A Life in Wanderlust

I’m talking the Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender version from 2011. This is the film that made me fall in love with the story. I then went on to read it in 2 days as I discovered that the book is even better than the film (as is always the case!)

(All of these opinions are based on the film and not on plot points of the book). Also, there are not spoilers in this list, so you can read even if you don’t know the story.

1. England, especially the Yorkshire Moors, really are beautiful
2. I really hope that this was filmed in England and isn’t another time that I watch a film set in England, expect and presume that it was filmed in England, marvel at how beautiful our country is and then find out it wasn’t filmed here (looking at you The Last Kingdom).
3. These times were really shit for women/children/poor people etc.
4. How long did it take to do hair like that? Thank god that isn’t the fashion now!
5. I want to be a fancy lady living in a stately home (except not in those times as i’d get bored)
6. Although, if I did have to pick a time in the past to live in, the regency era/early victorian era would be the period that i’d pick.
7. Children have it easy in schools these days! These girls get told off for everything, looking at another girl, the cane, dropping your chalkboard, isolation! I would have never made it to the end of school!
8. Hats were big in this time, big and ugly.
9. She is obviously dying and you’re just letting her cough in your face, have some sense Jane.
10. I will never understand why the name ‘St John’ is pronounced Sinjon?! It makes no sense to me. Also doesn’t make much sense that his first name is St John.
11. I really really really want to visit Haddon Hall (Thornfield Hall, Mr Rochester’s home).
12. Thank god Downton Abbey has prepared me for the hierarchy of the servants.
13. Dame Judi Dench is such a good actress.
14. ‘You bewitched my horse’ what an accusation!
15. ‘Do you think me handsome’ ‘No sir’ ‘What fault do you find with me, I have all my limbs and features’ such a typical male response, asks the question but questions the answer because it is not one he likes/thought she would say! How times don’t change.
16. I forget how creepy this story actually is (scary creepy, not old man creepy).
17. Wow were dresses so complicated in those times. Did she have someone who helped dress her? I feel like as a governess she didn’t. Also am I supposed to believe that she did her own hair herself?!
18. I have only just noticed how little the men are in this film, apart from Mr Rochester. It is all about the women and their views.
19. Mr Rochester can be such a grumpy arse!
20. For a film adaptation this is a very good re-telling of the famous story.

Well that is my ramblings for today, I’m now off to re-read Jane Eyre and fall in love with it all over again!

If you haven’t read it or watched this film, I hope that this has convinced you to, and if it hasn’t then I’m not surprised!