Fan of Wide Sargasso Sea?

[Tango]

If you want to see a solid performance of the "sequel" Jane Eyre , you can catch it tonight on the Turner Classic network. TCM has Orson Welles as Edward Rochester, Joan Fontaine as Jane . . . and the mysterious Bertha* (the crazy lady in the red/purple dress). ('Bertha' appears in both Charlotte Bronte’s 'Jane Eyre' and Jean Rhys’s 'Wide Sargasso Sea', although her role in Jane Eyre is quite limited, though effective!)

About Bertha: (in Wide Sargasso Sea)

In the beginning she was stunning and pure
When he first saw her he fainted to the floor
She was distant and arrogant from the start
She did not see the fragile state of his heart
She fell in love with him on that very day
She became softer in every way
-Stevie Nicks

I like Orson Welles protrayal of Rochester better than any others I have seen. If you get to watch it, feel free to say what you think of it.

[mitzo]

I like the song, it is creative and quite dramatic.

[bluefox4000]

I love it......reminds me of Illume.....but.....what's the word??......Good

Mick

[icinglover1995]

What time does it play tonight? I've been wanting to watch it!

[fairydust75]

Jane Eyre is my favorite novel. I've read it multiple times. I stumbled upon Wide Sargasso Sea (the movie version) and fell in love with the prequel. This was way before Stevie recorded her song on the IYD album. When I heard her version in her song Wide Sargasso Sea, I was shocked and elated to share a love of the story with mama herself.....The book is good, but the movie version I saw made it come to life, just like Stevie does in her song......

[On Ice]

I have no idea about the book or movie, but Stevie has written a great song. It kind of has a Life in the Fast Lane kind of feel for me. Would have been something different and funky as a single after the falsetto highlighted New Orleans, (which I still think would have been the best way to market IYD). It sounds great turned up really loud too.

[ragrsrocalot]

^^ I also am not familiar with the book, or movie. But I really love the song, especially the last 2 minutes. Without critiquing the production or the arraignment of the song, the last 2 minutes really sets this song on fire for me. The driving drum beat, the reverb and the distortion on the guitar, and the echoed vocal, just brings this trippy ending on home . While listening to the whole song is cool, it's the ending for me that always gets maxed out speaker volume, so funky, wild and wicked. Love it!!!!

[johnnystorms]

Originally Posted by On Ice

I have no idea about the book or movie, but Stevie has written a great song. It kind of has a Life in the Fast Lane kind of feel for me. Would have been something different and funky as a single after the falsetto highlighted New Orleans, (which I still think would have been the best way to market IYD). It sounds great turned up really loud too.

what falsetto in new Orleans?

[PolishStevieFan]

"Wide Sargasso Sea"-one of the best songs in Stevie's career and definately another highlight from "In Your Dreams" album. The lyrics are so poetic and the whole melody is very memorable. But I guess it wouldn't be a good single, it's just too inventive to make it on the radio. We must remember that the most groundbreaking work many times is ignored by the mainstream.

By the way I love that "falsetto" in chours or whatever that is on "New Orleans"

[On Ice]

what falsetto in new Orleans?

Hi Johnny,

I'm talking about the utterly delicious "I wanna dress up" and "I wanna brush by" towards the end of the song. The highlight of In Your Dreams for this 35 year plus listener, who strongly feels that this was the real chance to tap into Stevie's "legendary" status and get this line out early in the song and voila, Dreams redux.

The driving drum beat, the reverb and the distortion on the guitar, and the echoed vocal, just brings this trippy ending on home . While listening to the whole song is cool, it's the ending for me that always gets maxed out speaker volume, so funky, wild and wicked. Love it!!!!

Wonderful isn't it, one of the best and most creative moments of Stevie's career.

[Tango]

It's interesting to me to see how Jane Eyre's life is almost the opposite of Bertha/Anntoinette Mason. Jane is seen, as a child, by those around her as a child of Satan, someone evil, unpredictable and someone to be shunned and put away.

When Jane Eyre meets Mr. Rochester he sees Jane, despite her "plainness" as:
stunning and pure
When he first saw her he fainted to the floor (not as literally as when meeting Anntoinette--but he was intriqued by her)
She was distant and arrogant from the start
She did not see the fragile state of his heart
She fell in love with him on that very day
She became softer in every way


Mr. Rochester, upon meeting the the beautiful native woman of Wide Sargasso Sea--a product of an arranged marriage, as a much younger man fell hard. But:
Tropical birds and the heat and the ocean
Only drove him crazy
Drove her away from him

Both women were essentially orphaned. Both women were in financial need. Both end up in positions of subserviance to Mr. Rochester--one in an arranged marriage with little power (although she did employ a bit of magic, through the benefit of Christophene), the other as an employee with little power. The "care" given to the "madwoman," being locked up in the tower shows the fear they all had of her. Jane had a bit of that in her childhood. I'm glad Stevie chose Wild Sargasso Sea--it gave me a new look at the woman in the tower.

Stevie seems to have related quite a bit to the woman in the tower. Stevie admits to having had a time of going crazy. (quite a bit of it was drug induced) Yes, as some of you have mentioned, the tropical, rhythmic drums and clapping in this song really make it. When we first saw the loop-video (it had a special name that escapes me) introducing "In Your Dreams," this song has a really prominent position. The smoke and the fire, the people dancing around Stevie's swimming pool: this song remains one of the strongest on the album.

[elle]

Originally Posted by On Ice

Would have been something different and funky as a single after the falsetto highlighted New Orleans, (which I still think would have been the best way to market IYD).

interesting! i'm assuming you like the lyrics? Neale Heywood wrote the music for New Orleans. [and Come.]

[mezzoforte]

Originally Posted by Tango

It's interesting to me to see how Jane Eyre's life is almost the opposite of Bertha/Anntoinette Mason. Jane is seen, as a child, by those around her as a child of Satan, someone evil, unpredictable and someone to be shunned and put away.

When Jane Eyre meets Mr. Rochester he sees Jane, despite her "plainness" as:
stunning and pure
When he first saw her he fainted to the floor (not as literally as when meeting Anntoinette--but he was intriqued by her)
She was distant and arrogant from the start
She did not see the fragile state of his heart
She fell in love with him on that very day
She became softer in every way


Mr. Rochester, upon meeting the the beautiful native woman of Wide Sargasso Sea--a product of an arranged marriage, as a much younger man fell hard. But:
Tropical birds and the heat and the ocean
Only drove him crazy
Drove her away from him

Both women were essentially orphaned. Both women were in financial need. Both end up in positions of subserviance to Mr. Rochester--one in an arranged marriage with little power (although she did employ a bit of magic, through the benefit of Christophene), the other as an employee with little power. The "care" given to the "madwoman," being locked up in the tower shows the fear they all had of her. Jane had a bit of that in her childhood. I'm glad Stevie chose Wild Sargasso Sea--it gave me a new look at the woman in the tower.

Stevie seems to have related quite a bit to the woman in the tower. Stevie admits to having had a time of going crazy. (quite a bit of it was drug induced) Yes, as some of you have mentioned, the tropical, rhythmic drums and clapping in this song really make it. When we first saw the loop-video (it had a special name that escapes me) introducing "In Your Dreams," this song has a really prominent position. The smoke and the fire, the people dancing around Stevie's swimming pool: this song remains one of the strongest on the album.

What really cracks me up, though, is that Stevie's representation of the story is cherry-picked to mirror her own. Yes, everything in the song happened in the book. But the book focuses on insanity, displacement, race, obeah, etc. The song focuses on...Stevie. And how attracted to her Rupert Hine was.

When Stevie's described the book, she's normally describes it as being about how, "They fall in love and have island fever and it just doesn't work out."

Oh, Nicks.

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by On Ice

I have no idea about the book or movie, but Stevie has written a great song. It kind of has a Life in the Fast Lane kind of feel for me. Would have been something different and funky as a single after the falsetto highlighted New Orleans, (which I still think would have been the best way to market IYD). It sounds great turned up really loud too.

You're talking about Wide Sargasso Sea here, right? I agree. It's actually the only way I like to listen to that song- really loud while on the elliptical.

[Jondalar]

Her sexiest song ever. One of my favorites off the album.