---
title: "Jane Eyre"
year: 2011
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/jane-eyre"
fi1m_id: "jane-eyre"
imdb_id: "tt1229822"
tmdb_id: 38684
wikidata_id: "Q258979"
fi1m_score: 77
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-10-01T21:37:24.992975+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T21:37:25.327101+00:00"
region: "IN"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jane Eyre (2011)

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga · 2h 00m · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Jane Eyre

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/jane-eyre
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** jane-eyre
- **IMDb ID:** tt1229822
- **TMDB ID:** 38684
- **Wikidata ID:** Q258979
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229822/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/38684, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q258979

**Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 66 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* Rochester’s idea of flirting needs work; fortunately, Jane is not short of answers

> Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender make this quiet *Jane Eyre* an involving romance. Its compressed storytelling leaves some of Jane’s thinking unexplored, but the wary conversations between its leads are worth settling down for.

## Synopsis

Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) carries a difficult childhood into her encounters with Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). The story looks back to Young Jane (Amelia Clarkson) and Mrs. Reed (Sally Hawkins), then follows the adult Jane into conversations in which attraction and distrust sit close together. Rochester gives her a compliment with an insult attached. Jane wants to be taken seriously without giving up the right to answer back, while his manner makes every exchange a test of nerve. Their growing interest raises the question of how much either is willing to let the other see.

## Review

Cary Joji Fukunaga’s *Jane Eyre* is worth seeing for the attention it gives to two people sizing each other up. It makes a persuasive romance out of guarded looks and difficult conversation, even when the wider story feels hurried. This adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s novel puts considerable trust in its actors. They repay it, although they cannot supply every part of Jane’s life that the screenplay has had to shorten.

Mia Wasikowska gives Jane a composure that never looks comfortable. We can sense the effort involved in holding her ground, and the performance allows pride and uncertainty to remain visible together. The childhood material gives that self-protection a cause, with Sally Hawkins making Mrs. Reed infuriating without needing much time. Those early passages do feel brief, however, and Jane’s attempts to live with that childhood need more room.

Michael Fassbender makes Edward Rochester’s attention both flattering and wearing. His charm does not excuse his manner, and the exchanges work because Jane is never simply grateful to have been noticed. We laughed at Rochester’s backhanded compliment, then bristled at the presumption behind it. The actors make that small change of feeling easy to follow. Their attraction becomes convincing through the adjustments each makes in conversation, which is a sound basis for a romance asked to carry so much.

Adriano Goldman’s subdued lighting helps: faces require attention, and the darkness gives a civil exchange an edge of unease. Will Hughes-Jones’s production design makes the surroundings feel forbidding enough that we notice any moment of ease between the people in them. The subdued setting helps make an unguarded expression worth waiting for. Dario Marianelli’s score adds warmth, though we occasionally wanted it to leave the actors alone; their pauses are already doing useful work.

Moira Buffini’s screenplay is less successful at giving Jane’s thoughts the space that her conversations receive. Too little of her private reasoning reaches us, and the actors have to make sense of changes that the writing barely prepares. Melanie Oliver’s editing gives the early encounters time to develop, but the joins between episodes remain conspicuous. A scene can work beautifully on its own and still leave us wanting the stretch of life that ought to connect it to the next.

As a Gothic romance, the film needs a sense of danger that its good-looking gloom does not consistently provide. The restraint that makes the early exchanges so absorbing becomes a limitation when the drama needs greater force. We do not need everyone to shout, but we do need the pressure to increase. Some of the later passages remain decorous when they ought to be unsettling, and the low light cannot do all that work. Come for the wary conversations, and allow for a film that occasionally hurries past the reasons for them.

*Fi1m score 77, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean favourable, with substantial reservations about how much feeling survives the adaptation’s restraint. Praise centres on Mia Wasikowska’s quietly forceful Jane, while Michael Fassbender’s Rochester and the pair’s verbal sparring also win approval. Even less persuaded critics admire the performances and visual craft. Subdued lighting, atmospheric photography and carefully composed images give the gothic setting a presence that the reviews repeatedly recognise.

The disagreement is chiefly over whether that restraint strengthens the romance or drains it. The New Yorker finds the austerity emotionally powerful; The AV Club finds the film respectful but lacking passion and danger. Empire takes a different view, finding the romance overripe while still admiring Wasikowska. Reservations elsewhere concern compression, episodic storytelling, Jane’s limited inner life and a climax that fails to gather force. The spread is fairly wide: shared respect for the acting and atmosphere does not produce agreement about the film’s emotional effect.

## Straight answers

**Is Jane Eyre worth watching?**

*Jane Eyre* is worth watching for its quietly involving romance, and we score it 77 out of 100. Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender make the wary conversations persuasive, though the compressed storytelling leaves too much of Jane’s private reasoning unexplored. We recommend it for the performances rather than for sustained Gothic tension.

**How long is Jane Eyre, and what is it rated?**

*Jane Eyre* runs 2h 00m. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Jane Eyre in India?**

*Jane Eyre* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from ₹99.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Jane Eyre compare to Rebecca?**

*Jane Eyre* is gentler than [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca), which we recommend more strongly for an unsettling romance, despite its less precise closing stretch. Both centre on guarded heroines for whom intimacy offers little reassurance, but *Jane Eyre* works best through watchful conversation; its sense of danger is less convincing.

**Is Jane Eyre based on a true story or a book?**

*Jane Eyre* is adapted from Charlotte Brontë’s novel, rather than presented as a true story. The film compresses Jane’s childhood and gives too little space to her private reasoning, though its central romance remains persuasive. We find the performances involving on their own, so reading the novel first is not necessary.

**What should I watch after Jane Eyre?**

After *Jane Eyre*, try [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) (1940, Fi1m 85): Another guarded heroine enters a grand house where intimacy brings little reassurance. Then [*The Heiress*](https://film.one/film/the-heiress) (1949, Fi1m 90): A reserved woman must distinguish affection from the uses men find for it; and [*The Piano*](https://film.one/film/the-piano) (1993, Fi1m 88): For desire expressed through music, silence and a woman’s stubborn self-possession.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (80/100, inferred): Denby finds the adaptation austere but emotionally powerful, capturing the novel’s elemental passions. He praises Mia Wasikowska’s quietly confident Jane and the subdued lighting that heightens the gothic atmosphere. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/03/14/looking-for-love-david-denby)
- **Evening Standard** (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation highly recommendable and praises its restrained style, though the climactic scenes fail to build in intensity. Mia Wasikowska is singled out for embodying Jane as both a distinct character and an archetypal figure. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/jane-eyre-review-7426607.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Bill Weber (3/4): Weber finds the adaptation rewarding but constrained by the challenge of compressing the novel into a feature-length film. He praises Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender for bringing emotional depth to Jane and Rochester’s romance. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/jane-eyre-5315/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (70/100, inferred): Turan finds Fukunaga’s adaptation compelling, though Jane’s restricted interior life limits the film somewhat. He especially praises Fassbender’s charismatic Rochester and the lively sparring between Rochester and Jane. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-mar-11-la-et-jane-eyre-20110311-story.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic finds this a smartly handled, low-key adaptation, with young stars anchoring a tough-minded story. He particularly praises Mia Wasikowska’s performance and the film’s focused visual compositions, while noting that Jane’s religious development is missing. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/jane-eyre-film-review-163945/)
- **Screen Daily**, Brent Simon (64/100, inferred): The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible page text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/-jane-eyre/5024663.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies a review of the specified film, but the page did not load. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/movies/jane-eyre-starring-mia-wasikowska-review.html)
- **The AV Club**, Tasha Robinson (C+): Robinson finds the adaptation respectful but passion-free, with its gothic romance and sense of danger sanded away. She praises the vivid scenery and Sally Hawkins’s infuriating performance as Mrs. Reed. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/jane-eyre-1798167591)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (62/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the adaptation intelligent, beautifully crafted and well acted, but too restrained to fully ignite its central romance. He particularly praises the chemistry and carefully paced first encounters between Jane and Rochester. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/sep/08/jane-eyre-film-review)
- **Total Film**, Neil Smith (3/5): Smith finds the adaptation elegant and brooding, though its episodic structure weakens it. He praises Adriano Goldman’s atmospheric photography and Michael Fassbender’s compelling Rochester. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/jane-eyre-1-review/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (45/100, inferred): Nathan finds the film visually striking but ultimately let down by its overripe romance and underdeveloped climax. He praises Mia Wasikowska’s restrained, forceful portrayal of Jane. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/jane-eyre-2-review/)
- **Variety**, Justin Chang (40/100, inferred): Chang finds the adaptation visually striking and well acted, but too restrained and emotionally uninvolving to become especially vital. He praises Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender’s performances, while faulting the film’s late revelations and restless visuals for failing to deepen Jane’s inner life. [Read](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/jane-eyre-1117944756/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): Goldberg praises the film as a confident, haunting gothic romance, though he finds its early framing and childhood sections slow to find their footing. He singles out Wasikowska and Fassbender’s performances, along with the cinematography, score, and costumes, for praise. [Read](https://collider.com/jane-eyre-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, David Graham (75/100, inferred): Graham finds the adaptation a thoroughly well-made, invigorating film, despite omissions and casting choices that do not fully honor the novel. He especially praises its ravishing Gothic visuals and Wasikowska’s emotionally nuanced performance. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/jane-eyre-film-review-by-david-graham)

## Details

- **Director:** Cary Joji Fukunaga
- **Director:** Cary Joji Fukunaga
- **Screenplay:** Moira Buffini
- **Novel:** Charlotte Brontë
- **Cinematography:** Adriano Goldman
- **Editor:** Melanie Oliver
- **Music:** Dario Marianelli
- **Production design:** Will Hughes-Jones
- **Costume design:** Michael O'Connor
- **Producer:** Alison Owen, Paul Trijbits
- **Cast:** Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre; Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester; Jamie Bell as St. John; Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Reed; Simon McBurney as Mr. Brocklehurst; Valentina Cervi as Bertha Mason; Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax; Su Elliot as Hannah
- **Runtime:** 2h 00m
- **Release (India):** 7 October 2011
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Budget:** $13 million
- **Box office:** $35 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFsdfk3mlk

## Where to watch in India

- Amazon Prime Video: rent ₹99.00, hd

*Checked 2026-10-01.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, ES, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SG, SI, TR, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2012: Best Costume Design (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Rebecca* (1940), Fi1m 85: Another guarded heroine enters a grand house where intimacy brings little reassurance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rebecca.md)
- *The Heiress* (1949), Fi1m 90: A reserved woman must distinguish affection from the uses men find for it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-heiress.md)
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88: For desire expressed through music, silence and a woman’s stubborn self-possession. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *Bright Star* (2009), Fi1m 82: A period romance attentive to the small exchanges that make separation hurt. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/bright-star.md)
- *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* (2019), Fi1m 89: Patient observation makes desire legible long before anyone finds words for it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/jane-eyre