First, a bit of history, as well-known an author as Emily Brontë is, her one and only novel is Wuthering Heights, and it was first published in 1847. Her sisters Anne (Agnes Grey) and Charlotte (Jane Eyre) are also published authors. In the context of her sister’s efforts, Emily’s work is quite dark, and screenwriter and director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman and Saltburn) uses it more as an influence than following it word for word.
We follow Catherine Earnshaw (Charlotte Mellington as the child and Margot Robbie as the adult) and Heathcliff (Owen Cooper and Jacob Elordi) from their early life under the destructive rule of Cathy’s father, Mr Earnshaw (Martin Clunes). He becomes the guardian of Heathcliff. Their life together is filled with hardship caused by the family patriarch’s drinking and gambling. This drives the two to live in a fantasy world and to become very close.
The themes of what women of that time had to do to carve out a fulfilling life in a system stacked against them, and finding that true love isn’t always enough, underpins the direction of the film. This is also exacerbated by those who surround the couple who think they know best and are looking after the best interests of their loved ones. This myopic view succeeds in accomplishing just the opposite.
For die-hard fans of the original novel, Earnshaw’s assertive cinematic take will require some acclamation. One might think she used the book more as a doorstop than a literary reference. With there being so many different versions out there already, with numerous feature films (16 and counting), television movies, and mini-series, a bold and differing take from an iconoclastic artist with a unique vision is a more than welcome addition to the canon.
Rob Hudson
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