I have always preferred the old black-and-white version starring Orson Welles & Joan Fontaine even though it was greatly condensed. But watching this, I finally found its equal.

I had not thought that Timothy Dalton could be able to play the part of Rochester convincingly, but he did. Zelah Clarke played a superb Jane Eyre, & it is a pity she did not do more acting. But I guess there are really not too many roles for such a petite woman. (One cannot help wondering throughout the movie exactly how tall she might be).

The movie follows the book pretty closely. The only drawback to the film is that since it was a made-for-television movie, it is divided up into each episode rather than running smoothly without interruption.
Yes, it is long. But as it is such a good adaptation it is well worth watching. Perfect for sitting in & watching during a rainy weekend. ( )

Jane Eyre is a favorite novel--though I saw an adaptation of it as a child before I ever read the book: the classic 1943 version with Orson Welles. So my fondness for that version can perhaps be put down to early imprinting. Yet I do love this 1983 version with Timothy Dalton. He's gruff and menacing enough, but somehow is more appealing than Welles and more believable as someone Jane could fall for. (Or is it just that I could?) Notably my aunt bought 3 versions of Jane Eyre--this is the one we watch the most in our household. ( )