is never happy in it. He is taught the severe lessons of experience and has sense to learn wisdom from them. Years improve him; the effervescence of youth foamed away, what is really good in him still remains. His nature is like wine of a good vintage, time cannot sour, but only mellows him.

Tenant on Television

This is blatantly an advertising ploy to bank on the new fans of Mr. Stephens, but who cares? Tenant of Wildfell Hall is on television! I won't get to see it, but do watch it. It is the only available adaptation of Anne Bronte's novel. Many cast members from this film found their way into Jane Eyre 2006...

I have never seen this film, but I imagine it will be a little strange to see Toby Stephens playing a romantic lead opposite Tara Fitzgerald now that I'm used to these actors playing Rochester and Mrs. Reed! This link is less spoiling.

I would actually advise against visiting the link above if you are not familar with the story, because it completely unravels the plot, in my opinion. I also don't care much for the comment below about Toby's career. Humph!

This adaptation was originally broadcast in 1996, and is only the second screen version of Bronte’s novel in history (the first was made way back in 1968). The far more lavish 1996 version stars the strikingly beautiful Tara Fitzgerald in the lead role. Tara was already a well-known actor by this time, having appeared alongside Hugh Grant in two films (Sirens and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain) and Ewan McGregor in Brassed Off.

Yet there was a time in Tara’s early years that she thought she’d never make it as a performer. At 17 she failed to get places at either RADA or the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and ended up travelling around Europe and working as a waitress. She then returned to London, more mature and self-confident, and landed a place at the prestigious Drama Centre, where the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Pierce Brosnan trained.

Rupert Graves, who plays the Byronic and flawed Arthur Huntingdon, had a similarly rocky road to success. As a teenager he was a punk rocker, before running away from school at 15 to become a circus clown (!) His boyish good looks eventually got him noticed, and he was soon appearing in such posh productions as A Room With a View.

By contrast, Toby Stephens (who portrays Gilbert Markham) had a far more assured path to stardom. After all, his mum happens to be Dame Maggie Smith, which must have opened a fair few doors! His early career was marked by Shakespearean roles on stage, but he’s since become more mainstream – and even played a Bond baddie in Die Another Day.

Tenant of Wildfell Hall is airing October 21st at 8 pm on uktv.

Jane Eyre 2006 Preview and Competition

The BBC are giving away two scripts signed by Ruth Wilson, Toby Stephens, Sandy Welch, Diederick Santer, and Susanna White. Details here.

And here's the preview clip for the... *sniff* for the last episode.

Jane Eyre: The Musical, La Jolla Production

Back by popular demand is the full audio recording of Jane Eyre The Musical. The recording was made when the production was playing in La Jolla California before its run on Broadway. This version is half-way between its Toronto and Broadway incarnations and includes some songs which are not in any of the other versions. It is taking me awhile to upload these track so please be patient.

I think this recording was made in 2000, and is obviously from the theatre soundboards (the sound effects are very loud). It includes most of the regular cast with the exception that Helen is played by a little girl. It stars Marla Schaffel as Jane Eyre and James Barbour as Edward Rochester. If you're not familiar with this show, the chorus is used to express Jane's thoughts at times although the chorus includes all of the cast members (thus, we hear Mr Rochester commenting on being the unloved orphan Jane. You'll know him by his deep, resounous voice). There are many posts in this blog about the musical, but this is the my main critique of this version. Here they experiemented with the Jane/Bertha duality.

Video clips from this and other productions are available from my YouTube group for the show, here.

CD one of two:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tf00dp (A Voice Across the Moors)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ej72oo (scene with John Reed)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/flgyie (The Orphan)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ehjyjg (Naughty Girl)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/52s5hx (Forgiveness)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/te8kxa (Helen's Death)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/qukpfj (The Graveyard)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ezihnf (Sweet Liberty)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/allz51 (Secrets of the House)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vpvlr9 (Perfectly Nice)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q2jmem (scene in Hay Lane)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jos3fa (scene of preparing for the master)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/tos41q (The Governess)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/h3qwa6 (scene with Adele acting out an opera)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dvdh6u (As Good As You)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tksa1l (As I Retired for the Night)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1mnfya (scene of the fire)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ldszt9 (Sirens)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/joo74r (The Aristocrats)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/km2uoo (scene with the aristocrats)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/82sbad (The Finer Things)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ya2oe2 (How You Look in the Night)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mm1z8n (The Pledge)

Hello! Magazine's Article on Jane Eyre 2006

Thanks once more to Penny!

Bronte News

Wuthering Heights has inspired an art exhibit on display this month in Massachusetts:

LIBRARY EXHIBIT. "The Colorful World of Wuthering Heights - in Watercolors and Drawings," by artist Mary Haig, is on view in the auditorium at the Morse Institute Library, West Central Street in Natick. The exhibit will run through October.

Bronte Historian extraordinaire, Juliet Barker will be making an appearance at the Examiner Literary Luncheon is Huddersfield:

The ticket price of £19.50 includes a three course meal at the Galpharm Stadium, with coffee and the chance to meet our authors.
Tickets are available only from the Lawrence Batley Theatre box office, telephone 01484 430528. The ticket sales will close on Saturday.

Lastly, remember our debate about fan fiction? The Brontes come up in this article on the subject.

Fanfic has a long history.
In the 19th century, the Bronte sisters wrote fan fiction about the Duke of Wellington, a popular figure in their time.

Not so. Only Charlotte wrote fan fiction about Wellington. (If you believe the scholars, and follow their theories to their natural conclusions than Mr Rochester is nothing more than her invented son of Arthur Wellesley- or his son, however you prefer to look at it: the Duke of Zamora!).

After Mrs Rochester in Pennsylvania


Polly Teale's play After Mrs Rochester is playing at the Quantum Theatre at Braddock Carnegie Library, 419 Library St., Braddock, Pennsylvania Through Oct. 22; Wed.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. 7 p.m.

Identifying with her, sympathizing with her, Rhys writes "Wide Sargasso Sea," fusing bits of her own life and pain with Bronte's shadowy wretch.

Playwright and theater artist Polly Teale and the company Shared Experience imagine Rhys further into Bronte's world in "After Mrs Rochester." Scenes of Rhys' life are interspersed with scenes from "Jane Eyre." Rhys becomes a character who uses writing to exorcize her demons, but they leave her only briefly and never venture far. The "madwoman" that plagues Rhys lives alongside her, sometimes ignored, sometimes acknowledged, ever present.

Quantum Theatre stages "After Mrs Rochester" in the Music Hall of the baronial Braddock Carnegie Library. The space hovers between disrepair and renovation, modern and historic, the old and new sitting side-by-side, not always comfortably, much like Rhys herself and certainly like her writing, which is hailed now as drastically ahead of its time.

Tickets are $24-$27; $15 students. To order call: 412-394-3353.

"I really am awesome you know...did you know Professor Mcgonagall is my mother?"

I'm not the only one snarking Jane Eyre 2006! Missmomoko has come up with this 'picspam' to encourage her friends to watch the series. Rochester is trying to get Jane to admit that he's handsome. Here's a sample with Missmomoko's captions:

Sure....at times I may have ridiculously silly hair.

And sometimes I dress exactly like Rupert the Bear...

But by God......I'm gorgeous

What do you think???

Poor Mrs Fairfax...

Christmas came a little early for Bronteana. Lily, one of my readers, unofficial research assistant and Santa's Jewish Helper sent me the special edition DVD of Jane Eyre: The Musical Classic (not to be confused with Jane Eyre: The Musical - or the six or seven other productions of that name). The parcel also enclosed a short note: "Enjoy. I guess. Good luck getting past intermission!" How I laughed... but, it is a good thing I don't have a kitchenette in my dorm because I was tempted to bake some muffins during act one.

I have actually seen worse acting. I defy anyone to find worse acting than the cast of Amazons and Gladiators. It will explode any delusions you have about what bad acting is like. The acting in JE is suitable for a middle-school production, I think. The blocking is very bad, and the performances remind me of my high school's productions. I think one of the problems here is that these actors are obviously singers, not actors who can sing- or, alas, singers who can act. They can sing very well (most of them). There is only one poignant moment and this is during the gypsy scene, but even then how seriously can you take a man when he looks like he is wearing his grandmother's underwear on his head?

One truly interesting element of this production is the treatment of Bertha. She gets a whole song. The song doesn't make too much sense, and is mostly an ear-piercing 'AAAAAAAAAASHES!' and 'pretty, pretty FIRE!' but there is some character work at least... She doesn't like being in cold, damp England so I assume this is why she likes the fire so much. She comes downstairs after the first interview, sings, then goes back wherever she came from. It also wasn't long before I realised that this show is based on the 1996 film with Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt. Although it isn't credited, several pieces of dialogue were lifted directly from the film.

Generally, the show was super camp Jane Eyre. The guests were especially campy and made the show somewhat bizzare. What is Blanche Ingram exactly? A whore with a heart of gold? I'm not sure. She swaggers around talking about going to 'see the har- ohh! I mean starletts!' at the opera and actually pinching one of the men. The men, by the way, sing a cheery little ditty about cuckoldry and debauchery before grabbing their suspenders and having a good laugh. The ladies advise eachother to appear as dumb as their hats. The sight of Blanche and Rochester doing the tango was only bettered by Rochester dragging Blanche across the stage when she falls into his arms. She witnesses the exchange between Jane and Rochester after the fire in his room, and she and Jane then sing a duet 'He Was Nearly Mine' in which she laments losing the man she... loves? Wants because she can't have? She looks sick as she hangs, clinging desperately to the railings and eventually ends up in a heap on the landing. This song also has a seemingly endless passage with nothing but the two crying "If only I was the one to touch him!" When he finally proposes, he calls in Mrs. Fairfax and forces the poor woman to dance with him, he's so giddy.

I think its his red housecoat. I can't see any other reason why these women keep throwing themselves at him, unless they want his house with its drywall and poster paint walls.

Taking Plant Imagery Too Far


I have begun marking some essays for a first year course. The professor and I got to talking about hilarious essays in general. When I was a TA in Classics we used to pass around a sheet of paper to keep track of all of the hilarity (anything from temples to Jesus being built in 100 BC... to the Ancient Greeks playing 'Polisopoly' or that the Ancient Greeks 'invented the atomic bomb and possibly medicine'). I think my favourite was how 'illiteracy' was one of the foundations of the Roman education system. Have little Gaius flogged! He's not done his not reading today! I've never taught the Brontes before, but here's a lovely example the professor shared with me of a hilarious Jane Eyre essay.

"When Mr Rochester is talking with Jane in the garden romaine will fall."

I wonder what our friend Rochester the Botanist would say about such potentious lettuce! That would make getting back to the house more perilous and less romantic, I think with Jane and Rochester trying to duck the flying lettuce.

Reader, I Married Him- Jane Eyre

Again, Penny saves the day with this download of the Jane Eyre episode of Reader, I Married Him. There are screencaps here as well as on Penny's blog.

The Ruperrochy.

I must be feeling a little better. A few readers were disappointed that I didn't have any snarky commentary for the second episode. They also pointed out that Rochester looks like Rupert the Bear, so I thought I would do a side-by-side. I think this is quite damning evidence, really. Although the term I coined sounds a bit like Scooby saying 'Super Rochy' but that would be... well, possibly that Victorian illustration of Rochester flying through the air). Never fear, it is de rigeur that Rochester have at least one hideous outfit per adaptation. His robe usually suffers this fate, although some robes have been so hideous as to spawn fan clubs of their own. That's right, Mr Rochester is so wonderful that there are fan clubs for his ugly clothes. 'Adorably hideous, just like Edward.' On second thought, perhaps I'm not getting better. Perhaps this is just the begining of delirium.

More Jane Eyre clips...

Here's one of the best scenes from episode two, thanks to ruthiem!



And, some more from the musical. I've also set up a group for clips from the musical (18 clips so far!) here. Here's Farewell, Good Angel with Marla Schaffel and James Barbour, and Forgiveness with Marla Schaffel.




Forgive the lack of editorials lately but I've been ill. I nearly passed out during the Victorian literature seminar yesterday (I'm not sure I'm making the best impression- I probably looked half asleep).

Trailer for Episode Three of Jane Eyre 2006

Penny is three for three. Thanks Penny!

More Clips from Episode Two

Here are a few more clips from episode two of Jane Eyre 2006, courtesy of ruthiem.

Screencaps from Episode Two

While I was not impressed with the first episode, this time I'm delighted. They changed far less than I thought they would, and this time around the additions were very good. There was about 3 minutes of stupidity, but the rest more than made up for it. I actually find it to be more faithful to the novel than most. I think the powers of the novel are evoked nicely, and much more of the events and characterisation are more 'canonical.' Lady Ingram reminds me strangely of Miss Rigby, who hated the novel for its revolutionary ideas concerning class (Jane was nominated a 'moral Jacobin'). Charlotte wrote a snarky rebuke which her pubishers eventually persuaded her not to include as the preface to her next book. Oh, Charlotte... Anyway, it was very well done.

Rochester Clip from Reader, I Married Him

A Special thanks to Midnight Muse for making this clip available. This is the Mr.Rochester segment from 'Reader, I Married Him.' Among other things, there's a brief interview with Toby Stephens, and several clips from Jane Eyre 2006- including one from a scene with Jane and St.John Rivers.

You can download the clip here.



That would be our St.John Rivers in the photo above. The clip is interesting: it presents a lot of varied views on the character. I was surprised, however, at how much I disagree with Lucasta Miller. She even went overboard on Charlotte's criticism of Jane Austen. She didn't object to there being 'no romantic tempests' in her novels. She wanted more penetrating psychological realism, and more poetry. The way this sounds, Charlotte wrote... well, Harlequin/Mills and Boon romances. Mr Rochester the 'quintessential regency rake?' The kind that rape women because they happen to be alone at night and so therefor must be a prostitute? Or maybe she means the romanticised Regency rake? 'Loads of mistresses?' He has three mistresses in ten years, and one of these was for a few months. She also makes it sound like he married Bertha knowing she was mad, just because he was after her money and now he wants to drag Jane down with him. Pft.

Clips and Trailer for the BBC's Wide Sargasso Sea

Clicking on this link will take you to all four videos.

"Do you still think you're dreaming, Mr Rochester?"

"Secrets and treasure"

"The truth shall set you free"

The Trailer

Preview Clip for Episode Three of Jane Eyre 2006



The preview clip is now available here. Not much happens in this clip, so I have only made a few screencaps this time. Aunt Reed is ill, Jane reads a letter. I wonder what that's about...

ETA: Link fixed.

Review of Jane Eyre Illustrated by Dame Darcy


Yes, I have recieved the books. They arrived last week, but only after I inquired at another residence hall did I find them there (and not, in fact, in my mail box). So details of the contest are still in the works. I thought I should review it now while I have the time. This will be a strange sort of review, I think because there are several ways I could approach this item: as someone who loves the novel, as a Bronte scholar, as an art critic, as someone with experience in publishing. Instead of deciding which of these perspectives to go with, I'll just mention what I notice most.

The illustrations are in ink, sometimes coloured with acrylics. The line work is naive, the compositions good, but the colouration ruins the plates. Arcylics utilised to mimic watercolours often have this effect of looking exactly like crayola markers, and that's what has happened here. In high school I knew half a dozen artists who worked in this style, and with the same effects so I recognise the drawback. Her hatching work is rushed and gives no sense of texture and little of shading. I have a feeling that the artist wants to be Aubrey Beardsley but there is a lack of originality. I like the ideas behind several images, but the artist doesn't put enough work into them to raise them above the average. Those half-dozen artists I knew where making this stuff six and seven years ago, and with more skill and creativity.

So, how do the images complement the text? Now and then parts of the compositions are evocative. The most effective piece is a panel at the top of a coloured plate which shows Helen and Jane. The rest of the plate seems to be more at home in Alice in Wonderland than at Lowood School, though. In short, I would say that what appeals to the Goth aesthetic takes precedence here over the text. This illustration of the gypsy scene is a good example. Here Mr Rochester is turned into a ridiculous caricature of a Hallowe'en style witch rather than a gypsy.

My conclusion is that this edition is interesting, and should appeal to Dame Darcy's fans, but it is neither ground-breaking, nor thoughtful, nor well excecuted.

Flipbook?

Lilycup has gratiously screencapped the first episode of Jane Eyre 2006. Yes, I know, there are a lot of screencaps out there. But, I mean that she has made hundreds of images. So many images, in fact, that if you flip through them quickly you do actually see expression and motion! Good work! And what's even better, she has made it her mission to do this with each and every episode!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z76PHLVN

You might need WinRar to unzip the file. Some samples: