I've heard several critics put this movie down for casting the lead with an excessively plain actress. These people have evidently never read the book! That's one of the main points! I could never really buy Susannah York as Jane Eyre, because she's so beautiful. And Liz Taylor as the youngun? C'mon, give me a break-- was any kid ever more beautiful than she? Not that Anna Paquin is ugly, mind you, but they hide her subtle beauty well in this version. As a previous commenter says, by casting a plain person as Jane, Zeferelli has made it possible for the inner beauty to shine through. Bronte would have approved, I feel certain. And Hurt is great too, as usual.
