this 1996 movie be the first adaptation of jane eyre that i ever watch and when i do so i be appal by it . so much of the novel have be leave out and i consider william hurt to be terribly miscast a rochester . since then i have watch all the other noteworthy adaptation of the novel and the three short version of 44 and 70 and 97 and the three mini series of 73 and 83 and 2006 and and i have notice that there be bad adaptation and bad rochester . this be without doubt the most exquisite jane eyre adaptation as far a cinematography be concern . director franco zerifferelli revel in beautiful long shot of snow fall from a winter sky and of lonely rochester stand on a rock and and of jane look out of the window but he be less good at tell a story and bring character to life . in addition and his script merely scratch the surface of the novel by leave out many important scene . a a consequence the film do not show the depth and complexity of the relationship between jane and rochester and and sadly it do also not include the humorous side of their intercourse . there be a number of short conversation between rochester and jane and each of them beautifully stag and but the couple of sentence they exchange do not suffice to show the audience that they be draw to each other . we know that they be suppose to fall in love and but we never see it actually happen . the scene in which rochester want to find out jane reaction to his dilemma by put his case in hypothetical form before her after the wounded mason have leave the house be completely missing and and the farewell scene and the most important scene the climax of the novel be reduce to four sentence . zerifferelli do not make the mistake other scriptwriter have make in substitute their own poor write for brontë superb line and neither be crucial scene completely change and rewrite and but he make the less offensive but in the end similarly great mistake of simply leave many important scene out . what remain be just a glimpse of the novel and which do no justice to charlotte brontë masterpiece . the cast be a mixed bag represent while fiona shaw be an excellent mr reed and anna paquin young jane be more an ill mannered and pout lolita than a lonely little girl and longing for love . the ever reliable joan plowright make a very likable and but far too shrewd mr fairfaix and and one can not help feeling that billie whitelaw be suppose to play the village witch instead of plain look and hard work grace poole . charlotte gainsbourgh a the grown up heroine and however and be physically a perfect choice for play jane eyre . look every bit like 18 and thin and frail and with irregular and strong feature and she come close to my inner vision of jane than any other actress in that role . and during the first 15 minute of her screen time i be enchant by her performance . gainsbourgh manage well to let the audience guess at the inner fire and the strong will which be hide behind the stoic mask . but unfortunately the script never allow her to expand the more passionate and lively side of jane character any far . a a result of leave out so many scene and shorten so much of the dialogue and gainsbourgh portrayal of jane must necessarily remain incomplete and therefore ultimately unsatisfactory . this be a pity and a with a good script charlotte gainsbourgh might have be as good a jane a zelah clarke in the 83 version . but while it be still obvious that gainsbourgh be try to play jane and there be no trace whatsoever of rochester in the character that william hurt portrays . hurt and who have prove himself to be a fine actor in many good movie and must have be aware that he be physically and type wise so miscast that he do not even attempt at play the rochester of the novel . his rochester and besides be blond and blue eyed and be a soft spoken and well mannered nobleman and shy and quiet and slightly queer and eccentric and but basically good natured and mild . he be so far from be irascible and moody and grim that line refer to these trait of his character sound absolutely ridiculous . additionally and during many moment of the movie and hurt facial expression leave one wondering if he be fight against acute attack of the sleep sickness . particularly in the proposal scene he grimace like a patient rally from a general anaesthetic and be hardly able to keep his eye open . if you compare his rochester to the strong willed and charm protagonist of the novel and simply burst with energy and temperament and it be no wonder that many viewer be disappoint in hurt performance . still and he offend me less than the rochester in the 70 and 97 and 2006 version and i would in general rank this jane eyre high than these three other one . hurt obviously have the wit to recognise that he could not be the rochester of the novel and therefore do not try to do so and whereas george c. scott and ciaràn hind and toby stephen think they could and but fail miserably and and i would rather watch a character other than rochester than a rochester who be badly play . and i would rather watch a jane eyre movie which leave out many line of the novel but do not invent new one than a version which use modernise dialogue which sound a if they could be utter by a today couple in a starbucks café . of course this jane eyre be a failure and but at least it be an inoffensive one and which be more than one can say of the 97 and 2006 adaptation . i would therefore not desist anyone from watch this adaptation represent you will not find jane eyre and but at least you will find a beautifully make movie .