“Wuthering Heights” review: Stylish, provocative and not that sexy
Emerald Fennell has always been a divisive filmmaker, with her previous films Promising Young Woman and Saltburn stoking debate and causing outrage. But her divisiveness has reached a whole new level with her adaptation of Emily Brontë‘s Wuthering Heights.
In case you’re not well-versed in the classic 1847 novel, the period drama tells the story of Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi), who was raised by her father from a young boy. As they grow older, it becomes clear they love each other deeply and don’t have eyes for anybody else. But Cathy knows she cannot marry her family’s servant and reluctantly accepts a proposal from their neighbour, Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif), instead. Her commitment to Linton is tested when Heathcliff returns to the Yorkshire Moors after a long absence and is now a mysteriously wealthy and clean-shaven gentleman.
I have never read the book but I can understand why devoted novel fans are unhappy with this version. It tells only a small portion of the full story and there’s some characters missing. But Fennell has made it very clear from the outset that this is her interpretation of the book based on her experience from reading it for the first time aged 14. It was never going to be a faithful adaptation and disliking it for that reason is unfair.
That being said, this version isn’t perfect. It is very much a case of style over substance. The costume design and set design, however historically inaccurate, are daring, inventive and gorgeous, while Linus Sandgren‘s cinematography is beautiful and Anthony Willis‘ score (and some of Charli XCX‘s music) work perfectly. The aesthetics go a long way with me, but they don’t quite make up for some of the scenes feeling a bit flat emotionally. It doesn’t lack emotional depth entirely though, because I still cared for Linton’s sister Isabella (Alison Oliver) and had tears in my eyes at the end. It’s a really tragic story that still hit me in the feelings despite all its shortcomings!
This has been marketed as the raunchy version of the book but it’s not as sexy as we’ve been led to believe. Sure, there is a fair bit of sex in it, but this does not automatically mean a film is sexy. They’re actually quite tame and safe and there is no nudity. The sexual tension and longing and yearning looks are far more effective, but these only come convincingly from Elordi. Fennell also includes sexual innuendo imagery to provoke a reaction, like fingers in the goo of broken eggs and lots of shots of sweaty backs, but these are weird and unnecessary.
Like the sets and costumes, the performances feel heightened rather than realistic, which adds another layer of artificiality to this melodrama. Robbie wasn’t the strongest choice for Cathy. She looks absolutely beautiful in those costumes and she nails her possessiveness and cruel treatment of Heathcliff, but her looks of pining and love didn’t convince. On the other hand, Elordi was perfect – hot, sexy, angry and scarily obsessed with Cathy. He smoulders with passion and burning desire, and he does a decent Yorkshire accent as well. The support cast shines bright too – Hong Chau as the maid Nelly Dean, Owen Cooper as a young Heathcliff and my personal fave, Oliver, as the surprisingly funny and quirky scene-stealer Isabella.
“Wuthering Heights” is not perfect but I liked it far more than the majority. It is not a total disaster. Fennell’s movie is a visual marvel that is sure to get everyone talking. But this is admittedly her weakest of the three, and I would like her to go back to telling original stories.
In cinemas from Friday 13th February