Nominated for more than a dozen British and American Emmy awards, Bleak House director Susanna White crafts this sweeping two part miniseries for Masterpiece Theatre based on the 1847 novel by Charlotte Bronte. Adapted by Sandy Welch, the classic tale of a young headstrong girl who endures cruelty as a child at the hands of her aunt and a severe boarding school for girls to become the governess of a wealthy Englishman’s ward when she is old enough to leave is given an exquisite retelling with beautiful gothic imagery, sweeping panoramic views and a sensuality that was always lacking from other versions. Ruth Wilson makes a convincing Jane in her first role (according to IMDb) opposite the impressive Toby Stephens as Edward Rochester who at times threatens to overpower the quiet young actress but the two instead have excellent chemistry and form a romantic dynamic that radiates off the screen. Made by the partnership of the BBC and PBS television and now released on DVD, Susanna White’s adaptation of Jane Eyre is the most complete one in recent memory and well worth a look for lovers of the Bronte sisters and devotees of English period literature.
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