REDISCOVERING WORLD CINEMA – ORSON WELLES

JANE EYRE (1944)  (97min)

In 1847 England, a young governess hires on in the shadowy house of a man tormented by secrets. Charlotte Bronte’s timeless classic has been lensed 20 times and this one is often regarded best. Here is Welles in his first firepower starring role.  Here is no tame Gothic romance but a haunting vision of   fogbound moors and dark towers lit by brilliant performances   Here too is a literate script graced by visual style, “a good sense of mystery and a score which carries the film into new regions of emotion” (DVD Savant).   And wait till you see ten-year-old Elizabeth Taylor!

Did Orson Welles help direct Jane Eyre? The film’s distinct look leads many critics to think so. We’ll hear what Joan Fontaine says in her caustic autobiography, and draw our own conclusions.

$5 Suggested Donation