Kristie After seeing about 7 different adaptations of JANE EYRE, I always find myself coming back to this one. If you're protective of the novel, as I am, and desire to see a film that is very faithful to it, THIS one is the BEST.Best is not perfect, but it is pretty darn close. You can watch this mini-series with the novel on your lap and practically follow along scene for scene.Let's talk about the fabulousness that is Timothy Dalton.He was born to play Mr. Rochester. Physically, emotionally, the highs and lows of his personality--all done with sheer excellence. Every scene he's in becomes his own. Every word spoken is perfection. Sometimes he is handsome, other times not, sometimes he's amiable, other times not. It is that changeability that makes the viewer constantly deciding, "Do I like Rochester? Or do I not?" Jane never knows which version of Rochester to expect and neither does the viewer.When I was younger and first read the book and then saw this mini-series, I did not like Zelah Clarke's portrayal of Jane. Years later I have new appreciation for her. Timothy Dalton has a very strong presence as Rochester. Many actresses would be overshadowed by him, but Zelah Clarke holds her own in every scene they share.Aside from the excellent acting, which stays true to the novel's characters' personalities, this version paces itself out extremely well. I love that the hilarious "gypsy scene" is included. I love that you see the real development of the relationship between Jane and Rochester. But mostly, I love that the ending is not rushed. The novel's ending is one of the best ever written and this adaptation does it terrific justice.

choro72 LOVES-Bessie. In most adaptations, Bessie is depicted as a nice person. Here, as in the book, Bessie wasn't always nice to Jane. She scolded her for no good reason just as everyone else did. However, she was the only one that showed any kindness to Jane at all.-The girls. Georgiana and Eliza were not cut! I wish they showed what happened to them, but I'm just glad they weren't cut.-Mr. John, Mr. Briggs, and John Eyre. These are secondary characters. I completely understand why they are usually cut, but it's nice to see the reference.-St. John Rivers. I loved Bicknell's depiction of St. John Rivers! He is perfectly cold and single minded as I imagined him to be.-Main characters. I thought Clarke's Jane was superior to Fontaine's. I could sense her reserved passion, and she burst at the right spots. I thought Orson Welles was the best Mr. R depicted on film, but Dalton's delivery still convinced me. He captured his internal conflict spot on. Dalton and Clarke had great chemistry.-The Gypsy. I'm so glad they kept that in!-Script. They kept most of my favorite lines from the book.The BAD-Helen Burns. Cut to grave stone? Really!? Also, her Christian beliefs were not completely depicted. This was an important point in shaping Jane's character, and it was skimmed over.-The hair. Oh the hair. I can't believe they gave Mr. R a mullet! St. John Rivers had the 70's flowing hair! This was the single, most reprehensible thing done to the book, which is why I only gave 9 stars.-Ending. I wish they showed what happened to the other characters. St. John, Mrs. Fairfax, Diana and Mary, etc.

flowergirlz_us I have watched many versions of this, my favorite story of all time, and have found this to be the best, most comprehensive version ever. Yes, the lighting is bad and it is filmed on video tape, but unlike the other adaptations done by the BBC at the time (Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and most especially Persuasion, a version that screams the 1970's) this version has beautiful sets, beautiful characters and some of the best acting of the series. It truly is the jewel in the crown for Jane Eyre fans. While Timothy Dalton is truly too handsome to play Rochester,(remember, Rochester is supposed to be homely too) his powerful acting makes it work. He is truly a Shakespearean actor, full of fire and brimstone, as well as sweetness and heartbreak. He is the essence of the Regency era. Zelah Clarke, while not the prettiest actress to play the character, plays the character with a lot of pluck and spunk. The two actors have incredible chemistry which is very evident in the scene where Jane confronts Edward after the revelation of his mad wife. The power between these two wonderful actors reverberates off the screen. This is my favorite version because it takes the time to tell the whole story, being an 8 part miniseries, it has all of the wonderful scenes from the book which is sadly left out of most other movie versions. This is one of my favorite movies of all time and any true Jane fan will not be disappointed.

Yass Lily This version of Jane Eyre is the best ever and I do not think any other version of Jane Eyre will ever surpass its excellence. Everything is simply perfect. Timothy Dalton as the eccentric Mr Rochester gives it all he has and I think he never did a movie better than this one in all his career. It is because of his tantalizing performance in this miniseries that the audience gets hooked to it till the last minute of the series. Of course the main actor and actress' acting is very well matched too and one can feel the chemistry between the young and unearthly Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester right out of the screen! I highly recommend this miniseries to all Jane Eyre fans. It is a sin if you haven't watched it yet!