It’s a genius move Buffini realised that St. Though it can’t include the entire 500-page book, the omissions are unnoticed and the flow of the story intact – despite a completely new structure. Buffini takes a drastic left turn by starting two-thirds of the way through, presenting the bulk of the novel in flashback. Moira Buffini’s script is itself an utter delight. “I think the skill of the adaptor is to make the joins invisible.” It’s the perfect pairing, anchoring the film and keeping attentions riveted throughout. His chemistry with Wasikowska is also off-the-charts – every exchange between them crackles with tension, from their initial meeting to their growing attraction and the madness that follows. He’s a little too handsome for a man described as having a “square, massive brow, broad and jetty eyebrows… firm, grim mouth”, but the uglier parts of the character – his rages, selfishness, and volatility – are on show to make up for it. Rochester is too often turned into an angry but harmless romantic hero, but Fassbender captures his darker elements and creates a performance that is equal parts lover and threat. He’s changeable and dangerous – something that gets lost in more jovial or solemn interpretations.

Partnering Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender oozes not just the magnetism of the character but the intensity and intimidation. Most famously played by Orson Welles (1944), he’s had his fair share of variety: William Hurt, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Stephens.

If Jane is the most vital ingredient, Mr. There’s always a danger of making Jane flat or uninteresting, but Wasikowska strikes the perfect balance, and so achieves the perfect performance. Her Yorkshire accent is rather good (Wasikowska is Australian), and she keeps her words lilting and controlled or cracked with emotion as needed. Wasikowska’s physical appearance is almost colourless, with her pale skin and large, pale eyes, and the effect is glasslike – beneath the “poor, obscure, plain” surface, she reflects Jane’s fiery nature in gestures, looks, and inflections. The novel is first-person, cutting a window into Jane’s thoughts and passions, so on film the actress must capture that inner monologue through wordless performance. In some ways, casting Mia Wasikowska is a surprise – she was an uninspiring lead in Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, but here her quiet, measured look is perfect.

From Marie Eline in 1910 through to Joan Fontaine, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Ruth Wilson in 2006, she’s an element that can’t be compromised.

The most vital ingredient of any Jane Eyre adaptation is its heroine.

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