i do not like use the word awful to describe any work of the cinema for which a great deal of time and effort and talent and money be spend in it creation but zefferelli attempt to adapt charlotte brontë novel jane eyre be a total waste of time . the script be lack in finesse and power and everything explain to the viewer in no uncertain term and leave little to the imagination . the lead actor be woefully miscast and clearly hire for their star name and and the musical score drippy and dull . charlotte gainsbourg and william hurt have absolutely no chemistry with one another at all . she be like a wet noodle and bad even than joan fontaine and who at least be capable of some modicum of emotional involvement in what should be a story of frustrated passion . and william hurt act the entire film on one tone and that tone be flat and devoid of energy . of course the limp and vapid script do not aid any of these otherwise fine actor in their effort to bring any whiff of life to this flick . joan plowright mrs fairfax be like some disney creation who keep pop up to sweeten scene in which she would have be best leave out . there be no mystery surround the story of rochester first wife . the role of the would be second wife and play like a barbie doll by elle macphearson and be an empty cipher . fiona shaw and a very great actress and be completely waste a jane aunt and mr reed . she would have be good cast a mr fairfax . only amanda root and a jane beloved school teacher and evoke any authentic sympathy or believability . i saw this version of jane eyre after view robert young for british television and make in 1997 and star ciaran hind and samantha morgan and gemma jones . there be no comparison . young vital and romantic and deeply move version be like an explode nova compare to zefferelli wet squib . i will be interested now to see the 1970 version with timothy dalton and about which i have read some very good thing on this web site . i be amaze at how many people like zefferelli yorkshire picture book . about all i can say good about this film be that the house be beautiful and the cinematography vividly color and beyond that it be a complete dud .