This year's Mr. Darcy: ladies, check 'im out

[mollyringle]

Grr. Amazon.com is delaying my shipment of the new Masterpiece Theatre 'Jane Eyre' DVD. I caught only a bit of it on PBS, am totally satisfied that it shall rock, and eagerly await seeing the whole thing. But I guess I have to wait another week or two.

Jane Eyre is such a beloved book that its many film adaptations have tough critics among the fans. I'm a huge fan myself--Jane Eyre is one of those love stories I imprinted on, having first read it when I was about 14 and never having dislodged Edward Rochester from my heart since. The Timothy Dalton film version is generally respected for its faithfulness, but it has a very low-budget look about it, and one criticism is that Dalton is too good-looking to play Rochester. In the BBC's latest version, the delectable Toby Stephens plays the part, and on the question of whether he's too handsome to play Rochester, I say: hell yes he is, and I have no problem with that.

I mean really: watch this clip and tell me your pulse doesn't pick up a little. Just look at photos if you want. The Jane Eyre book fans are embracing this adaptation and swooning over him, and it's gaining mainstream popularity too. I predict it will do for our dear Toby what the Beeb's Pride and Prejudice did for Colin Firth. And I have to say, I was drooling over Toby years and years ago when most people had never heard of him. But I'm willing to share him with you if you insist. ;)

So while waiting for the DVD's, I can continue to watch grainy videos on YouTube. *sigh*

(Cross-posted to two of my LJ's.)

Comments

[astroman-rich.livejournal.com]

So *THAT*'s why my wife programmed the Tivo to record it... :-)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Might not *just* be for Mr. Stephens. :) Nearly all living women who have read Jane Eyre have some tender feelings for it.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Might not *just* be for Mr. Stephens. :) Nearly all living women who have read Jane Eyre have some tender feelings for it.

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I am not convinced. I haven't seen it, however, but just from that clip, it's taking a lot of liberties - which I don't mind to some extent, because a script is a different thing from the book, but it seemed to be changing the feel of the scene quite a lot.

If I get the opportunity to watch it, I shall. I've heard rave reviews of Ruth Evans as Jane, so it will be worth taking a peek at.

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

Wilson, not Evans. Who is Ruth Evans? Hmmmmm.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I've heard that the full film takes even more liberties, so we shall see. As to that scene, though, it didn't seem too different from how I remembered it in the book. I do think the book scene came across as more sardonic, whereas the film injected it with both more flirtation and more Brooding Foreshadowing.

And yes, Ruth Wilson was great, from what I've seen! Possibly my favorite Jane so far, though I neglected to say so in my drooling over Toby. :)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I've heard that the full film takes even more liberties, so we shall see. As to that scene, though, it didn't seem too different from how I remembered it in the book. I do think the book scene came across as more sardonic, whereas the film injected it with both more flirtation and more Brooding Foreshadowing.

And yes, Ruth Wilson was great, from what I've seen! Possibly my favorite Jane so far, though I neglected to say so in my drooling over Toby. :)

[teenybuffalo.livejournal.com]

He looks promising.
never having dislodged Edward Rochester from my heart since
You and me both. Mr. Rochester is my type, even when he is being a lying cheating scoundrel. He refers to his "cicatrized visage" because it would be too downmarket to talk about his "scarred face", and I even love him for that.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

His vocabulary is indeed part of the allure. ;) As for being a scoundrel, well, perfect characters are seldom very interesting anyway...

[modmerseygirl.livejournal.com]

Jane Eyre is one of my favourite novels, ever, and I absolutely adored this latest film adaptation. I agree about Toby...so swoon-worthy. He was perfect as Rochester, absolutely dreamy in every way. LOL!

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I've finished watching it now, and yep, I think this is my favorite adaptation so far. (Though there are still several I haven't seen...but it would be hard to beat Toby.) ;) Ruth Wilson was wonderful too.