When Mrs Reed addresses the children, her voice is still heard even though the camera is watching the children. This shows who she is talking to, allowing the polite responses of the children to be shown, and then a strong contrast when the children leave the room and drop their pretence to become noisy and happy. The conversation between Mrs Reed and Reverend Brocklehurst is shown through a succession of shot/reverse shots at eye level to show their actions towards each other. The shot size is a close up, using selective focus to only show the characters who are speaking. The fire in the fireplace shows Mrs Reed’s attempts to make her home appear more welcoming but it is small and artificial looking rather than warm. Parallel editing is used to show the conversation between the adults and then cut to the simultaneously occurring action of the children going to fetch Jane, perhaps as a contrast between the false exterior that the aunt is trying to present to the Reverend and the truth of how the family acts behind closed doors and how they treat Jane. A little of the aunt’s true side becomes evident when she refers to Jane and her relatives, when her tone and expression turns from polite and sycophantic to one of distaste and hatred. It is apparent that the Reverend is also unsympathetic towards Jane; his expression remains one of disinterest when hearing about Jane’s tragic history and he clearly doesn’t care much about her.
The low angle of the children and higher angle shot of Jane on the stairs shows the control that they have over her. As she enters the room, a close up shows her anxiety and a close up on the Reverend also shows that he has little emotion or compassion towards her. The camera angles show them facing in opposite directions, which creates an automatic feeling of distance between them. At this point, either the fire has gone out or the flames from it cannot be seen, which reiterates the coldness of Gateshead and also shows that Jane’s future is bleak.
The clip in Thornfield begins with an establishing long shot which establishes the time of year and gives a view of an autumnal pastoral scene which, when combined with the background sound of birdsong, gives the setting an air of peace and welcome. The music in the non-diegetic soundtrack is more upbeat than that in Gateshead. There is a cut-in from this shot to the horses and carriage which shows that it is important and not merely part of the scenery. There is a close-up of the side of the carriage when Jane gets out, showing her expression and gaining empathy with the viewer as she appears apprehensive. A slightly low angle is used to show that Jane has lifted in status since leaving Gateshead, although the shot is still fairly eye level for a sense of equality with the audience. Her face is also positioned in a hot-spot using the rule of thirds, showing her importance. From the close-up, there is a POV establishing shot of Thornfield Hall, which tells the audience that this is where she is going and also allows contrast with Gateshead. While Gateshead was a large mansion, Thornfield is a huge castle which shows wealth. However, Gateshead was grey and imposing, while soft brown shades on the walls of Thornfield show that it is more welcoming. Elliptical editing is used from Jane looking at the castle to arriving at it, and several more ellipses used later in the clip allows the time to flow better and also shows the size of the castle. A downwards tilt from the top of a tower to the bottom where Jane stood could again be seen as domineering but the man who answers the door is in a relaxed and informal pose, strongly contrasted with the formal butler who went to the door to greet Reverend Brocklehurst in Gateshead. The man is also looking out of a low door up at Jane, showing her in a low angle shot which connotes a sense of respect for her. She is the tallest figure in the shot, something that was never shown in the Gateshead clip where even the other children were seen in higher positions than her. This makes it clear that she has left the oppression in Gateshead behind and is now an independent adult. As she walks through the door, there is a match on action to link her walking through the entrance to appearing in the yard at the other side. The music here changes to a more anxious tone to mirror her emotions and nerves, but does not seem ominous or show any sense of danger as there is still birdsong in the background. A POV pan and tilt shows her looking around and taking in her surroundings. As she enters the castle itself, the lighting changes from high key to low key, but this is due to natural light rather than having negative connotations and also shows the time era as electricity is not used.
The room that Jane walks into is markedly more welcoming than Gateshead. There are lots of books on shelves around the room, and this shows a high regard for reading and education, and is especially important since Jane has come to Thornfield to teach. Flowers and daylight with a warm glow from the fire, contrasting strongly with the weak artificial fire in Gateshead, shows that this house is more welcoming. The furniture looks more comfortable as opposed to the expensive posed furniture in Gateshead. An over-the-shoulder shot introduces the audience to Mrs Fairfax, who is immediately shown as completely different to Mrs Reed. Mrs Fairfax has loose curly hair, a round face and a welcoming smile and manner, and although she is dressed all in black, this could be due to her age and could connote that she is a widow; she does mention that she has no family. Mrs Fairfax’s attitude to Jane is friendly and maternal; she insists she sit by the fire and makes her tea. Jane is shown as shy and a little uncomfortable as she is not used to being made a fuss of. Mrs Fairfax also seems to have more of a rapport with the servants, as opposed to Mrs Reed who largely ignored their presence. A series of mid-shot shot/reverse shots during the conversation between Jane and Mrs Fairfax shows their expressions and body language. Their non-verbal codes here show that they are likely to become close in time, and that Jane has been accepted. A pan tilt to show the servant returning with Adele also shows a candle in the passage, signifying that Jane’s future is now looking more bright and optimistic, and could also signify education since she is meeting the child that she will be teaching. A medium long-shot of the group shows Jane meeting Adele, who curtsies to her out of respect and shows Jane’s elevated status. She is the tallest figure in the frame, making her seem important, and this also shows a contrast between the events in Gateshead where Jane was brought to meet Reverend Brocklehurst who had come to take her away to school. In the Thornfield scene, it is the little girl Adele who has been brought to meet Jane, and this shows how clearly she has moved on from events in her past and that now she is in charge.
