An interesting but loose adaptation of the unforgettable novel that favors style and sexuality over accuracy and faithfulness (It literally opens with a man getting a boner from being hanged to death). It gets some things right, but most things wrong. It adapts scenes from the novel or lines of dialogue well enough, but gets the overall story or meaning of the whole thing wrong.
The characters’ personalities are mostly faithful, and it ALMOST gets the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine correct until they fuck like rabbits later on. This is a complete misunderstanding of the novel as the whole point of their love is that it is unrequited. As far as I recall, H&C never even kiss in the source material. It’s the pain of never getting to be together, physically or otherwise, that shapes our two leads and having them “get it on” only dilutes and weakens their relationship.
All the actors perform their roles superbly. Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, Margot Robbie as Catherine, Hong Chau as Nelly, and Shazad Latif all impress. The cinematography by Linus Sandgren, score by Anthony Willis, production design by Suzie Davies (with set decoration by Charlotte Dirickx), costume design by Jacqueline Durran, and the vibrant colors are all intoxicating and easily sweep you away into Emerald Fennell’s lush world.
It’s a shame this isn’t really the novel. As is, it only resembles Wuthering Heights, but Wuthering Heights this is not. Let’s call it Withering Heights. Fennell’s version of the timeless story is not without its charms and merits, but fans of the source material will surely be disappointed. All that said, this is likely Fennell’s most accessible film to date as the sexuality is more-so implied than thrown in your face (for example: there is no nudity). In the end, if this gets more people to check out the novel, I suppose it’s worth it.
2.5 STARS
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