'Only the spark of the spirit will remain:' Problems in adapting 'Jane Eyre' for 1940s cinema

In 1944, Twentieth Century Fox released an adaptation of Jane Eyre. Despite, or because of, the association of star power forces such as David O. Selznick, Aldous Huxley, and Orson Welles, many have reviled the film as a failed imitation of Charlotte Bronte's beloved novel. Feminist critics in particular bristle at the emphasis upon the romantic aspects of the story to the appearing diminishment of Jane as a strong heroine in the Gothic vein. These criticisms, however, must be tempered by an awareness of mid-century American film culture and a greater awareness of the different techniques novels and films use to create the same effect.;The traditional Gothic heroine experiences both submission to and rebellion against the circumstances that thwart her realization of happiness. In Bronte's book, this cycle occurs within a clearly delineated framework associated with Jane's homes. In her time at Gatheshead, Lowood, Thornfield, and Marsh House, only able to fully break the pattern and accept Rochester's love after her tribulations on the moors. Though the film truncates or eliminates many of the individual incidents from the book, Jane still undergoes this cycle and triumphs over her insecurity; critics have failed to consider how the filmmakers adjust the timeline in order to conform to the cinematic standards of their time. Classical Hollywood valued empowering a protagonist to achieve one clearly defined goal. This expectation explains the narrative omissions and additions objectionable to some viewers.;Even with these alterations, Jane maintains her presence as the dominant, narrative force. Though the majority of Jane's direct narration is absent, the filmmakers convey her authority through methods unavailable to Bronte, including camera angles, sound cues, and facial expressions. She further displays her rebellious feminism present in the book through subtle subversions of the patriarchal structure. Though not strictly faithful in every of the text's pluralities, Selznick's team created a film faithful to the feminist spirit of Bronte's Jane Eyre..