In the 2011 film Jane Eyre, minor character St. John Rivers subverts narrative expectation due to the minor celebrity of his talented performer, Jamie Bell, to deliver a small but crucial role in the beloved 19th century romance. The character of St. John is initially introduced as a decent man who shows main character Jane Eyre a rare amount of kindness by offering her shelter and work while she’s recovering from a case of heartbreak (Fukunaga). Since the film is presented in non-linear fashion, we don’t spend a large amount of time exploring Jane and St. John’s relationship, though the brief flashes we do see suggest a blossoming friendship and, what some could classify as, subtle notes of attraction. This use of friendly but timid acquaintance between a male and female character point the story in the direction of an inevitable romantic partnership, and the intention is further accentuated by the selection of St. John River’s performer, Jamie Bell. Although Jamie hasn’t quite amassed the “star persona and celebrity” with which American audiences are obsessed with, he’s surpassed anonymity due to steady dose of internationally successful films he’s been part of, such as The Adventures of Tin Tin, Fantastic Four, and Rocketman (Straw 79; IMDB). Because of his recognizability and obvious talent, Jamie Bell’s presence alone foreshadows that his character’s importance will expand before the movie’s end, and this proves true when, in the third act, St. John Rivers unexpectedly proposes to Jane. This is a critical moment in both the film and in St. John’s development, as, for a brief moment in time, it appears his minor role is finally going to transform to that of a leading man’s. However, our expectations are thwarted, and Jane does not reciprocate his feelings, effectively ending his part in the film. Initially, this scene is baffling to watch, as on a surface level, it appears St. John’s narrative journey led to a dead end, and the actor’s “intelligent and skillful” talents were reduced to the unimportant and “slightest role” imaginable (Williams 103). However, there’s more to this scene than initially meets the eye, as it’s only through this turn of events that Jane makes the realization she’s still in love with Rochester, the man who initially broke her heart, and this discovery leads her to their emotional reunion. So, at the end of the day, St. John Rivers, assisted by the talent and celebrity presence of Jamie Bell, has a huge narrative function in Jane Eyre, as he indirectly assists Jane on finding her true love and metaphorical happy ending in the bittersweet and classic 19th century story, which is a role any actor could be jealous of having.
Works Cited
Fukunaga, Cary, director. Jane Eyre. Universal Pictures, 2011.
“Jamie Bell.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068260/.
Straw, Will. “The Small Parts, Small Players Dossier Introduction.” SCREEN, vol. 52, no. 1, Mar. 2011, pp. 78–81. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.tru.ca/10.1093/screen/hjq057.
Williams, Melanie. “Entering the Paradise of Anomalies: Studying Female Character Acting in British Cinema.” Screen, vol. 52, no. 1, 2011, pp. 97–104. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.tru.ca/10.1093/screen/hjq064.
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