At one end of the classical literature scale is Jane Austen, all tea parties, muslin frocks and general society bitchery. At the other is the general doom and depression synonymous with Thomas Hardy, amply demonstrated in the upcoming Jude. And somewhere in the middle are the Brontes. For Jane Eyre, the sibling scribes' second most famous work after Wuthering Heights, manages to combine both the most sombre elements of gloom with torrid romance and vibrant colour which, done Zeffirelli style, makes for an entertaining, if dated, melodrama.
Sticking closely to the book, but shaving much of its complex dialogue, the main problem here is that this is too similar in style to Zeffirelli's 1969 Romeo And Juliet, right down to Gainsbourg's uncanny resemblance to Olivia Hussey and the at times thundering orchestrals. Yet the huge ensemble cast is impressive - Gainsbourg makes an appealing, if dowdy heroine, while Macpherson provides a splendidly bitchy turn as Rochester's would-be fiance.