''Jane Eyre'' (1943 film)- Review

 The Joan Fontaine Centenary Blogathon is being hosted by In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and The Wonderful World of Cinema. The film that I have reviewed for the blogathon is Jane Eyre.


Directed by: Robert Stevenson
Released: 1943
Country: United States

Genre: Romantic drama, Mystery

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review

Charlotte Brontë's ''Jane Eyre'' happens to be my favorite novel of all time. I have loved the novel since I was eleven years old. And I LOVED this adaptation. Starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine, it is such an atmospheric, well-acted and well-directed film. 

Jane Eyre is an orphan who lives with her aunt, Mrs. Reed, and is treated cruelly by her relatives. Mrs Reed sends Jane to Lowood, a boarding school. Harsh conditions prevail in Lowood. Jane completes her education there, staying there for ten years. She then finds a job as a governess at a mansion called Thornfield Hall. Over the course of time she becomes really attached to Thornfield Hall and her student, Adele, and also starts feeling attracted to Edward Rochester, her moody employer who hides a tender heart beneath his rough exterior. Mr Rochester, however, is hiding dark secrets and Thornfield Hall itself guards secrets and mysteries...

''Jane Eyre'' is such a great film! I loved the Gothic atmosphere prevailing throughout the film! Thornfield Hall was portrayed just the way Bronte had meant it to be: a mysterious, shady manor. Jane and Mr. Rochester were brought to life and fleshed out. Their chemistry is beautifully developed and believable. Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles are excellent in their roles, playing two lost souls with sheer perfection.  Margaret O'Brien (playing Adele) also delivers an excellent performance and (surprise!) a young Elizabeth Taylor also appears in this film, playing Jane's childhood friend, Helen.

I loved the screenplay as well. It does take liberties with the source material but I had no problem with it. The changes it makes are tender and well-crafted and I really liked them. It is an adaptation, after all, and these subtle changes are something that, in my opinion, we should welcome in adaptations. There are adaptations in which certain alterations seem odd because they drift too far from the plot- sometimes even ruining the overall story- and I, of course, don't support them. But when it comes to the alterations that this film makes, they are well-balanced and appreciable. 

I loved ''Jane Eyre''. I loved the Gothic atmosphere, the chemistry between Jane and Mr. Rochester, the performances by Fontaine and Welles, the beautiful cinematography and the screenplay.

''On Golden Pond'' (1981 film)- Review

 The Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn blogathon is being hosted by In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood. The film that I am reviewing for the blogathon is On Golden Pond, the film for which Katherine Hepburn won her fourth Oscar.

ON GOLDEN POND (1981 FILM)
 
Directed by: Mark Rydall
Released: 1981
Country: United States

Genre: Drama

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review

''On Golden Pond'' is a gentle and deeply moving film, filled with warmth and emotional depth. Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda play Ethel and Norman Thayer.  Ethel is in her sixties while Norman has just turned eighty and for the summer they are visiting their cottage which is situated on a lake called Golden Pond. For them, Golden Pond is a place that brings back a lot of memories. The loons that swim gently on the lake- and their calls- make them nostalgic and ponder about life. Ethel is cheerful and optimistic and although she is well aware of the fact that anything drastic can happen to them- particularly to Norman- any time because of their age, she tries staying cheerful. She helps Norman stay positive and active.  

They are visited by their daughter, Chelsea (played by Jane Fonda), who is accompanied by her boyfriend, Bill, and Bill's teenage son, Billy. Chelsea has never really had a smooth relationship with her father and is filled with bitterness about her childhood. She feels that her father never paid her enough attention when she was a child. As Chelsea and Bill are about to visit Europe, they decide to leave Bill's teenage son, Billy (played by Doug McKenon) with Ethel and Norman. The elderly couple agree, and after Chelsea and Bill leave for Europe, Ethel and Norman eventually develop a strong bond with Billy, something that not only invigorates Norman but also, eventually, goes on to strengthen several relationships.
 
This is such a beautiful film, completely unpretentious yet powerful and moving. Its simplicity gives it a beauty of its own, the emotional content being perfectly balanced. The title sequence is gorgeous: the way sunlight is reflected from the rippling water of the lake,  is amazing; the warmth and charm reflected in the sequence can be felt throughout the film. Both Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda are excellent in their roles. Jane Fonda, Doug McKenon and Dabney Coleman are great as well. I loved the character development, the performances, the story, the screenplay, the beautiful cinematography, the score- well, I admired everything about this movie!