Although the story of Jane Eyre encompasses much more than Jane’s time at Thornfield Hall, it is the passionate romance at the center of the novel that has continued to capture readers and viewers alike. The character of Mr. Rochester, an archetypical anti-hero, is key to that romance. Despite Jane’s description of him as not being handsome or “heroic-looking,” we imagine him to be just that. And although he can be manipulative, deceitful, and bitter, it is his unexpected tenderness, rejection of societal conventions, and underlying goodness that makes him so memorable.

The scene in which Jane first meets Mr. Rochester is masterful. Dramatic and exciting, it foretells both the pain and pleasure of the relationship between Jane and Edward. They are instantly intrigued—and annoyed—by one another. Mr. Rochester is impressed with Jane’s calm demeanor, her lack of frivolity, and even her unwillingness to obey him. In the book, Jane says, “I felt no fear of him, and but little shyness. Had he been a handsome, heroic-looking young gentleman, I should not have dared to stand thus questioning him against his will, and offering my services unasked…the frown, the roughness of the traveller, set me at my ease…” We know that this meeting—replicated thereafter in various versions and countless novels and movies, where the romantic protagonists are at first hostile and then fall in love—will change their lives forever, despite Jane’s claim that “it was an incident of no moment, no romance, no interest in a sense…”

Filmmakers are always faced with a challenge when they adapt a novel, especially a classic novel. They must often compress events, change dialogue, and use visual clues instead of lengthy expositions by the author. In interpreting this important scene, scriptwriter Sandy Welch and director Susanna White have added several significant elements: the tinkling music crosscut with the racing horse’s hooves and the ominous music, the thick mist, the close-up of the horse rearing. There is a palpable sense that Jane is in danger.

Mr. Rochester on screen is just as dashing and handsome as we’ve imagined him. His exclamation in the book, “What the duce is to do now?” is changed to the more rugged, “Dammit!” and then “Get away from me. Witch. You’ve done enough damage.” is added. The wildness of the horse and the fact that Mr. Rochester is forced to lean on Jane are all true to the book. A slight change in the ending, though, is telling. In the book, Mr. Rochester tells Jane, ““Thank you; now make haste with the letter to Hay, and return as fast as you can.” In the film, he accuses her again, saying that she has “bewitched” his horse. Jane refuses to play along. “I did not bewitch your horse, sir,” she replies earnestly. “I was waiting for you to go past.” When Mr. Rochester orders her, “Now get off back to Thornfield Hall…” Jane again resists his authority and paternalistic attitude. “I will post my letter first, before I return,” she says, a touch of steel in her voice.

To what extent are filmmakers obligated to retell, or allowed to adapt or interpret, a novel? Unless they are attempting a total revamping of a story—especially a classic—by placing it in a modern setting (such as Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet or Sherlock by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat), filmmakers often aim to preserve as much of the original as they can while looking to appeal to a wide range of viewers. Jane Eyre producer Diedrick Santer has said about the script, “I think it’s a truly original and absorbing take on the novel, but I also believe it will be hugely enjoyed by people who don’t know the book at all…It's really about coming at the material with a fresh approach and entertaining in as many ways as possible as broad an audience as possible.”

As Katherine Schulten notes in the Introduction to the MASTERPIECE Teacher’s Guide Film in the Classroom, Revised, “Contemporary thinkers on media literacy…have argued that the same habits that a good reader brings to a written text are those that a critical viewer brings to a visual text: enhancing one effortlessly enhances the other.” By analyzing how this scene from Jane Eyre is transformed from page to screen, students will be able to become more discerning viewers and readers.

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