Jane Eyre: A Classic reborn...

As well as the dynamic style of its surprise choice director, another element that separates this new version of Jane Eyre from previous incarnations (which have featured everyone from Joan Fontaine and Susannah York to Samantha Morton and Charlotte Gainsbourg in the role) is its daring narrative structure. Period pieces traditionally follow a chronological narrative, but Fukunaga's film begins in the third act, thrusting the audience straight into the movie's most dramatic scene. We meet Jane (Mia) as she is desperately running through the wild, stormy expanse of England's desolate moors. Jane stumbles upon an isolated house, where she cared for by clergyman, John Rivers (Jamie Bell), and his two sisters. Jane's tumultuous childhood is then shown through a series of flashbacks, followed by her first job as governess of Thornfield Hall, where she works alongside housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax (Dame Judi Dench), and the brooding, emotionally distant master of the house, Edward Rochester (Michael). The film eventually catches up to real time, with the audience clued in to the reason behind Jane's panicked escape.

It's clever, intriguing way of reinventing the source material, without losing the essence of the classic novel.

"The initial thing that attracted me was the restructuring of the narrative," Cary Fukunaga explains of his first reading of Moira Buffini's script. "I'd liked the way that the character was introduced in a more mysterious way than you would see in a traditional chronological tale.

That helps a lot of things. It helps the tone, and it helped me to create a sense of ruptured equilibrium right from the beginning. As an audience member, it keeps you interested all the way through."

The tone of this Jane Eyre is another alteration, with the Gothic elements heightened to create an eerie mood throughout. But Fukunaga was careful not to let the intense moodiness overpower the romance. "In the end, you want the romance to be a bit more weighted," the director explains. "Suspense is great, and everyone likes to be afraid, but you really remember a film when you're emotionally attached to it, or when a character resonates with you. That's actually harder to do."

Finally, why does Fukunaga think that the novel has endured the test of time? "There's a uniqueness to this story in terms of the mixing of genres," the director replies.

"It's not just a cheery fairytale, with lovemaking and matchmaking; it's much darker than that. The integrity of Jane Eyre as a character is still rare by today's standards. How often do you find somebody who is so loyal to their sense of self worth? Someone who is unwilling to sacrifice their value, their dignity, and their respect, for love... It's very difficult to walk away from someone who actually loves you, just because the way that they love you doesn't work for your moral code."