The problem with many classic productions, (Shakespeare mostly,) is that the directors and actors and SET DESIGNERS think that the piece ought to be real dull and boring. And the audience loves it! They love telling "less folk" who slept through the performance that, "I found it riveting. I adored the lack of emotion and interest." However, this is a bunch of ridiculous nonsense. Shakespeare should knock your socks off, or it's not being done properly!
And I'm afraid the same thing goes for Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre doesn't HAVE to be boring. Yet, 2011's Jane Eyre directed by Cary Fukunaga, decided to go the boring rout.
Fukunaga's first mistake was casting the dry-as-toast Mia Wasikowska (Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland's Alice,) as Jane Eyre. Forgive me, but women who play Jane need to exert an emotion now and then. Mia's face never read jealous, never read upset, never read sad, never read ANYTHING, except once, and that was a beautiful moment.
Fukunaga's (I just like writing "Fukunaga,") second mistake, was filming too many wondering-around-and-thinking scenes. First, Mia's thoughts were too well concealed, we didn't get that she was thinking AND wondering around. It appeared she just wandered. Second, we're smart cookies; we GET that time passes. Wondering around the hills doesn't need to fill TWENTY MINUTES of movie time!
(Mia Wasikowska (above) "says"-This is my one expression. I'm as bad as Kristen Stewart but no one will say anything because I'm not trendy.)
Fukunaga's best decision, was to hire the incredibly awesome Michael Fassbender, (
X-Men: First Class's Magneto.) He was GREAT!
Judy Dench was in it too, and she's awesome.
Jane Eyre should be filled with exiting parts, scary parts, suspense, romance, etc. And it was filled with blah-ness and blank stares. I couldn't bring myself to care for the characters. I even saw the signs, and knew this movie was heading for disappointment during the opening sequence.
In truth, I was too bored to watch the entire movie, and that's nothing against the story of Jane Eyre; I've sat through longer versions, I even sat through reading the book. So, it's not that my attention span is abominable; it's that I have no patience for movies that think they're SUPPOSED to be boring.
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