* Article contains spoilers
Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights" has been adapted numerous times for the screen, offering glimpses into English society in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This year's adaptation presents a new take on the classic story, centering on the tragic romance between Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
According to Variety, from its opening moments, the director signals that this is not a faithful adaptation but a personal interpretation. The film begins with a dark frame, where viewers only hear hurried breathing and intimate sounds, interspersed with creaking wood.
When visuals appear, the scene reveals a Victorian-era northern England setting, where a man is hanged in the town square, fighting for his last breaths. This stark contrast between sound and image creates an abrupt shift, laying the groundwork for the director's approach.
The film then returns to the familiar plot. Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff spend their childhood years together, but differences in social status lead them to make life-altering decisions. Cathy marries Edgar Linton, while Heathcliff departs in bitterness. Years later, he returns with a thirst for revenge, plunging their relationship into suffering.
The director crafts visually striking frames with color and composition. Scenes of young Cathy and Heathcliff running through misty moors, rebelling together, establish the foundation of their relationship. This directorial technique gives "Wuthering Heights" the appearance of a visually driven work. However, as the story progresses to their adult lives, the characters' psychological development becomes disjointed.
Emerald Fennell's ambition to portray tragedy often falls short in its exploration of conflict. Many crucial turning points, such as the separation of the two characters, Cathy's marriage, or Heathcliff's return home, unfold too quickly.
Compared to previous projects like "Saltburn" or "Promising Young Woman", the director continues to assert her distinctive style. Cathy and Heathcliff are caught in a spiral of guilt, driven by extreme emotions they struggle to control. Their love acts like a gravitational pull; the more they try to escape, the more they are drawn back, with each decision causing harm to the other. However, Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw notes that for a layered story like "Wuthering Heights", the plot execution does not fully convey the novel's intensity.
The film fully utilizes its visual design, with strong contrasting tones, elaborate costumes, and modern music. Catherine's dresses highlight her character's lavish lifestyle. The Yorkshire setting is recreated through wide shots of moors and natural landscapes. Sound design and a muted color palette contribute to the dark atmosphere. While these elements symbolize instinct and desire, they sometimes feel contrived and disconnected from the story's progression.
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Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in "Wuthering Heights". Photo: Warner Bros. |
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi deliver adequate performances. Margot Robbie portrays the character's extreme state, longing for love yet torn by power. However, some interactions between the two actors lack the intensity needed to fully depict their tragic love story.
Charlotte Mellington and Owen Cooper, who play young Cathy and Heathcliff, respectively, bring natural moments to the screen. Some scenes between the two children leave a lasting impression, such as when Cathy comforts Heathcliff after he is beaten by his foster father. In this sequence, Owen Cooper demonstrates control over his role, revealing vulnerability through his eyes and reserved reactions. Vietnamese-American actress Hong Chau also stands out as Nelly, the housekeeper and observer of the story's events.
The film features several memorable dialogues. Throughout various segments, love erupts into pain and hatred. Cathy grows up yearning for freedom, to escape her alcoholic father. When Heathcliff appears, he mirrors the wildness within her, to the extent that Cathy admits, "He's more myself than I am".
Fennell makes significant changes compared to the novel. The character of Hindley, Cathy's brother, does not appear in this version. Hindley's gambling and drinking habits are transferred to their father. The film also largely omits the latter half of the story, which details the generation of children belonging to Cathy, Hindley, and Heathcliff.
The moment Heathcliff overhears a conversation between Cathy and the housekeeper Nelly (played by Hong Chau) becomes a turning point. He rides away on horseback, his silhouette stark against the crimson sky. This scene marks the separation between the two characters, initiating a series of poor choices that follow. Yet, these isolated segments do not significantly impact the film's overall effect.
A major change is the simplification of racial elements from Emily Bronte's novel. The author describes Heathcliff in various ways: as a "lascar boy" (referring to a South Asian sailor), a "digan", a "gypsy child", or the son of a "Chinese emperor or Indian queen". Fennell's film does not focus on this aspect, casting a white actor for the male lead. Consequently, the character's identity within the historical context is not fully explored. The layers of meaning regarding difference and inequality in the novel are thus diminished.
Empire magazine suggests that while "Wuthering Heights" has seen many impressive adaptations, Emerald Fennell's project is one of the most daring. "This may be one of the most sensually nuanced literary adaptations ever brought to the screen", the publication states.
In interviews, Emerald Fennell has stated she is a "huge fan" of the novel. At the Brontë Women Writers' Festival in England last September, the director expressed her desire for her adaptation to overwhelm audiences as much as reading the novel for the first time.
"Wuthering Heights", a novel published in 1847 by Emily Bronte, has been adapted into film many times. The most famous is the 1939 version starring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier. Other adaptations include the 1970 film (featuring Anna Calder-Marshall, Timothy Dalton), the 1992 version (Juliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes), Andrea Arnold's 2011 film (Kaya Scodelario, James Howson), and the ITV television series with Charlotte Riley opposite Tom Hardy in 2009.
Cat Tien
