Margot Robbie delivers a captivating performance in Emerald Fennell’s new take on “Wuthering Heights,” arriving in theaters February 13, and the film is already sparking debate with its bold choices.
A Stormy Classic, Reimagined
Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel emphasizes the raw desire and psychological complexity of its characters, offering a visually striking and emotionally charged experience.
- Margot Robbie shines as Cathy Earnshaw, portraying a character both selfish and vulnerable.
- Jacob Elordi embodies Heathcliff’s brooding intensity, revealing the pain beneath his rebellious exterior.
- The film doesn’t shy away from exploring the novel’s sexual tension, featuring explicit scenes.
- Fennell’s stylistic choices, while sometimes over-the-top, effectively convey the characters’ inner turmoil.
Robbie appears in the first of many striking red-and-white dresses, and her performance is magnificent, making Cathy wild and selfish but with a conscience, and an innocence beneath her sense of entitlement. Fennell simply ages the characters up, with Mr. Earnshaw observing, “She’s already well past spinsterhood.” Elordi embodies Heathcliff’s dashing, bad-boy energy, even when sporting a stringy-haired wig. He portrays Heathcliff as more than just a physically imposing figure, revealing how defensive and easily wounded he is, and how he resents his status as a servant.
What makes this adaptation different from previous versions of “Wuthering Heights”? Fennell surfaces the sexual desire Brontë could only hint at, creating a prolonged and tantalizing tension. Cathy and Heathcliff exchange hungry glances, and each has a masturbation scene. The iconic line, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff,” is delivered by Cathy, prompting Heathcliff to flee Wuthering Heights before she can finish her sentence and confess her love.
The film’s stylistic choices occasionally veer into kitsch. One scene depicts Heathcliff riding on horseback against a bright orange sky, his long hair flowing as if he’s stepped out of a romance novel cover. However, Fennell generally employs these stylized images effectively. For example, after Heathcliff’s departure, an overhead shot shows Cathy slumped on the floor, her billowing red skirt visually representing her despair and grief.
Shazad Latif portrays Edgar Linton, the wealthy man Cathy ultimately marries, as attractive and devoted. While Cathy likes him, he simply doesn’t ignite the same passion as Heathcliff. Alison Oliver delivers a standout performance as Isabella, Edgar’s childlike ward, who adores Cathy and unsettlingly creates a doll using strands of Cathy’s hair.
Years later, a now-prosperous Heathcliff returns, presenting himself as a gentleman. The film depicts steamy, yet discreetly shot, sexual encounters between him and Cathy on the windswept moor, in her carriage, and through her bedroom window. However, his subsequent descent into cruelty and manipulation of the innocent Isabella feels rushed and unconvincing.
Did you know? The film’s run-time is 2 hours and 16 minutes, offering a substantial exploration of the complex relationships at the heart of Brontë’s novel.
“Wuthering Heights” promises a visually arresting and emotionally intense experience for audiences, though its bold choices may not appeal to all fans of the classic novel.
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