1) Main Movie Titles:
The oppening few minutes of this film convey a sinister tone, creating an ominous and foreboding atmosphere for the audience. There is no dialougue at all and only the use of soundtrack and asyncronous/ syncronous sound. The film opens with two idents which are shortly followed by the oppening credits. The main title 'Jane Eyre' then comes in with the same font design - A black background with standard gold text. The golden text however fades in and out very slowly in time with the music and shimmers like embers from a fire. This may convey the sense of anxiety in parallel with the character of Jane. This is followed by the oppening shot, which has a cool and desaturated tone, conveying a calamitous atmosphere towards the audience.
2) Camera shots:
Camera shots are used very effectively in the oppening of this film in order to contribute to the overall sinister tone. The movie begins with a medium shot from behind the protagonist, casting her as a silhouette as she opens a small window to show trees. This is followed by a close up on her face which shows she has clearly been crying. Already, tension has been created for the audience. A medium shot of Jane running down the steps in a garden follows, however, the shakey camera represents the uneasy mood, along with the cool tones that are used, conveying to the audience that it is a cold, winters day. A long shot and establishing shot show the location, as well as a shot showing the protagonist running down a misty, english country lane. A crane shot shows her in a field confused about which direction she should go in, possibly a symbolic reference to the confused direction of her life. After this, there are a number of effective shots, whereby location is referenced and pathetic fallacy is shown in the form of a storm, mirroring the turbulent series of events in the storyline. Throughout the film, clever techniques are used to mirror the symbolic literary references in 'Jane Eyre'. However, these references are very subtle, meaning that the movie may be more open to those who have studied the book.3) Music/sound:
In the oppening of this film, soundtrack is used effectively. An instrumental orchestral piece plays in the minor .i.e. the key of sadness. The music's dynamics are quiet, representing the timid nature of Jane and the depressing events of her life. This plays throughout the oppening, creating an introductory section of sorts. After this, we hear the protagonist crying slightly along with the synchronous crunching of leaves below her feet as she trunches through the garden. There is use of atmospheric nature sounds as in birds and wind. As the protagonist runs down the country lane, there is the asynchronous sound of a horse, representing the loaction once again. Asyncronous sound is used again in the form of a crow, representing 'death'. This creates an ominous tone. There is also the sound of thunder, which may also create a sinister and metaphorically stormy mood.
4) Mise en scene:
The use of mise en scene is very important in a period drama as it shows authenticity of the events throughout history. Therefore, Jane wears the correct costume, a victorian dress and cloak, as well as minimal makeup and very stylised, plaited hair. As well as this, the location must be truthful to the events. Therefore, an atmospheric English setting has been chosen to convey the whereabouts to the audience. The movie has also been filmed in Winter, giving an a cold atmosphere. In connection to this, only natural lighting has been used, which is congruous with the Victorian times, due to the fact that electricity hadn't been invented yet.
5) Codes and Conventions:
This film generally follows the codes and conventions of a period drama as it remains authentic throughout. The opening scene sets the mantra, along with enigma by building atmosphere. The mise en scene is perfect and has been heavily researched, along with the location, giving way to the truth in the movie and hence, making viewing better. As well as this, the main theme for this film is family issues, as is standard for period dramas. The plot is very complex and there is extreme character development. However, this film challenges the codes and conventions of a typical period drama by being somewhat 'independent', whereby unique techniques and shots have been used in order to convey the story differently and therefore, making it more applicable to the audience. One main reason why the director may have adapted her own individual style, is so that the 2011 movie cannot be compared to the one made previously in 1996. Once again, the mistreatment of women is recurring theme in period dramas, which is what we will look into in our own project.
6) Target audience and social group:
'Jane Eyre' is a literary adaptation of Emily Bronte's novel of the same name, meaning that many of the viewers of this film may have read the book already. This creates high expectations, especially as the 1996 movie already became very critically acclaimed. As well as this, the film was produced by the BBC which is predominantly an english company, meaning that the majority of the audience will be from the uk. The film is in english already (obviously for being one of the greatest English literature works ever made), however it has been translated into a number of languages making it open to more social groups. That being said, I think the main groups for this movie are the 'thesbians', as Jane Eyre was adapted also as a play, so the acting would be closely speculated upon. Like most preiod dramas, this movie is for intulects of some description and not really for children nor teenagers who might find it boring. Those who are middle aged or above might find 'Jane Eyre' more appealing and especially those with a love for history or english.
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