Jane Eyre

film by Zeffirelli [1996]

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July 22, 2026

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The 1996 film adaptation of Jane Eyre, directed by Zeffirelli, brings to life Charlotte Brontë's classic novel. The story follows Jane Eyre, an orphaned girl who endures hardship at a charity school before becoming a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she falls in love with her brooding employer, Edward Rochester. Their romance faces a significant obstacle when Jane discovers Rochester is already married to Bertha Mason, a woman confined to the attic due to mental illness. Jane flees but eventually returns to find Thornfield Hall destroyed by fire, set by Bertha, who dies in the blaze. Rochester is blinded in the fire, and Jane, now independent and financially secure, marries him. The film explores themes of love, social class, and female independence.12

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Franco Zeffirelli
His later films included Jane Eyre (1996), Tea with Mussolini (1999), and Callas Forever (2002). He continued to film operas such as I Pagliacci (1981), Cavalleria rusticana (1982), Otello (1986), and La Bohème (2008), often working in myriad roles, including opera director and production and costume designer.
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His later films included Jane Eyre (1996), Tea with Mussolini (1999), and Callas Forever (2002). He continued to film operas such as I Pagliacci (1981), Cavalleria rusticana (1982), Otello (1986), and La Bohème (2008), often working in myriad roles, including opera director and production and costume designer.
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Joan Plowright
Film and TV
Fairfax in Jane Eyre (1996). In 1999 she starred with Cher, Maggie Smith, and Judi Dench in Tea with Mussolini, set in Italy during the rise of fascism.
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Fairfax in Jane Eyre (1996). In 1999 she starred with Cher, Maggie Smith, and Judi Dench in Tea with Mussolini, set in Italy during the rise of fascism.
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