Into Temptation
Main characters and who would play them:
Jane Eyre Claire Danes
Edward Rochester Christopher Eccleston
Mr Fairfax Ricky Gervais
Priest Hugh Jackman
Ms Reed Sigrid Thornton
Other characters:
Adele, Miss Ingram, Mrs Ingram, the cousins, the late Mr Rochester, and a lot of Indonesian/Australian extras
Disclaimer: I own nothing and I profit not. I'm just waiting for university to resume.
Summary: Imagine Jane Eyre put to film/television. Set 100 years from now in post-holocaust Australia (and Indonesia). Includes characters singing along to mostly-Australian pop songs, Blackpool-style, only without the choreographed dancing.
Notes: I don't think I could pull off writing in a more traditional Charlotte Bronte style, and I'm not entirely sure how this will work out.
Our first scene begins in an airport. At first glance, it looked no different from Australia's international airports as they were in 2008. The same smooth white surfaces, the crowds of straight-faced people, the stringent security. The only sounds were the vague roaring of voices, none particularly distinguishable. There weren't many shops, no plastic bags, no rubbish bins (recycling only), the roof was mostly skylights, and there were more indoor plants than would seem necessary for mere decorative purposes.
A small figure appeared inside the airport, carrying a backpack full to burst. She was of average build (whatever that is) with short black hair in a messy pixie cut, not wearing make-up or particularly nice clothes. The best you could say was that they would suit the hot climate of her eventual destination. She was as plain and unremarkable as she was clearly the main character. Her name is Jane Eyre.
She walked to gate 12, sat, waited, got onto a slightly unusually-crafted airplane (this is the future after all), stowed her pack and sat next to the window. Looking in from this window, there were people bustling around her, almost as if in fast-forward, as she stared abstractedly out. Almost immediately, the engines started and lights were blinking.
Blinking in time to the opening notes of our first song, the obligatory "Disney" one(1). Jane turned to look directly at the 'camera', now directly opposite and inside. The plane began to taxi down the runway, engines blazing.
All These Things That I've Done – The Killers
Jane: When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more sun?
One more sun If you can't hold on
If you can't hold on
Hold on…
(The entire scene is remarkably still - apart from Jane who seems to be singing to herself - no one else really moves or notices. The plane can be seen taking off through the window.)
During the following instrumental section, the plane soared over the Pacific Ocean and away from the distinctive architecture of Canberra, which was now on the coast. The sun had yet to rise, but there was a faint light in the east.
(At this point, the opening credits would appear one by one on screen, with the title 'Into Temptation' appearing at some point, as we follow the aircraft over tropical ocean. The credits continue to roll for the duration of the song.)
The plane landed at a much dirtier airport, smaller than Canberra's. Jane stepped onto the ground just as the first verse began, singing normally. Her steps are confident and brisk.
Jane: I wanna send up, I wanna let go
You know, you know – no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on, in the hearts of men
I wanna meet me on the back of my broken hand
Another head aches, another heart breaks
I'm so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes here
I need direction to perfection, no no no no
(Jane makes her way with some difficulty through the clearly Asian airport. A sign reads "Selamat Datang Ke Indonesia" and "Welcome to Indonesia". It's very crowded and there are soldiers everywhere.)
Help me out
Yeah…
You know you gotta help me out
Yeah…
Oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know gotta help me out
Yeah…
(Despite the crowd, Jane is able to get through all the security checks and makes her way to the entrance. Nobody seems to notice she's singing, even though she occasionally addresses them as such.)
And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more sun
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy(2) I used to be
(Jane sits down outside and makes a call, still singing, then writes something down before standing up)
Yeah…
You know you gotta help me out
Yeah…
Oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you gotta help me out
Yeah…
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah…
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah…
You're gonna bring yourself down
(She approaches several vehicles – bus, taxi etc - and appears to be asking for them to take her somewhere. They look at the writing and refuse. One ute driver finally agrees and she rides shotgun through winding mountain roads to an as yet unknown destination. Jane pays him, and he leaves.)
End of song(3)
As the opening number concluded, Jane found herself in a remote area of the diminished island of Java, in what was left of the Republic of Indonesia. With an expression that bespoke both trepidation and excitement, she made her way through a mixture of semi-traditional housing and modern eco-buildings. Clearly the resurgence in foreign aid had been coming to this place for some time. There weren't even any slum areas that she could see. A factory stood out as the largest structure, so she started to walk over, shouldering her way through a marketplace filled with people taking advantage of the cooler morning hours, as it was just past 6 am.
Out of nowhere a woman accosted her, speaking rapid formal Bahasa Indonesia(4), 'Excuse me miss, please come with me.'
'I'm sorry? I was just looking for the Foreigner's Office.' Jane replied in kind.
'Yes, this way if you please.'
Inside a building, which looked remarkably like a modern miniature embassy, Jane found herself sitting across a metallic desk at a Javanese man wearing a suit, despite sweating slightly in the humidity. He looked through a large sheaf of papers, before spotting something that appeared to satisfy him, then looking at her.
'I will need your aid brief and identity proofs.' He said, in the kind of tone designed to make sure you knew that he didn't think being a foreigner was anything special.
'I beg your pardon, but what aid brief?' Jane asked, making the unwelcome observation that he and the woman both carried guns
He unsuccessfully tried to hide his annoyance. 'All aid work foreigners must have briefs, do they not?'
'Oh. Yes, but I am not an aidwork foreigner. I am a teacher.' She said, comprehending.
'A teacher?' He looked again through his papers again. 'We did not request a teacher. An aidworker was expected to come soon. So you are not Bu Jones?'
'No, my name is Jane Eyre. I was told to come to this place.' She showed him the piece of paper from her earlier phone call.
He looked at it closely, then motioned the woman over to join him. They studied the writing closely and spoke too quietly for her to hear. After a moment they seemed to come to an agreement and he looked up once more at Jane. 'I am afraid, miss, that you have come to the wrong town. Lapangan Utara(5) is the village you are looking for, which is over 80 miles from here. It is a smaller place and I do not know if they have a school.'
'Lapangan Utara is it? I am very sorry, I did not realise.'
'There is no need to apologise, the person who told you must have been a foreigner who does not know how to speak our town names correctly.' He decided with a trace of contempt. 'Now Bu Laksmi will escort you to the road, which you must follow north.'
'I beg your pardon, but is there any way I might find transport from here to Lapangan Utara?' Jane asked quickly, as Bu Laksmi moved towards her.
'I am afraid not. It is a very remote area which is seldom visited. You will find no transport travelling there today. And without an aidwork assignment brief, foreigners are not permitted to stay here.' He added with some satisfaction, standing up. 'Selamat jalan, Bu Eyre.'
Before Jane could reply, she was being herded out the door. She had barely time to return his farewell before she was led outside into the early morning. As Bu Laskmi took her back to the dirt road, Jane contemplated the long walk ahead of her. At least the sun was only just rising, so she might reach the leeward side of the next mountain before the worst of its radiation. She said goodbye to Bu Laksmi, who stayed to watch her leave. Again, Jane couldn't help but glance at the gun. Nevertheless, she stopped to put on sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses before setting off.
Time passed. With a sinking heart, Jane occasionally noted the sun crawling up the sky, blasting everything with its relentless heat. It would eventually broach the canopy to hit her directly unless the path skirted the mountain on the eastern side. Sweat beaded on her exposed skin, ran down her limbs, and soaked into her clothes. There was no breeze between the vast tracts of restored tropical rainforest on either side, just the road climbing uphill, the stifling humidity, a growing ache in her shoulders, and the endless drumbeat of her steps.
Finally Jane noted, with weary dismay, that the path curved to the left around the mountain path and would no longer afford her protection as the sun, now almost directly overhead, continued westward. She went and sat down in the last remaining patch of shade, under a partially-overgrown rocky outcrop. After drinking some of the warm water she carried with her, Jane began to reapply sunscreen, fully aware how easily human skin burned, even this far north. All around her sounded a cacophony of unfamiliar noises in an almost steady drone.
Such was the noise that when she looked up and saw a motorcycle climbing the path behind her, it came as a complete surprise. Instinctively, she jumped to her feet and stepped back, pressing herself against the outcrop.
Too late, the rider saw her and swerved away, braking hard. The motorcycle skidded across dirt and stone before toppling onto its side amidst a sudden cloud of dust.
(1) – The first song, like its equivalent in a Disney movie, is the one where the protagonist tells the audience what their problems are, in order to establish their character and goals. Jane's issues, if not immediately apparent, will become so.
(2) – The lyrics don't have to be entirely accurate, do they?
(3) – The song actually goes on for another minute or so, but the final section wasn't necessary or pertinent.
(4) – This was initially written with actual Indonesian dialogue but then including that as well as the translation proved to be too difficult as it didn't work well visually.
(5) – This, of course, translates as Northfield.
Your critical comments are very very appreciated, thank you.