Wanted to do something about my literature homework which I refused to touch through the whole holidays, so I watched this film based off one of my literature text, similarly titled Wide Sargasso Sea. (Completely contentless) Review under cut.
I’ve never been a fan of Jane Eyre, abandoning the book even before I reached the halfway mark. It was really boring, and Jane has been annoying ever since she appeared in the book (the start). I never had any expectations of the book either, especially when it was introduced in class and we listened to Jamaican folk songs for one hour and the literature teacher printed out world maps for God-knows-what reason, but less of that.
Wide Sargasso Sea is a prequel to Jane Eyre, giving a life and personality to the old raging mad woman Bertha in the attic of Thornfield Hall, at the same time expressing the life in the West Indies and of the people who live there.
But enough of the book.
Acting
Starring as Edward Rochester was Rafe Spall. I’m not sure what to make of him. His face is stone-cold and expressionless except for select parts of the film in which he’s either having sex or crying. Either that or he has a face of disbelief. He spoke way too fast and is sometimes disruptive so I have no idea whether this is bad or it has some intended effect like it shows his actual curt and uncaring nature and the fact that he didn’t actually love her and just married her for the money or something.
So yeah. Someone tell me if I should be overthinking on this point.
Starring as Antoinette Cosway is Rebecca Hall. I liked her acting. She was appropriately dramatic, and I loved the subtle accent it sound very in-character. She had crooked teeth and a gummy smile but that’s hardly something to complain about.
I think I only created this subsection to talk about the stoic Rafe Spall, so I’ll just move on.
Story
There’s nothing really to complain about story-line because it makes more sense complaining about the book it was based off.
As Antoinette hesitates before marriage, Edward sprouts a charming speech:
I know you make me happy. I know that I want to marry you. To take care of you. I could say you don’t know anything about me. But you know how you feel about me, don’t you? Then isn’t that enough? Shouldn’t we trust that? Isn’t that what marriage is, that bargain. That I’ll trust you if you trust me. Do you trust me? Then you have nothing to be afraid of. I will make you happy, I will keep you safe. I will give you everything you need.
Doesn’t it sound so beautiful? Won’t you just turn around and yell in his face MARRY ME NOW YOU OAF and snog him senseless? And dream about a fairytale ending and little children prancing around their wonderful summer house? No?
Then you remember he literally DIAF and Antoinette went mad and killed herself as well after, well, setting fire to the house. But before that he cheated on her and she cheated on him and she tried to poison him as well.
I’m never looking at marriage the same way again. This is just…frightening. So many ‘what ifs’, and marriage is one and lasts forever. What was a beautiful promise turned out so disturbing. How much can we take before we snap..?
