Franco Zeffirelli's 1996 film adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel Jane Eyre, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane and William Hurt as Rochester. Notably also includes Anna Paquin as the young Jane.
"Reader, I used these tropes":
- Adaptational Explanation: This happens during the scene where Mr. Rochester shows Bertha to Jane and other people from the church. In the novel, there is no explaination why Mr. Rochester had to put Bertha in the attic instead of mental asylum. In this version, he explains that he discovered that the mental asylums in the county were terrible and it wouldn't fit for patients like Bertha to stay there.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Rochester has reddish brown hair and Blanche is a blonde.
- Adapted Out: Diana, St. John and Mary's older sister is not present in this version.
- Adaptational Timespan Change: In the novel, Jane drew Mr. Rochester's face when she was at Gateshead Hall to pass her time and miss his presence. In this version, she drew him by Adele's request in the gardens of Thornfield Hall.
- After Action Patch Up: Mr. Rochester wipes a trickle of blood from Jane's right hand after they take out the fire in his bedroom. Jane got the wound from taking out the roses in the vase filled with water.
- Age Cut: Young Jane is seen putting some flowers on Helen's grave. When Miss Temple is calling Jane, it shows a grown-up Jane walking towards her.
- Age Lift: In the novel, Jane stayed at Lowood for 8 years and then left at 18. In this version, she was aged up to 20 and her time in Lowood was extended into 10 years. Jane's actress, Charlotte Gainsbourg was 25 at the time the film was shown.
- Anywhere but Their Lips: This is how Mr. Rochester kisses Jane during their proposal at the gardens. Jane later copied him and then kissed his lips. This was later averted near the end of the movie.
- Book Ends: The movie begins with a still drawing of Gateshead Hall. The last scene then ends with a drawing of Jane and Mr. Rochester in the grassfields as a married couple, with the latter implied that his eyesight is recovered.
- The Chessmaster: Mr. Rochester is seen playing chess around few times, showing that he is capable to manipulate others to attain his goals.
- Composite Character: As in 1943, Helen Burns takes the place of Julia Severn and becomes the girl whose curly hair Mr. Brocklehurst orders cut off. Jane stands up for her and has her hair cut off as well.
- Dark Is Not Evil: "The shadows are just as important as the light."
- Death by Adaptation: Grace Poole. Bertha throws her to her death before leaping to her own.
- Door Handle Scare: When Jane is closing the window in her own room, there is a close-up shot of a door handle unlocked and the door itself is temporarily opened.
- Double Take: Mr. Rochester does one upon his first meeting with Jane on Hay Lane.
- Early-Bird Cameo: St. John and his family appear when Jane returns to her childhood rearing house to attend her aunt's final illness. While not on the level of either the 1943 or 2011 films in including him from the very beginning, it is still earlier than his final-quarter appearance in the novel.
- The End: The last scene flashes the word "The End" between Jane and Mr. Rochester then the image becomes a still drawing.
- Face, Nod, Action: Jane and Helen looked at each other and nod before their hairs are cut off by Mr. Brocklehurst.
- Family Portrait of Characterization
- At Thornfield Hall, a portrait of Mr. Rochester's father is shown in the study room looking proud but the background behind him is dark. In Mr. Rochester's bedroom, a small portrait of himself as a young boy is shown looking happy. Mrs. Fairfax reveals that Mr. Rochester is an unhappy man and he doesn't get along with his father and elder brother.
- Later in the movie, Jane receives two small portraits of her family - one is her deceased uncle and another is her father.
- Flyaway Shot: The last scene ends with the camera raising up to see the panorama view of Jane and Mr. Rochester standing in the grassfields.
- Grave-Marking Scene: Jane goes to visit the grave of Helen and laid some flowers there, even before leaving Lowood to work as a governess.
- Grand Staircase Entrance: Jane walks down the stairs in her wedding dress to meet with Mr. Rochester.
- Go Back to the Source: Jane travels back to Lowood school in order to relieve her past memories. There she hears Mr. Rochester's voice.
- I Choose to Stay: Miss Temple is offered by Jane to leave Lowood together but she decides to stay there in order to continue taking care of the girls. In contrast to the novel where she left the school after she married.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Shortly after taking out the fire in Mr. Rochester's bed, Mr. Rochester drinks a glass of brandy in his study. He even offers it to Jane.
- Memento MacGuffin: The unfinished sketch of Mr. Rochester drawn by Jane. Adele and Mr. Rochester spends some time staring at it while Jane is away in Gateshead Hall.
- Narrator: Jane only narrates during the beginning and ending of the movie.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: Though in general the film plays like an Adaptation Distillation, the final Rivers section is combined and manipulated quite a bit to fit it into a coherent, unified narrative. One especially notable change is that Bertha sets fire to Thornfield just as Jane is running away, rather than two months later as in the novel.
- Shipper on Deck: Adele subtly does this after Jane returns in Thornfield Hall from Gateshead. She gives an amusing glance to Jane and Mr. Rochester before going to the kitchen.
- Slippery Skid: St. John slips on the wet grass when he tries to get his hat from falling.
- Something about a Rose: Jane pulls out a boquet of roses in the vase in order to use the latter in taking out the fire in Mr. Rochester's bed. Her hand ended up having some cuts but Mr. Rochester tended it and then thanks her for saving his life.
- Tastes Like Friendship: Helen gives some bread and cheese to Jane during bedtime as a gesture of their friendship.
- Walk and Talk: Jane and Mr. Rochester talks about the importance of the shadows while walking towards a small, dark corridor to outside.
