It's good. About equal to the 2011 version.

"A well-constructed piece of studio work, with vivid black-and-white cinematography under matte painting skies that creates a turbulent, oppressive mood." - Jeremiah Kipp

While I haven't seen all Jane Eyre adaptations, I am getting the notion that while this may not be the most comprehensive one, it is possibly the closest there is to a "definitive" movie version. The rushed ending is a glaring weakness. Much of its strength lies in the fine acting. Orson Welles plays Mr. Rochester with a suitable peacock-like puffiness that is owed less to his acting than to his correct typecasting, but he does take the effort to inject the character with some brooding.

I actually had to orient myself to Welles' accent. I'd describe this as a poor adaptation of Jane Eyre, but still adequately romantic.

Great cinematography (was Welles back there helping the grips?), with a love story that must have inspired Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It's too heavy-handed in its ending, which is unfortunately overtly melodramatic to the point of illiciting laughter.

Succinct adaptation of the Bronte classic. Strong characterizations from Wells.