I think my favourite is when Rochester is sitting by the gate, reading a book, waiting for Jane as she comes back from Gateshead. So beautifully played - he's REALLY anxious to see her, but he keeps up the light banter, and also the charade about his marriage to Blanche. And she's happy and depressed at the same time.
"I have been with my aunt, sir, who is dead."
"A true Janeian reply! She comes from the other world, from the abode of dead people, and tells me so, here."
Then the ending, where she's already a little exasperated by all his talk about carriages and Blanche.
"Will you let me pass, sir?"
"No. Not until you give me a charm, elf that you are, or a philtre, to make me a handsome man."
"It would be past the power of magic, sir."
Her little smile at the joke, and he half-smiles in return! They are just the cutest couple!
"Pass, Janet. And rest your weary little wandering feet at a friend's door."
Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!
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sophie_amundsen
18 years ago
I would put both of those scenes on my list. It is really difficult to choose... Okay, I am going to say that, at this particular moment, my favourite scene is the courting scene. It is as close as possible to the Millcote scene, so much banter, so much chemistry and wonderfulness.
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Rosabel
18 years ago
Something that I find so touching in this version is whenever Rochester calls Jane his "friend". There's so much more he wants to say to her, yet this is a very precious friendship too, and I get the feeling that Rochester doesn't bestow that title so easily. I can think of 3 offhand:
1) when he welcomes her back from Gateshead (the episode I quoted above)
2) when he's still pretending about the job in Ireland he's arranged for her, "It is a long way, and I'm sorry to send my little friend on such weary journeys, but if I can't do better, how is it to be helped?"
3) and the one I like best, when they're having another one of their hypothetical conversations about right conduct, and he says "You're my...friend." "I like to serve you, sir...in all that is right." "'In all that is right' - you're implacable, Jane!" Is that in the garden, after Mason has left?
4) and there's one where Jane calls HIM 'friend' - when Mason is in the drawing room, and Rochester is in dread of being disgraced and abandoned. She reassures him that she would stay with him, "As I would for any friend. As you would too, I'm sure."
Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!
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sophie_amundsen
18 years ago
When I first saw the production I wanted to see one moment over and over- it was when he first takes Jane's hand. Something extraordinary happens to him just at that instant. When he says 'I have a pleasure in owning you so immense a debt.' I can't even describe it. But it's perfect. :)
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Dr. Cumin
18 years ago
I've so enjoyed everyone's remarks so far. I'm incapable of having a favorite scene, as I find something remarkable in all of them. Impossible to say how many times I've seen this adaptation, yet the scene after the fire when Rochester first takes Jane's hand still gets to me as well. I've never watched ANY screen romance that reaches me like this. The way the camera lingers on Jayston's face after he says "Goodnight" and finally allows Jane to leave the room, and the camera stays on him and he waits till she's out of earshot and then says her name. Wow. I mean wow!!!
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kat63
18 years ago
Yes, the after the fire scene is wonderful, it's the eye contact and Jayston's facial expressions, great, and of course his fabulous voice.
Every scene is such a gem it's hard to find a favourite. I do love the Latmos scene where he is scrutinising her drawings, no other actor has managed to nail that scene the way he did, not so much what was said but how it was said and again the way he looks at her. I could go on but I won't bore you all..............
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sophie_amundsen
18 years ago
It's true. Which is part of the reason why I can't get enough of Thisbeciel's screencaps- each moment in each scene seems to express something subtle. He really does tell entire stories with his expressions. Each time I watch the Latmos scene with my mom, she ALWAYS asks me what Latmos means- and I've noticed this happens with other people as well. He makes that moment so significant. With other actors I get the impression that they are just saying the words but not understanding what there's a point to his astonishment.
Bore us? You can't be serious!
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Rosabel
18 years ago
I know that Latmos is where Endymion kept his sheep and went into his eternal sleep, but does it have any other mythological meaning? I thought that this mention of Latmos gave us a tiny glimpse into Rochester's "lost" years, which he said he spent travelling on the Continent, trying to forget his unhappiness. He struck me as a bit of a Lord Byron type, and I fancied that he himself had probably visited Latmos and seen it with his own eyes. So he was astonished to find that his little, untravelled governess had seen in her imagination exactly what he had seen in real life.
Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!
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sophie_amundsen
18 years ago
It is not one of the myths I am extremely familiar with but the oldest I believe is that it is where the dawn goddess fell in love with Endymion. I have not worked out its significance to Jane Eyre but there are a few elements which are a little similar. The dawn goddess asks Zeus to make Endymion immortal but she forgets to ask that he be made 'ageless always.' So, eventually he ages into mush or something and she has to put him in a box or a closet because she can't bear to look at him. I might be forgetting something. It's an example of one of the ways in which humans cannot attain meaningful immortality.
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jessie9-chu
18 years ago
Yeah, the Latmos scene puzzled me too. I checked on the internet and found something. Hope it might help.
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/bolt7.html
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sophie_amundsen
18 years ago
That is one of my favourite interpretations of Jane's art. I especially like the part about the head in the cloud, and the Biblical allusion. I would never have thought of that.
I have seen some really REALLY REALLY dumb interpretations of the sketches. I can't remember where I saw it but in a scholarly journal there was an article which said they were all about sex.
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jessie9-chu
18 years ago
I really want to thank you people to let me discover this '73 version. Engliish is not my native language. I can read well, but writng is not my strongest point. Still I'd like to express my appreciation. Jane Eyre is one of my all time favorite novels. I first read it when I was 13 and saw the '40 version at about the same age. The second version I saw is the '83 series. Though I liked both, especially the '83 version, I felt something lacking. And now I think the '73 version is the most perfect version by far. I really adore MJ. His facial expressions , his voice and his intonation. He's so talented in playing Mr Rochester I can't think of anyone better than he.
To tell the truth, since my Region 2 DVD arrived three weeks ago, I almost watch some part of it every day. I couldn't help it. I think I'm addicted.
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sophie_amundsen
18 years ago
I didn't notice that English isn't your first language. You express yourself very well. I found out about the production from here as well, just over a year ago I think. And I'm very glad that I came here and met everyone. I agree entirely. I can't remember how many times I have seen my copy now. And I even find it hard to imagine anyone being able to improve on Michael Jayston's performance.
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