Version of the famous "it's gotta be real love because I feel pain and I'm dirt oh how I love it" gothic romance launches into a terrific star,with Agnes Moorehead and Henry Daniell providing icy villainy, and Peggy Ann Garner and Elizabeth Taylor excellent (and touching) as little girls. Jane Fontaine has been criticised as too pretty for the role - but this is Hollywood, who else would have played it, and Fontaine is totally ideal for these sort of parts, as she showed with Rebecca (a modern reworking of the tale). Unfortunately the fun screeches to a haltwith Orson Welles' Rochester, who certainly has the looks, presence and voice for the part, but acts all over the shop, flexing his eyebrows and booming at Fontaine. He's a prick tease, old Rochester - leading Jane onand yelling at people who can't understand why his poor wife can't be looked after better. A little good old Hollywoodisation of the material,making him nicer, wouldn't have gone astray. But here Rochester is a prick and it makes it hard for us to care that Jane winds up at him. And the film totally omits showing the final bit of the house burning down and Rochester being injured - we just hear about it. Slack!
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