Jane Eyre 2011

The film opens with Jane Eyre fleeing from Thornfield Hall under the cover of night, finding herself isolated and drenched on the moors. In a stroke of fate, she stumbles upon the doorstep of Moor House, where Mr. St. John Rivers, a clergyman, and his two sisters take her in, ultimately saving her life from despair.

A significant flashback transports us to Jane’s childhood. As a ten-year-old orphan, she lives with her cruel relatives, the Reeds, at Gateshead. Sarah Reed, her aunt, harbors a deep disdain for Jane, perpetuated by the harsh treatment from her children. Jane endures a traumatic episode when she is locked in the Red Room, the site of her uncle’s death, which she believes is haunted. Overwhelmed by panic and a cloud of smoke from the chimney, Jane loses consciousness after a desperate attempt to escape. In an effort to rid herself of Jane, her aunt sends her to Lowood School for Girls, overseen by the harsh clergyman Mr. Brocklehurst. Painting Jane as a deceitful child, Mrs. Reed’s words set a somber tone for Jane’s future.

Arriving at Lowood, Jane witnesses the traumatic punishment of a fellow student**, Helen Burns**, when she accidentally spills her food. In a cruel twist, Mr. Brocklehurst brands Jane as a liar and punishes her publicly. Despite the oppressive environment, she and Helen form a deep bond, only to be shattered by Helen’s tragic demise due to typhus years later.

Fast forward eight years, Jane departs from Lowood and becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she is put in charge of Adele Varens, a young French orphan. Upon first arriving, confusion sets in as she mistakes Mrs. Fairfax for her employer. To her surprise, the true master of the house, Edward Rochester (played by Michael Fassbender), soon crosses her path after a horseback incident where Jane helps him after he is thrown off by his horse. The two share playful banter, with Rochester teasing Jane about bewitching his steed. Slowly but surely, their relationship blossoms into love.

One fateful night, Jane is jolted awake by a peculiar noise, only to find Rochester’s room engulfed in flames. Together, they manage to extinguish the fire, igniting a deeper bond as Rochester expresses gratitude and affection toward her. However, shortly after, Rochester departs Thornfield to visit Lady Blanche Ingram, introducing her as his intended fiancée. Tension mounts when Richard Mason arrives, stirring unease in Rochester. After a mysterious scream echoes that night, Jane is drawn into a secretive crisis involving Mason and an urgent medical intervention.

As the plot thickens, Jane receives a letter revealing that her cousin John Reed has taken his own life, prompting a stroke in Sarah Reed, who has been calling for Jane. This heartbreaking news takes Jane back to Gateshead, where her dying aunt presents her with a letter from Jane’s uncle, John Eyre, inviting her to live with him in Madeira and promising to adopt her. Shockingly, Jane learns from her aunt that she was falsely reported dead to her uncle.

Returning to Thornfield after reconciling with Mrs. Reed, Jane feels compelled to inform Rochester of her imminent departure due to his engagement plans with Ingram. To her astonishment, Rochester confesses profound love for her and proposes—leading to a passionate kiss. Yet, during their wedding ceremony, they are confronted by Mr. Mason, who reveals that Rochester cannot marry Jane because he is still wedded to Bertha, Mason’s sister, who remains confined at Thornfield Hall. This shocking revelation shatters Jane’s world; Rochester dismisses her concerns and takes her to see his wife—a woman he describes as his “own demon”—locked away in a room. Rochester’s marriage to Bertha was orchestrated for monetary benefits, a tragic mistake that resulted in her madness. Once again, Jane’s principles compel her to leave Thornfield in the dead of night.

After rebuilding her health, Mr. St. John Rivers finds Jane a teaching position at a charity school. One evening, he brings news that her uncle has passed away, leaving her a fortune. Jane generously offers to share this inheritance with St. John and his sisters, proposing they live together at Moor House. St. John, however, proposes marriage and a journey to India. While Jane contemplates traveling with him, she firmly declines his marriage proposal, wishing to maintain a sibling-like bond.

In a twist of fate, Jane suddenly hears Rochester’s voice calling out to her. This haunting call drives her back to Thornfield, only to discover the once-grand estate in ruins. Through Mrs. Fairfax, she learns of the tragic fire set by Bertha, who perished jumping from the roof. As Jane locates Rochester amidst the wreckage, she finds him physically altered—having lost his sight in the fire. In a poignant reunion, their love kindles once more as they embrace, and Jane reclaims her place beside him, affirming their indomitable bond.