Narrative to Script

A Living Death
Based on the novel
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte

By: Laydee_J

Dramatis Personae

• Jane Eyre – She is the main character of the script. A young, plain-featured governess who has overcome the most ill-fated advertises by maintaining her morals and her shrewd state of mind. Her fiery character and intellect generate thought-provocation in the minds of others.
  
• Mr. Rochester – He is Jane’s master at a manor called Thornfield. As an affluent man hiding a sinister secret, Mr. Rochester gives the impression of an impetuous tomfool who has not a care in the world. But when he is with Jane, he is the complete opposite.
  
• Bertha Mason – Bertha was a beautiful and prosperous Creole woman. Now she’s an insane and violent fiend with no psyche to call her own. She’s a secret in a secret room guarded by her keeper – and her husband.
  
• Sophie – She is a French nurse at Thornfield for a little child who stays there as well.
  
• Grace Poole – Grace is Bertha Mason’s keeper. Her drunken antics and negligence choke the safety of the residents of Thornfield.

Act I Scene II

The wind whistles and the fall leaves flow with the rhythm in the eyes of the lustrous moon. Dusk has fallen on Thornfield gracefully. Jane Eyre restlessly awaits the return of her love, Mr. Rochester, who has left for the evening. Tomorrow, he will no longer be her love – he will be her husband. She waits in her chamber, a small modern style room with papered walls and a carpeted floor. She is feeling an array of emotions. It is almost like a fantasy to her. She was only the plain, soft spoken governess just a few months ago. That was all anyone thought of her to be. And now, she has found someone who loves her for her – Mr. Rochester; hard on the outside and soft on the inside. The bed is beside the slightly opened window opposite the creaky closet. The oak dresser is on the other side of the bed against the wall, where her white wedding dress lays. It’s facing the door. The blue chintz window curtains are blowing softly with the wind. The lamp near her door is breathing light into the room. Jane is sitting anxiously on her petit bed in her nightgown with Sophie, the French nurse. She has a small box in her hand. They are having a small talk about the wedding.

SLOW FADE IN FROM A LOW ANGLE:
There is a voice over of both Jane Eyre’s and Sophie’s voices. It is muffled. The camera slowly moves up until the entire room is visible. The camera zooms in on them sitting on the bed cross-legged. It stops when both their bodies and the bed fill the screen. Now, we can clearly hear their voices. The gust of wind and rustling leaves from outside can be heard.

JANE
(Strong voice)
(In French) The box that you are holding (points to it) – what is inside of it?

SOPHIE
(Medium Shot; Soft spoken, slow, French accent)
(Short Pause) Oh! La boîte! La boite! Eh…uh…here, opan eet! Opan eet!
(Hands the box to Jane with a smile)

JANE
(Close up of her opening the box)
(Surprised look on her face)
Oh-la-la, c’est tres beau!
(Looks at Sophie)
(Short Pause; In French) From the depths of my soul, (She puts her left hand on her chest) I thank you. A gift is what I have never received in my life nor did I ever expect it. Merci vraiment, Sophie.

(Gust of howling wind)

JANE
(Tries on the veil, looks into the mirror)
(Medium shot of her reflection in the mirror)(Strong voice with a hint of awkwardness)
(In French, Aside to the audience) I saw a veiled figure, so unlike my usual self that it seemed almost the image of a stranger.


SOPHIE
(Close up)
(Soft spoken, slow, French accent)Eh…uh…es-tu…uh…ready?...pour…la …eh…cérémonie de mariage? Meez…eh……uh…Rochestare?

JANE
(Close up)(Looks down shortly, then looks at Sophie)

SOPHIE
(Close up of her looking at Jane)

JANE
(Close up of Jane)
(In French) Jane Rochester…is a person whom as yet I know not. (Long Pause) Mrs. Rochester! She does not exist: she will not be born till to-morrow, some time after eight o'clock a.m.; and I will wait to be assured she comes into the world alive before I assign to her all this property. (Long Pause) How late it grows! I shall go to sleep as Jane Eyre once more. I wait for the new day feverishly (Smiles). Bonne nuit, Sophie.
(Lies down on one side of her bed with the veil on)

(Leaves rustling outside with a gust of wind)

SOPHIE
(Close up of Sophie)
(Gets up off of the bed, medium angle shot of her standing over Jane)
Bonne nuit, Jane Eyre (smiles)
(Close up of her kissing Jane’s cheek and tucking her in)
(Long shot of the room, Sophie exiting it)
(Door closed behind her)

JANE
(Close up)
(Jane’s eyes are closed, she is sleeping)

(Wind howling)
(Long shot of Jane’s room)
(Pause – muffled cackling laugh)

JANE
(Close up of her opening her eyes)
(Close up of her eyes looking left and then right)

(Wind howling)

(She goes back to sleep)
(Screen quickly turns black)

(Black screen - Cackling laugh, even louder than the first time; scratching sound)
(Song instrumental – Put you on the game by Lupe Fiasco)

JANE
(Close up of Jane Eyre’s eyes again)(Long shot)
(She gets up and slowly heads for her door; veil is still on her head)
(Aside to the audience, soft spoken) It was a curious laugh; distinct, formal, mirthless. I stopped: the sound ceased, only for an instant; it began again, louder: for at first, though distinct, it was very low. The laugh was as tragic, as preternatural a laugh as any I ever heard. It passed off in a clamorous peal that seemed to wake an echo in every lonely chamber.

(Medium Shot) Jane opens her chamber door and looks both ways. No one is there but darkness. She slowly walks down the long and matted gallery hallway to her left, following the odd laugh.

JANE
(Medium shot of her walking)
(Soft spoken, Aside to the audience) Very chill and vault- like air pervaded the gallery, suggesting cheerless ideas of space and solitude. The laugh was repeated in its low, syllabic tone, and terminated in an odd murmur. I stopped with the odd murmur. It was in front of a rather tall door. It was not my habit to be disregardful, but I was very curious. I opened the door with caution like a watchman.

(Song stops)

JANE
(Close up of her hands pushing the door open)
(Whisper)
Grace! Grace!

(Medium shot of Grace lying down with a bottle in her hand)



JANE
(Medium shot of her standing at the door)
(Whisper)Grace! Whatever are you doing lying down on the floor…with a bottle in your hand?

(Close up of a dark cage with hands on the bars; Cackling laugh)
(Close up of Bertha’ teeth, smiling)

JANE
(Close up of her entering the room; Close up of her face, shows fear)
(Strong voice)
Who is there? Who is there! Show yourself!

BERTHA
(Monstrous voice; Close up of her face)
Ya ‘appy to see meh, hm? YA ‘APPY TO SEE MEH!
(She punches the bars and yells ferociously)
(Her face is revealed; she has a lit candle to her face)

V.O (Bertha is yelling)

JANE
(Close up of her face, fear)
(Soliloquy) It was a woman - tall and large, with thick and dark hair hanging long down her back. I know not what dress she had on: it was white and straight; but whether gown, sheet, or shroud, I could not tell. I have never seen a face like it! It was a discoloured face—it was a savage face. I wish I could forget the roll of the red eyes and the fearful blackened inflation of the lineaments! The lips were swelled and dark; the brow furrowed: the black eyebrows widely rose over the bloodshot eyes. It reminded me of the foul German specter—the Vampyre.

JANE
(Medium shot of her face, Strong and loud voice)
Who are you? What are you? Why are –

(Interrupted by Bertha)

BERTHA
(Laughs; Deep voice)
Is dat…meh say is dat a vayle ‘pon ya ‘ead?

JANE
(High angle shot of Jane)
(Long Pause, Quivering voice)
Y-y-y-yes, yes it is. Who are you? Tell me…tell me who you are.

BERTHA
(Smiles)
(Deep voice)Move closah to me. Me nuh bite ya
(Laughs). Let me tayke a look closah. Come.

JANE
(Breathing heavily)
(Long pause)
(Superimposition of Jane and Bertha)
Aside to the audience - It was snatching and growling like some strange wild animal, a figure running backwards and forwards.
(Jane slowly moved closer to Bertha)

(Bertha suddenly snatched the veil from Jane’s head; Jane screams)
(Bertha is trying on the veil)
(Instrumental – violins playing)

JANE
(Close up of Bertha)
Aside to the audience (V.O) - She took my veil from its place; she held it up, gazed at it long, and then she threw it over her own head, and turned to the mirror. She removed my veil from its gaunt head, rent it in two parts, and flung both on the floor, trampling on them.

GRACE
(Medium shot of Grace; Slowly gets up, stumbling, intoxicated)
(Inconsistent voice)
He…’ELLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOO! IS ANYBAWDY OUT THEEEEEEEEREE?
(Looks at Jane)
I KNNOWWWW YOUUU! YOU’RE—
(Grace falls to the floor towards Bertha’s cage)

(Medium shot of Jane looking at Grace and then looking back at Bertha)

JANE
(Superimposition of Jane and Bertha)
Aside to the audience - Her fiery eyes glared upon me—she thrust up her candle close to my face, and extinguished it under my eyes. I was aware her lurid visage flamed over mine.
(Yelling)My veil! Oh how my day will be ruined. It’s all --

BERTHA
(Close up of Bertha, breathing heavily)
(Intentionally tries to burn Jane but misses)
(Jane steps back)
Dis vayle righ heah spose ta be mine…SPOSE TO BE MINE! I YAM ‘IS WIFE! ME! I YAM! I’M LOCKED UP IN DIS RANCID CAYGE LIKE A BEEST! I YAM NOT STAYIN’ IN ‘ERE NO MORE! HE SAY HE LOVE YAH, HM? HE SAY HE WAN MARRY YA, HM? WELL HE A LIE! HE A LIE! LOOK WHA HE DID TO ME!
(She starts yelling ferociously)

MR ROCHESTER
(Medium shot of him entering the room)
(Yelling)
V.O – BERTHA yelling
Grace! Grace what is – Jane? Jane, my love, what are you doing in this room? It is not safe! Leave now!

JANE
(Close up of her on her knees in the corner. She looks up with tears in her eyes)
(Close up of the veil on the floor)
(Yelling, sad/angry voice)
Who is she? Who is she!

(The yelling has ceased)

MR. ROCHESTER
(Normal speaking voice)
(Close up of his face)
I will tell you after we are married. Come, let us go now.

While Jane and Mr. Rochester are exchanging words, Bertha has grabbed Grace’s key and is about to let herself out of the cage she has been kept in for a long time.

(Song instrumental Pretender by the Foo Fighters)

JANE
(Yelling, crying)
(Medium shot of her getting up)
I want to know NOW! How can I become Jane Rochester with –

(Interrupted by Mr. Rochester)

MR. ROCHESTER
(Close up of Mr. Rochester)
(Breathes in heavily)(Speaks with anger)
THAT is my WIFE — Bertha Antoinette Mason. I now inform you that she is my wife, whom I married fifteen years ago. You shall see what sort of a being I was cheated into espousing, and judge whether or not I had a right to break the compact, and seek sympathy with something at least human. Bertha Mason is mad; and she came of a mad family; idiots and maniacs through three generations? Her mother, the Creole, was both a madwoman and a drunkard!—as I found out after I had wed the daughter: for they were silent on family secrets before. Bertha, like a dutiful child, copied her parent in both points. Jane, I –

(Bertha attacks Mr. Rochester)

BERTHA
(Close up of her yelling, attacks Mr. Rochester)
‘OW DARE YA SAY I’M MAD!


JANE
(Close up of her screaming, yelling)
STOP! STOP! Please!

V.O – Bertha and Mr. Rochester are wrestling.

(Bertha and Mr. Rochester are wrestling; she looks up at Jane, and jumps towards her)
(Close up of Jane yelling)

(Screen abruptly fades to black)

(Long shot of Jane’s room)
(Pause – muffled cackling laugh)

JANE
(Close up of her opening her eyes; waking up abruptly)
(Close up of her eyes looking left and then right)

(Wind howling)

(She feels her head, the veil is still there)
(She goes back to sleep)
(Screen quickly turns black)


Song – Pretender by the Foo Fighters