Jane Eyre is a brilliant adaptation from Charlotte Brontë’s novel featuring wonderful performances from Orson Welles, Jane Fontaine and Peggy Ann Garner portraying the young Jane.
Jane Eyre
(1944)
Genre(s): Drama
Twilight Time | NR – 96 min. – $29.95 | November 12, 2013
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MOVIE INFO: DISC INFO: Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 1.0) |
THE MOVIE
Plot Outline: Charlotte Brontë’s passionate Victorian novel is brought to the screen in classic fashion in this 1943 version of Jane Eyre, directed by Robert Stevenson (Old Yeller, Mary Poppins) and starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine. The film details Jane’s dramatic journey from the brutality of a school for impoverished children, following as she goes out into the world, becoming a governess at the mysterious Thornfield Hall and breaking taboos by falling in love with her mercurial master, the brooding Edward Rochester (ORSON WELLES).
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5
Not surprising, Twilight Time has provided a fair number of features. Inside the case is a six-page essay.
Audio Commentaries – Two tracks are included: 1) Biographer Joseph McBride and Actress Margaret O’Brien, and 2) Film Historians Julie Kirgo, Nick Redman, and Steven C. Smith
Locked in the Tower: The Men Behind Jane Eyre (18:48) is a featurette that looks at the film and specifically on star Orson Welles and director Robert Stevenson.
“Know Your Ally Britain” (42:12) is a United States War Department film directed by Stevenson.
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:16)
Isolated Score Track allows you to listen to the amazing music by Bernard Herrmann
VIDEO – 3.75/5
Presumably, the film elements of Jane Eyre never was properly stored so what is presented here is cobbled from different sources resulting in soft glows at times, detail levels which aren’t overly impressive and a certain amount of grain which permeates the film. Still, this 1080p high-def transfer isn’t all bad and frankly this is the best Jane Eyre will ever look with some kudos to the restoration team for doing what they could.
AUDIO – 3.5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track has certain obvious limitations that offer OK dialogue levels while the background effects come across well enough. Hardly perfect, this lossless track is more than reasonable considering its age.
OVERALL – 4.75/5
Overall, Jane Eyre is a brilliant adaptation from Charlotte Brontë’s novel featuring wonderful performances from Orson Welles, Jane Fontaine and Peggy Ann Garner portraying the young Jane. The Blu-ray released by Twilght Time offers up solid video/audio while the bonus material wasn’t terrible with the commentaries well worth a listen.
Published: 11/19/2013