The movie is based on Jean Rhys' 1966 novel and is a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's 1847 classic Jane Eyre. Having read Rhys' book, I can attest that the movie is sufficiently true to the novel (it's always best not to expect too much in that respect). The first person account of Mrs. Rochester descent into madness is a tale from which you may find it difficult to pull away. It is set in the period of post 1833 Jamaican emancipation and it will immerse you in the life of British aristocracy living there at the time. The tension between Jamaicans and Brits, and even the riffs between the former and blacks from nearby Martinique is portrayed as I expected it to be, realistically. The Sargasso Sea is painted on screen as an ethereal place, one of almost psychedelic imagery, but quite pleasant though; it is in fact a very real region, not mystical nor mythical.We follow young Antoinette Cosway, played by Casey Berna on her journey from the time her mother, played by the beautiful and talented Rachel Ward, retreated from the outside world and went mad, till the time of her passing, which Antoinette claims happened in the burning of the family mansion. Then the mature Antoinette, played by the exquisite Karina Lombard, is forced to find a husband to retain and rescue the family estate from a plutonian demise. In comes Edward Rochester (yes, that's the Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre) played by Nathaniel Parker, who by marrying her assumes the land owner status he was destined for. The two have an idyllic honeymoon at home; we get to view Lombard's grace and beauty in sensual scenes with Parker, but this happiness is short lived as the couple's distrust of each other is fueled by Antoinette's entourage and Edward's new acquaintances on the island. The novel did not lead me to expect the level of sensuality you'll find in the movie, but I'm thankful it went that way.The cast includes characters such as Christophene, Amelie and Young Bull, who play an important part of Antoinette's life; they are played respectively by the mysterious Claudia Robinson, the seductive Rowena King and intimidating Paul Campbell. You should enjoy the cinematography, as the scenery is a nice escape from modern settings. The one thing that I always felt I wanted to know more about concerning the novel Jane Eyre, was the backstory of Mrs. Rochester; Jean Rhys' novel satisfied that thirst and if you don't wish to read it, only care to see the movie, then by all means see this one, go rent it if you can still find it. I liked it enough to buy it and I don't regret that one bit. By the way, the novel is really a short read so why not go for that if you care, as I did, for Mrs. Rochester's backstory; you'll find Rhys' style most pleasant (you can almost hear the period accent).

While this film has garnered some poor user reviews, it impresses me. The lush island scenery, the rhythms of West Indies life, and the steamy and stormy personal interactions create an atmosphere both sensual and sensuous. I think all the main actors portray Rhys's characters well: Rochester as masterful yet in over his head; Antoinette as passionate but mercurial; the servant girl Amelie as wide-eyed and irresistible; and especially the spooky Christophine as intensely self-possessed and a formidable defender of those she holds dear.On DVD, this film can be watched in its NC-17 form or one that was edited down to a softer R rating. I watched the NC-17 version and found it surprisingly tame. There is occasional female nudity (mainly by Antoinette) and a bit of male frontal nudity (by Rochester), but the sex is not strikingly graphic. Meanwhile, the only real violence affects some animals — images that will disturb some viewers but leave others unfazed.Running just 1 hour 38 minutes, the film skips over some less important parts of the plot. Still, it captures the spirit of this intricate tale of the seismic ruptures that can occur when societies or social strata collide. I can see how it would be unpopular among viewers who are unfamiliar with, or dislike, the book; as a depiction of Rhys's vision, though, I find it gratifyingly true.

Well, ok, it's the sequel to "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. We watched it in school, my English teacher had no idea why it would be rated R so we just watched it. It was funny because there was so much nudity and sex and stuff. It was great. It got to the point where she had to run up and cover the screen grade school style and I got a kick out of it. Sex is funny. Basically, this movie feels very "Nineties" if that means anything. The style, the feel, all of the needless sex scenes and nudity. I have nothing against nudity if it's done right, this is just there for lonely boys...well, anyway. We watched the movie and it's slow and I really hated "Jane Eyre" so I didn't like this one much either. If you're a fan of nudity (all kinds featured here) check it out.

I enjoyed watching this film. The main actress of the movie is hot. She is sexually attractive and gorgeous. She is one of the most beautiful women I saw. I wish I will afford to buy a copy of this fascinating movie.