@greensmyth I feel the same about Cusack's Jane - bad, bad acting! Pity, how must Michael Jayston have felt, giving such a fine, true, nuanced performance opposite a reciting block!
On the whole Jane Eyre with Cusack and Jayston is my favorite version of the 7 film versions I have. This Czech version also has nice features but it would be super to have a VHS tape of this series. Is that possible? I have compared various segments of the films and have my assessments -- would be interested in discussing them but not to bore you in this comment and the space is restrictive. Thank you ever so much for posting this comparison.
As odd (as silly?...) as it may seem, "Jane Eyre (1973)" works (at least, to me...) as a sort of synthesis of Literature, Theatre, Radio and Cinema.
Mind you, I don't know if it was meant to work like that (probably not...). But the fact is that it works! And if one is willing to accept it as such, one will enjoy as many hours of pleasure as I had in my youth and I'm having now, more than 30 years after I saw it for the first time...
That being so, one wonders: is it possible to make a good movie out of a faithful adaptation of a literary masterpiece? According to Hitchcock, no, it isn't...
Actually, I agree with Hitchcock. But, then, why have I grown so much fond of "Jane Eyre (1973)"? Because it is a good movie? No! Because it is a good ADAPTATION of the novel.
Now, what I'm going to say is not an argumentation on behalf of "Jane Eyre (1973)" but what I sincerely think about what you ask.
One of the reasons why Hitchcock never directed "Crime and Punishment" was that he was afraid to mishandle literary masterpieces. Literary masterpieces have many words, each and every one with a specific function; but, in Cinema, words are to be used only when it is absolutely impossible to do otherwise...
Zuzana, you ask how important for us is original art direction, film score, acting... compared to a faithful adaptation.
[1/4]
Well, the first time I read your question, I thought: "That's not fair!..." I'm a movie buff since my youth: my favourite director is Hitchcock. But Im also a "Jane Eyre (1973)" fan since my youth: hence, my thought!...
Zuzana, thank you, very much, for uploading this video clip here! It's very good!
I hope I will be able to watch the whole Czech adaptation one of these days, because (as you already know) I'm very interested in understanding how "Jane Eyre" has been interpreted in cultures other than the British.
The Czech version looks very interesting and atmospheric - love the music and Mr R appearing out of the mist! Can you post more clips?
1973 is, of course, genius. The interesting thing is that there is a slightly different version of the meeting at the end of the first episode (this clip is from the beginning of the second). In it Jane offers her help and Mr R looks at her v. quizzically says 'who the deuce provided you?' I love getting two versions!
What an attentive viewer! Yes, two version of the same scene in one series. I had to combine both because of the subtitles.
I'm very glad someone appreciates the atmosphere and music of JE 1972 as I do. I tried this tree days to upload a proposal scene, but it always reports an error but I don't see where the problem is. Though thank you for your interest :)
Great, Zuzana! Finally I had the chance to see a glimps of the Czech adaptation I only know from "The Enthusiast Guide... " and the stills you published on FB. This Mr. Rochester seems very polite. Is he mainly calm all through the film?
As for JE73; tiny details is what makes this adapation so great despite its low budget. Notice the warm air from Jane's mouth and the ice on the puddles. One can clearly see that it is winter and understand that Mesrour slips on the ice.
:) I wanted to show it to the rest of the world. I admire it very much. Hm. He might seem polite according to the meaning of his lines, but you can hear his haughty, very proud voice. As he was superior.. As he didn't wanted and accepted Jane's help and felt disagreeably that she helped him though. He wasn't interested when he asked where she comes from etc. In the rest of the series, he presented himself with rough manners sometimes, but then he changed...
It also tells a lot about the JE73-adaptation where one needs to look through the more obvious parts of the production (such as sets and costumes) and concentrate on the details. As shown in this screen cap., the costumes are less perfect, but the actors' skills in using facial expressions are exceptionally good.
Thank you for including an unknown adaptation! I agree with Grekanda29. I would like some subtitles too, although I know by heart what they are saying :)
:) That was my intention, to show you one of my favourite version, which many people don't know.
I added the subtitles. Please, be indulgent, I'm not very good at English. I'll ask my sister and friends who are better to check and correct my translation. It's translated literally. They are not saying the exact lines from the book. Or you and others can find mistakes....?
Great work! The only errors I found were: 1) "you should be at home for a long time" - I would have written "you should have been at home a long time ago", 2) Her "I'm going to the village with a letter, as well" - I would change as well to "anyway", 3) in "everyone find himself in an emergency" - find needs an "s" at the end. But really good job!
I am not a native speaker myself, so I might have missed something. I hope I didn't make it worse though! Lol!
I was wondering, if I should write as well or anything else because I couldn't find the right equivalence for a czech word "stejně" and couldn't decide what's better. Anyway sounds more naturally... maybe.
I'm sure my sister will be horrified at my translation that the British people don't speak like this at all:D. I hope you all will understand the point. :)
The music is exquisite in the Czech version - that simple clarinet scale. But I much prefer Orson's 1944 Rochester, more threatening.
ciroalb3 11 months ago
Jane is too pretty here... Not that I don't like it but I expected her to be more true to the book
SparklingChristine 11 months ago
the Czech scene starts and makes me think of Little Red Riding Hood and the music only enforces that in my head.
1973 - I love Michael Jayston but I hate Socha Cusack's version of Jane so much that it makes this version hard to watch.
thanks for posting these comparisons, they've been fun
greensmyth 1 year ago
@greensmyth I feel the same about Cusack's Jane - bad, bad acting! Pity, how must Michael Jayston have felt, giving such a fine, true, nuanced performance opposite a reciting block!
HermioneNo1 8 months ago
1973--Rochester looks like a vampire.
Answering the question, I would much rather have the good acting and cast than accuracy of the script.
shineyourlight55 1 year ago
Comment removed
enigmaticallyso 1 year ago
Good lord..The Czech version is awful. Looks like it was filmed in the 1920's >_>
lavenderblossom 1 year ago
@lavenderblossom's account was closed for good. A fair ending for such a rude and untasteful person!...
mendoncacorreia 1 year ago
Is there any possibility that you could upload the rest of this film? I'm very intrigued by it!
zannaallen 1 year ago
On the whole Jane Eyre with Cusack and Jayston is my favorite version of the 7 film versions I have. This Czech version also has nice features but it would be super to have a VHS tape of this series. Is that possible? I have compared various segments of the films and have my assessments -- would be interested in discussing them but not to bore you in this comment and the space is restrictive. Thank you ever so much for posting this comparison.
eyrudite 2 years ago 6
[4/4]
As odd (as silly?...) as it may seem, "Jane Eyre (1973)" works (at least, to me...) as a sort of synthesis of Literature, Theatre, Radio and Cinema.
Mind you, I don't know if it was meant to work like that (probably not...). But the fact is that it works! And if one is willing to accept it as such, one will enjoy as many hours of pleasure as I had in my youth and I'm having now, more than 30 years after I saw it for the first time...
mendoncacorreia 2 years ago
[3/4]
That being so, one wonders: is it possible to make a good movie out of a faithful adaptation of a literary masterpiece? According to Hitchcock, no, it isn't...
Actually, I agree with Hitchcock. But, then, why have I grown so much fond of "Jane Eyre (1973)"? Because it is a good movie? No! Because it is a good ADAPTATION of the novel.
mendoncacorreia 2 years ago
[2/4]
Now, what I'm going to say is not an argumentation on behalf of "Jane Eyre (1973)" but what I sincerely think about what you ask.
One of the reasons why Hitchcock never directed "Crime and Punishment" was that he was afraid to mishandle literary masterpieces. Literary masterpieces have many words, each and every one with a specific function; but, in Cinema, words are to be used only when it is absolutely impossible to do otherwise...
mendoncacorreia 2 years ago
Zuzana, you ask how important for us is original art direction, film score, acting... compared to a faithful adaptation.
[1/4]
Well, the first time I read your question, I thought: "That's not fair!..." I'm a movie buff since my youth: my favourite director is Hitchcock. But Im also a "Jane Eyre (1973)" fan since my youth: hence, my thought!...
mendoncacorreia 2 years ago
Zuzana, thank you, very much, for uploading this video clip here! It's very good!
I hope I will be able to watch the whole Czech adaptation one of these days, because (as you already know) I'm very interested in understanding how "Jane Eyre" has been interpreted in cultures other than the British.
mendoncacorreia 2 years ago
The Czech version looks very interesting and atmospheric - love the music and Mr R appearing out of the mist! Can you post more clips?
1973 is, of course, genius. The interesting thing is that there is a slightly different version of the meeting at the end of the first episode (this clip is from the beginning of the second). In it Jane offers her help and Mr R looks at her v. quizzically says 'who the deuce provided you?' I love getting two versions!
bifar99 2 years ago 7
What an attentive viewer! Yes, two version of the same scene in one series. I had to combine both because of the subtitles.
I'm very glad someone appreciates the atmosphere and music of JE 1972 as I do. I tried this tree days to upload a proposal scene, but it always reports an error but I don't see where the problem is. Though thank you for your interest :)
01ZaRa10 2 years ago 2
@bifar99 ha, I never knew there was a Czech version:-)
Grencle 11 months ago
Great, Zuzana! Finally I had the chance to see a glimps of the Czech adaptation I only know from "The Enthusiast Guide... " and the stills you published on FB. This Mr. Rochester seems very polite. Is he mainly calm all through the film?
As for JE73; tiny details is what makes this adapation so great despite its low budget. Notice the warm air from Jane's mouth and the ice on the puddles. One can clearly see that it is winter and understand that Mesrour slips on the ice.
domramalaja 2 years ago 3
:) I wanted to show it to the rest of the world. I admire it very much. Hm. He might seem polite according to the meaning of his lines, but you can hear his haughty, very proud voice. As he was superior.. As he didn't wanted and accepted Jane's help and felt disagreeably that she helped him though. He wasn't interested when he asked where she comes from etc. In the rest of the series, he presented himself with rough manners sometimes, but then he changed...
01ZaRa10 2 years ago 2
IMHO, this Rochester is most believable, he behaves like people do what I appreciate the most.
:D yes, you're right. Nice real details. /In 1996 version is apparently autumn, but there is steam of their mouths too.
01ZaRa10 2 years ago
[Ahem!...] Did you take a glimpse at 7:41? No, I don't mean the dedication: I mean 'Killer' Eddie! Poor, poor Janet!... [lol]
mendoncacorreia 2 years ago
Of course. I adore that screen cap.
It also tells a lot about the JE73-adaptation where one needs to look through the more obvious parts of the production (such as sets and costumes) and concentrate on the details. As shown in this screen cap., the costumes are less perfect, but the actors' skills in using facial expressions are exceptionally good.
domramalaja 2 years ago
Thank you for adding the subtitles! It really helps :)
grekanda29 2 years ago
Wow! A horse that actually likes and obeys Jane Eyre. Lol!
ksotikoula 2 years ago 2
Thank you for including an unknown adaptation! I agree with Grekanda29. I would like some subtitles too, although I know by heart what they are saying :)
ksotikoula 2 years ago
:) That was my intention, to show you one of my favourite version, which many people don't know.
I added the subtitles. Please, be indulgent, I'm not very good at English. I'll ask my sister and friends who are better to check and correct my translation. It's translated literally. They are not saying the exact lines from the book. Or you and others can find mistakes....?
01ZaRa10 2 years ago
Great work! The only errors I found were: 1) "you should be at home for a long time" - I would have written "you should have been at home a long time ago", 2) Her "I'm going to the village with a letter, as well" - I would change as well to "anyway", 3) in "everyone find himself in an emergency" - find needs an "s" at the end. But really good job!
I am not a native speaker myself, so I might have missed something. I hope I didn't make it worse though! Lol!
ksotikoula 2 years ago
thank you so much!
I was wondering, if I should write as well or anything else because I couldn't find the right equivalence for a czech word "stejně" and couldn't decide what's better. Anyway sounds more naturally... maybe.
I'm sure my sister will be horrified at my translation that the British people don't speak like this at all:D. I hope you all will understand the point. :)
01ZaRa10 2 years ago
Being as I'm American, I've never seen this version before, but it looks very interesting. I would love to see the subtitles. Thanks! :)
grekanda29 2 years ago 2