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Reviews
Jane Eyre (2006)
Beautiful masterpiece
I am a a 15 year old and a huge fan of Victorian literature, including Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and, of course, Jane Eyre. These books are written so powerfully that your heart is drawn into them and hangs on every written word. When I sit down to watch film adaptations of these classic novels, my expectations are to become as attached to the film as I am to the book. I have been disappointed by film adaptations time and time again, so when I sat down to watch this miniseries, I watched with a mind and voice that was ready to yell at the TV screen.
My voice and mind's eagerness for anger were quickly replaced by awe and overwhelming happiness as time wore on. This adaptation is so powerful in its loyalty to the book and its characters. Jane and Mr. Rochester are portrayed absolutely beautifully. I was drawn into the film by my heartstrings and kept there, emotionally tied to the charactersn until the end. The characters speak and act with such passion, and although I knew what was going to happen in the end, I felt connected to Jane throughout every step of her story.
I must admit that there were a few lines that were awkward, and the beginning was a bit rushed. It bothered me as a Jane Eyre fan for about one minute; my irritation was quickly lost as I was swept back up in the spirit of the film. What I value in film versions of books are their ability to capture the essence of the book. Not the book word for word, but the spirit, chemistry, and the power that makes the book a classic. Movies aren't about literal adaptations, they are artistic adaptations, which means that they should be allowed some freedoms - not complete freedom, but room for the actors to breathe.
It is a gift to make a film that is perfectly adapted from a novel on top of being emotionally innovating, and this adaptation is a perfect example of just that. I applaud everyone who worked on this miniseries and I am relieved that I thought to tape it, because I am going to watch this whenever I can.
10/10
Les Misérables (1998)
Poor adaptation, okay film
Well, I have been raised on the Broadway production of Les Miserables and just the other day I finished the complete (unabridged) version of Les Miserables. My English teacher observed that I was reading the book and eagerly gave me the film to borrow, saying that it was a fairly strong adaptation. With the thought of a strong movie adaption floating in my mind, I popped in the DVD and was met with a disappointing shock.
This film started out with a strong adaptation of the book, but it got progressively weaker. Important characters were eliminated completely (Eponine and Enjolras) taking with them important elements from the book. Eponine, for example, was the key to the complex plot of Les Miserables. She made the situation between Marius and Cosette complex because of her own feelings for Marius. Her character also makes the point that the poor are the essence of a city population, and somehow are easily forgotten. This was point was completely missed in the movie by eliminating Eponine's character (where are the miserable people without her?).
Secondly, as many people have said already, Valjean's character and Cosette's became less accurate as the movie wore on. Valjean is a new, honest man. With his new honesty, he has also gained kindness, compassion, and love. Cosette was a blessing which was bestowed on him, and he would never strike his adopted daughter. She's everything to him, and he would never have any reason to harm her.
Cosette is not supposed to be a brat. She's the essence of innocence; she does not question her father because of his goodness. Even her love for Marius would not make her disrespect her father.
Looking at the movie as a movie, I admired Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush's work in this film. With the so-so material given to them, they were able to do a phenomenal job. They were as loyal to their character as they could be, putting aside the story/character alterations made. Geoffrey Rush was perfect as Javert, with his determination and lack of compassion and mercy. (Although I must say that Javert would never hold anyone at gunpoint as he did in the film - that's against the law and as he says in the film, he is by the book; never done anything out of line in his life.)
I just wish that the filmmakers had put more time and effort into a truer adaption of the book. As a film, this is a good movie with strong actors and music, but as a book adaptation, I think it could have done with plenty more work.