The present study explores the production of films based on foreign literature, a popular trend among Arab filmmakers and producers. In an attempt to shed light on this phenomenon, the paper draws on Linda Hutcheon’s theoretical framework. The focus lies on the analysis of the adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s renowned novel, Jane Eyre (1847), which was adapted in Egypt as The Man I Love /Haza Al Rajol Oheboh by Hussein Hilmy. During the 20th century, a period of modernization in Egypt, the local film industry successfully integrated Western literary works into movies. Jane Eyre was chosen as the subject of analysis due to its popularity among Arab readers and the director’s impressive ability to blend this 19th-century British novel with Egyptian cinematic ideals. This research undertakes a comparative analysis between Hilmy’s adaptation and the original novel. By examining Hilmy’s adaptation and appropriation techniques, the similarities, differences, and significance are highlighted. Ultimately, this investigation concludes that the director adeptly tailored the film to suit Egyptian society, traditions, culture, and beliefs, while simultaneously introducing Western ideals. Furthermore, the works of both Brontë and Hilmy shed light on the issues women faced during the 19th century in Britain and the 20th century in Egypt, eloquently reflecting the doctrines of feminism.The production of films based on foreign literature was popular among Arab producers. Russian, German, and English novels were frequently adapted in the Arab world. The Egyptian cinema adapted Western literature from different periods as movies during the time of modernization in the 20th century. Brontë’s Jane Eyre is being chosen not only for its popularity among Arab readers but also for the director’s ability to amalgamate the 19th-century British novel with the ideals of Egyptian cinema. This study compares the adaptation with the original novel by examining Hilmy’s adaptation and appropriations of the novel. It focuses on the similarities between the film and the novel, the differences, and their significance. Eventually, we conclude that the director tailored the film for the Egyptian society, traditions, culture, and beliefs while introducing Western ideals simultaneously. Moreover, both Brontë and Hilmy revealed the same problems that women faced in 19th-century Britain and 20th-century Egypt reflecting on the doctrines of feminism.

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