Analysis Of Fukunaga's Jane Eyre

Film, much like novels, are often pigeonholed into a rather constrictive set of genres. These genres exist as an incentive and attraction to potential viewers. With those genres, comes and expected set of themes and outcomes. For instance, if an audience sits down to view an action film, they are going to want to see a car, or two, exploding. Genres, however, can be restrictive, overshadowing the large theme or purpose an artist wants to put forward, this happen particularly in novel-to-film adaptations. This struggle is present in Fukunaga’s 2011 adaptation of “Jane Eyre”. The story is expected, especially to those unfamiliar with the novel, to be romantic in context. With the limited runtime of film, Fukunaga is able to give the audience …show more content…
Most recognizably, the scenes surrounding Jane and Rochester’s wedding (figure 9). Without knowing the consequences of the day, the view might mischaracterize the brightness as a symbol of happiness or fortune. However, when we are made aware of Bertha’s existence, the brightness can be acknowledged as Rochester’s demons coming to light. The brightness of the scene contrasts beautifully with the heavy, dark disappointment that the viewer feels alongside Jane. One would typically expect this sort of scene to be depressing or obscured, but the absolute clarity of it is both off-putting and profoundly symbolic. Another notably bright scene follows Rochester’s leave of Thornfield in which Jane wanders around the courtyard, aimlessly, waiting for his return (figure 10). The temperature of the shot is incredibly cool, contrasting with the warmer scenes seen when Jane and Rochester are newly-introduced and in intimate conversation. The coldness of the picture combined with the layer of frost on the grass and Jane’s visible breath all communicate Thornwood’s coldness without Rochester’s presence. It also seems that this coldness is met with idleness, as Jane finds few things to better occupy her time than pacing. Which reminds the viewer of the idleness of the servants’ endless dusting and preparation in anticipation for Rochester’s possible …show more content…
So much so, that the lighting begins to take on a presence of its own. It connects the viewer to a character’s internal considerations in a way that is both free-flowing and organic. This is a major way in which a director can bridge a gap in endlessly detailed, ‘semi-autobiographical’ novels, such as “Jane Eyre”. While it is incredibly difficult to capture an author’s every intention for her characters, film is able to use its available tools to convey deeper emotional