Product Details

• Actors: Ruth Wilson, Toby Stephens, Amy Steel, Jacqueline Pilton, Anne Reid
• Directors: Susanna White
• Format: Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: PBS
• DVD Release Date: February 20, 2007
• Run Time: 228 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (471 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000LPQ6DE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,076 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Masterpiece Theatre: Jane Eyre" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

After a wretched childhood, orphaned Jane Eyre yearns for new experiences. She accepts a governess position at Thornfield Hall, where she tutors a lively French girl named Adele. She soon finds herself falling in love with the brooding master of the house - the passionate Mr. Rochester. Jane gradually wins his heart, but they must overcome the dark secrets of the past before they can find happiness. When Jane saves Rochester from an eerie fire, she begins to suspect that there are many mysteries behind the walls of Thornfield Hall. Her fears are confirmed when Rochester's secret past is revealed, destroying her chance for happiness, and forcing Jane to flee Thornfield. Penniless and hungry, she finds shelter and friendship in the shape of a kind clergyman and his family. But she is soon shocked to uncover the deeply hidden truth of her own past. This lavish and sensual new version of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel is modern and moody, timeless and romantic. Starring Toby Stephens as Mr. Rochester, Ruth Wilson as Jane, and Francesca Annis as Lady Ingram.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

290 of 302 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nearly Flawless New Version Of "Jane Eyre"--Real Romance And Genuine Intrigue For the "Masterpiece Theater" Set, February 25, 2007

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Masterpiece Theatre: Jane Eyre (DVD)

"Masterpiece Theater" has long been a benchmark in bringing quality British TV to American viewers. With a prestigious history, some legendary programs--including "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "I, Claudius"--have found acclaim, awards, and international audiences. Of late, "Masterpiece Theater" has been showcasing some ambitious literary adaptations with mixed results. Last season's high point, and a must for any lover of film, was the flawless adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House." A triumph in every regard, and featuring Emmy nominated turns by Charles Dance and Gillian Anderson, this program should be essential viewing for those that value literate, classy and wildly entertaining TV. This season's offerings have included "To The Ends Of The Earth" (an adaptation of William Golding's seafaring trilogy--'Rites Of Passage,' 'Close Quarters' and 'Fire Down Below'), a robust new version of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre," a reimagining of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," and the swan song of Helen Mirren's Jane Tennison in "Prime Suspect 7."

What can one say about "Jane Eyre" that hasn't been said before? Being familiar with the novel and countless prior adaptations, I'll admit that I wasn't all that excited to revisit what I consider to be a very familiar tale. However, I diligently sat down to watch the latest 2 part "Masterpiece Theater" production. And, boy, am I ever glad that I did. While there are some liberties taken with the source material, that's to be expected. Anyone who envisions every adaptation of a novel to be a literal translation is denying the power of the film medium to create new and enduring art. In fact, it often annoys me when people carp on how something is different in lieu of accepting the merits of the interpretation. This "Jane Eyre" succeeds so well due to the credible romantic relationship, the intelligent screenplay, and the genuinely haunting quality of the central mystery.

While this version breezes past Jane's difficult childhood, it effectively settles into the heart of the story--when Jane takes a position at Thornfield Hall. Jane becomes fascinated by her new employer, Mr. Rochester. The two interact believably, and as Jane gets past Rochester's gruff exterior and erratic mood swings--she starts to have feelings for the man. Part One of this miniseries details the evolving, but chaste, relationship. In addition, the mysterious goings-on at Thornfield are excellently depicted. I was riveted by everything in this first part--particularly the intelligent banter between the two leads and the underlying sense of dread that exists in the manor. Easily 5 stars, the first half of this miniseries is flawless. In Part Two, physical romance blossoms and secrets are revealed in a very satisfying way. However, as "Jane" fans know--there are still plenty of obstacles in the way of true love. As the story wanders away from Thornfield, the program loses some of its momentum and its magic. It's still a good adaptation--but when the leads are separated, it loses a bit of its spark.

In case you haven't guessed, I was thoroughly impressed by Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens, as Jane and Rochester respectively. Wilson is the perfect Jane--intelligent and appealing. It's hard to imagine someone not falling in love with her, she's so sensible and caring. Stephens does a terrific job, as well. Playing the tortured Rochester, he is a trapped soul that's yearning, but unable, to escape. While referred to in the dialogue as ugly (which he's not), it is also easy to see why this man would be a challenge for and an equal to Jane. A wonderful combination, Wilson and Stephens make this "Jane Eyre" sing. Even if you've fallen in love with other versions, there is a vital romanticism that distinguishes this lovely film. KGHarris, 02/07.

159 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought there couldn't be another great remake; I was wrong, February 18, 2007

By 

TravelMod (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Masterpiece Theatre: Jane Eyre (DVD)

For me the Timothy Dalton version could not have been bested, but I was wrong. The Dalton version,so faithful to the original novel is still excellent, though on re-viewing seems locked indoors and low-budget.

The Dalton version gave the story about 6 hours, with a substantial amount of time spent on Jane's childhood at the horrible boarding school.
Again, this was straight from the novel, but, let's face it, for those of us who know the story, we're waiting for her to grow up and meet Mr. Rochester.

Now, on to the current version. The story remains a great mixture of seething passion, frustrated hopes on both sides, and the struggle within one heroine between steely, virtuous, self-reliance, and a simple desire to be loved. Toby Stevens is younger than the hero is often portrayed, but still looks as if he's seen the world and fought against the unhappiness and cynicism that years of dissipated living can bring. He is handsome, but not pretty. Ruth Wilson's Jane is written as chaste but not priggish, lonely but eager to love, and, most especially, strong and independent, but in no way inappropriately feminist for the 19th century of the setting. If anything she's a bit more physically passionate than we've seen before, but it does make her seem more real.

The budget is high and it shows--lots of gorgeous outdoor scenes, beautiful period interiors , sumptuous gowns. Here and there there are some breaches of Victorian etiquette that don't ring quite true, and there are of course some deletions and skimping on some of the story lines,particularly with the Rivers family. However, I think once the decision was made to have this fit into 4 hours, the plot choices they made were mostly good ones. There is great chemistry between the two principals and most importantly, they seem entirely believable and at home in the period of the story. Spoiler warning: the final scene struck me as little too Hollywoody and 'sunny' for what is essentially
a Gothic-style dark novel (madwoman in the attic and all) but at least it is nicely romantic.

205 of 244 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wait!, February 4, 2007

By 

Yvonne Creek - See all my reviews

This review is from: Masterpiece Theatre: Jane Eyre (DVD)

According to many sources on the internet the US DVD does not have the Special Features that the UK version has. For some reason they are distributing the DVD with all of the Special Features later in May. The US DVD reportedly only has cast filmographies and a biography of Charlotte Bronte. The UK version includes all of those above and deleted scenes, audio commentaries, interviews with cast & crew, and a photo gallery.

If all the extras aren't important to you by all means go ahead and order this beautifully done adaption of Jane Eyre. Of course these sources could be untrue but I'd rather wait to find out then to go and buy another copy of it in May.