Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2012

A worthy adaptation by Cary Fukunaga of the Charlotte Brontë classic often considered to be one of the first examples of feminist Western literature. It focuses, as have most of its 27 filmed versions, on the time the young title governess spends at the gloomy Thornfield Hall, where things go bump in the night, and her growing, reciprocated (and forbidden) romance with the tortured and moody Rochester. In addition to Fukunaga’s subtle yet transfixing direction, the film succeeds on the finely nuanced performances of Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. Striking scenery, filmed in 100 shades of gray.