good back-story, and good acting

An action-packed slog

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Rushed and incomplete, yet compelling and interesting enough, this 1943 version of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel works as an adaptation only because of the actors who embody their respective characters with a fierce engagement. The film often reduces itself to rehearsing the major plot points of the novel without paying closer attention to what made characters like Jane, Mr. Rochester, Blanche or Mrs. Reed so memorable. As a result, the film has its shortcomings and could have used an addition of a few more minutes to its runtime, but thanks to Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles in the leading roles, as well as Elizabeth Taylor, Hillary Brooke and Agnes Moorehead in memorable supporting performances, Robert Stevenson's "Jane Eyre" is still worth watching - as long as you are familiar with the source material and don't allow this to become your first encounter with the story of Jane Eyre.

Mr Rochester is the Ur Gothic hero.MIss Eyre the mousy,rabbit - in - the - headlights timid naïve young woman just put on earth for him to ravage.They should never have been allowed within 20 miles of each other yet somehow this unlikely pairing has captured the imagination of readers since the 19thcentury.It is not the least bit believable and Mr Welles and Miss Fontaine have zero chemistry together and a marriage would be disastrous,but she's a sticker and eventually sees off opposition from mad wives and heiresses and gets her man. That's it in a nutshell but the joy is in the dramatic settings,the crashing thunder, burning rooms, the mist that makes one think of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce following the footprints of a gigantic hound and the absolute villainy of the villains. Many of the supporting cast are English exiles and acquit themselves as to the manner born. Silent stars Mr B.Bevan and Miss M.Marsh are welcome extras. Archetypal Hollywood melodrama now 75 years old and of it's type never bettered.

Orson Welles is so sexy in this film that Joan Fontaine looks a bit lost. I didn't care for her in this film because basically, she lacked the complexity of the literary character and was too Hollywood-looking.So much was left out in the film adaptation that the ending seemed hastily thrown together. The best scenes were the Lowood School scenes (featuring a very young Elizabeth Taylor as the ill-fated Helen).I have watched several film versions of the book, and there are some I like much better (the TV miniseries starring George C. Scott and Susannah York is my favorite), but this film is worth watching just to see how handsome and talented the great Orson Welles was, back in the day.

Jane Eyre is another master piece from the great American film actor, writer, and director Orson Wells. The film stars both Orson wells and Joan Fontaine, both who give great performances. Awe a predecessor to Well's Citizen Kane, at times this film felt very Kane- esque, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The lighting is quite spectacular, with deep darks and shadows. However, it is really the acting that most stands out in this film. Fontaine really shines, as she gives her best performance.There is chemistry between both Fontaine and Wells, and it keeps you invested. I enjoyed this film, but not as much as Citizen Kane.