January 19 - Jane Eyre (1973)

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on January 19. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

JANE EYRE 

Orphan Jane Eyre lives with her aunt, Mrs. Reed who doesn’t like her. Her mother’s brother Mr. Reed died when Jane was three. Jane is physically and emotionally abused by her aunt and cousins. Finally she is sent to Lowood Girls school on January 19, 18__ [Ep. 1 20:03 to 20:35]which is a charity school.  She is abused by the director Mr. Brocklehurst, whose family lives in luxury, while the students starve and freeze. Her best friend Helen dies of ‘consumption’. Conditions at the school improve and eight years later Jane is teaching there. She advertises for a governess position and gets one reply, from Mrs. Fairfax at Thornfield Hall to care for Adele Varens, a young French girl. She arrives there and likes the child. One day out walking she encounters a horseman and he is thrown and slightly injured. Upon her return she learns that the rider was Mr. Rochester, the owner of Thornfield. Jane teaches Adele(who we learn is Mr. Rochester’s daughter with his former mistress, a French opera singer, who abandoned the girl) to play the piano, sketch and dance. Mr. Rochester and Jane become attracted to each other. Strange laughter is heard in the halls and one night Mr. Rochester’s bed catches on fire and would have killed him if Jane had not raised the alarm. A house party arrives including the woman Mr. Rochester is supposedly interested in marrying. A Mr. Mason arrives to stay and is stabbed by an unknown person. Jane gets a letter saying her aunt is dying. She goes to see her. Her aunt refuses her efforts at reconciliation, but gives Jane a letter she had withheld from John Eyre, her father’s brother saying he wanted Jane to live with him. The aunt replied that Jane had died. When her aunt dies Jane returns to Thornfield. Adele leaves for school and Mr. Rochester proposes. However, the wedding is stopped by the sudden appearance of the recovered Mr. Mason, who reveals that Mr. Rochester is already married to his now insane sister, who is kept locked up in a room at Thornfield and is responsible for the mysterious happenings there. Mr. Rochester asks Jane to go away with him and live together. Jane refuses and leaves. There is a second fire and Mr. Rochester is injured. Jane wanders for a while and gets sick, but ends up at the home of the Rivers, who nurse her back to health. Jane learns that her uncle John Eyre has left her his entire fortune. . Eventually Mr. Rivers proposes to her, but she refuses. She travels back to Thornfield, which is a ruin.  She learns the first Mrs. Rochester died in the fire.  Mr. Rochester was partially blinded in the fire and fears she will reject him due to this. She convinces him she still loves him and they become engaged   He eventually recovers some of his sight.        .   

One of the classic novels. A great dramatic romance.  This version is well paced and has good cinematography.

Director - Joan Craft

Screenplay - Robin Chapman

Released – 1973

Runtime – 4 hours 35 min

Starring –

Sorcha Cusack as Jane Eyre

Juliet Waley as young Jane

Michael Jayston as Edward Rochester

Megs Jenkins as Mrs. Fairfax

Stephanie Beacham as Blanche Ingram

Brenda Kempner as Bertha Rochester

Isabelle Rosin as Adele

Geoffrey Whitehead as St. John Rivers

Tina Heath as Helen Burns

Anne Tirard as Miss Scatcherd

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.