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21 Rubies (2023)
A beautiful Christian work that represents Romania with good and bad
This is one of the few recent Christian movies; and it is also a beautiful, beautiful movie. Visually and cinematically, '21 rubies' enchants.
But the story is the key - and it must be told. This movie presents Romania as is, with its many facets. A land of traditions and Orthodox faithful people; but also a land of decayed, Godless modernity. And as any state or institution, it has its corruption. The State and the Church are accurately represented as lower chains in the international order. And by and by, the individual is crushed by this complex apparatus, in which it is the weakest link. In the end though, as the movie shows, the individual has one last refuge out of the hardships of this world, and that is Christ - though this is not an easy path, and many still get lost.
A Romanian movie that I am proud of.
Jane Eyre (2011)
A quite bad adaptation
This is not Jane Eyre, it is a bad copy of it, counting on people knowing the story already and being already attached to the characters. This movie is unable to convince me of any relationship - everything is made of carton, especially Jane Eyre. She is extremely inexpressive (especially until the second half of the movie). It is almost funny, the camera looks at her for 2-3 s and we are supposed to see some process happening behind her eyes - all I see is a woman looking at the camera (and maybe swallowing). This adaptation cannot sustain itself (though Mr. Rochester was played beautifully).
Anyway, the whole movie is quite boring. The characters philosophy is almost inexistent. I think the director did not understand the book or did not want to preserve its message.
One aspect the movie did well is the aesthetics. The movie is all shapes without substance.
Jane Eyre (1996)
An out-of-this-world Christian movie
What a beautiful, beautiful adaptation. Many complain that it is changed from the book, but I think the change is in letter, not in spirit. Jane Eyre is played just as she should be: she looks brittle, feminine but in fact very resilient. She has something ineffable and a clear love for truth. Mr. Rochester is also played wonderfully - I could see his continuous conflict on his face in every scene. Their love for each other developed clearly (though I could have used one or more dialogs between them). Overall, the actors were very expressive, giving me the impression of an otherworldly love, especially through Jane's ethereal presence, but also through the setting and their telepathic connection. Finally, I though all behaviours and setting were represented accurately for those times.
But above everything, this movie manages to represent the Christian perspective of the book. Jane Eyre is a woman who loves God above all else, and this is the secret of her unnerving virtue. Multiple characters show the meekness and resilience that characterises Christians (Jane, Helen, their teacher), thus representing correctly the philosophy of the book.