Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic novel, Wuthering Heights, has just hit the theatres, and as an English major and fan of Jacob Elordi, I knew I had to go see it. Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite classical stories ever, and the 2009 mini-series adaptation starring Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy is one of my top four films (Letterboxd can confirm). I’ve seen four adaptations of Wuthering Heights, so it was absolutely necessary that I see this one as well, despite the early criticism surrounding it. I went in with an open mind and went to see the film a couple of days after it came out. Now that I’ve had time to gather my thoughts, I thought I’d share them with you, just in case you’ve been on the fence about hitting up the cinema yourself.
The Positives
Right off the bat, I have to mention this movie’s score. Charli XCX was heavily featured on the film’s soundtrack, and her pop/electronic music style strangely worked well with the campy cinematography. Mixed with Charli’s gothic pop ballads were slow, almost folk-like songs that accompanied more emotional scenes. Only Charli’s songs have been released to the public in an album titled Wuthering Heights. My favourite songs are “Chains of Love” and “Always Everywhere.”
The costumes for this movie are also pretty spectacular. Not period accurate, but this adaptation makes it clear it’s not aiming for that, which allows for creativity with the outfits. Catherine’s (Margot Robbie) pieces were the show stoppers without a doubt. Every single piece drew my attention when she stepped on screen. Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran was in charge of putting together the intricate designs, many of which I’m sure will be the inspiration for Halloween costumes for years to come. The use of colour to reflect emotions, setting, and characters’ personalities further emphasized the thought and creativity behind each piece. Catherine wears a black organza dress towards the end of the film that is so different than her other outfits that it immediately draws the eye, even though it’s structurally simpler than her other costumes.
The cinematography was also stunning. I was most excited to see how Fennell interpreted the wild Moors, and even though I wish we’d seen more of Cathy and Heathcliff’s time spent there, I loved the almost campy direction that Fennell went with. The thick smoke and use of shadows and light, depending on the intensity of scenes, worked wonderfully. The contrast between Wuthering Heights and the Grange was also clearly distinguished and interesting. Both locations were packed with imagery, and because both estates are hugely representative of class and the story’s characters, I’m glad Fennell incorporated aspects of this into her adaptation.
The Negatives
Unfortunately, the parts of this movie that I didn’t enjoy outweigh the things that I did like. Firstly, I think that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were both miscast as the leads. I know Fennell has stated that she had cast the pair because they are how she envisioned the characters when she was 14, but that’s not an excuse. Margot Robbie is so beautiful, but she’s not Cathy. Robbie has always had this striking, elegant look to her that just does not align with Cathy’s almost “girl next door” character. Robbie certainly has the acting chops for probably any project that she’s involved in, but even the most experienced actors can’t make up for a miscast.
Even though I loved seeing Jacob Elordi on screen, he also wasn’t rightly cast as Heathcliff. He looks too boyish to me, and when cast alongside Robbie, the difference in age is emphasized. Also, it is important to mention the race component. Healthcliff’s story hugely hinges on his mixed heritage and darker complexion, and without this aspect, the story’s complexity and societal commentary is hugely diminished. Also, I don’t buy Fennell’s reasoning of saying that Elordi is how she pictured Heathcliff when she was younger, because she seemed to have no problem casting people of colour in other roles when they are explicitly white in the original story.
Next, Fennell’s adaptation removed so much from the original story that this adaptation feels almost shallow or incomplete. For those who don’t know, there is a whole separate storyline that follows the children of the various couples. Fennell opted to remove this aspect, which I think further diminished the emotional impact of the story. The next generation is supposed to represent healing and growth, and without it, the story does not have a chance to come full circle. There are so many other things that Fennell either cut completely or reshaped that the thematic element was practically lost. Honestly, I think Fennell should have just made a whole separate film and named it something completely different. I think this movie would have been better if it hadn’t claimed to be an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and instead had been its own creation.
Lastly, I honestly thought this movie was going to be a lot sexier than it was. Like, I thought it would put Saltburn to shame. If Fennell wanted to really emphasize eroticism in her adaptation, then she certainly could have gone further. Were there a couple of scenes that had me clutching my pearls? Yes. But was it enough for how much the film was hyped up? Absolutely not. I think Fennell should have committed to making this the craziest, most sexed up movie of the year, and instead, we got a half-baked adaptation that falls somewhere between boring and cringey.
If you watch this movie hoping to learn about one of English literature’s most famous tales, then I highly recommend you turn on the 2009 Wuthering Heights or the 1992 Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights adaptations instead. I think Fennell’s movie could have succeeded if she hadn’t been adamant on using Brontë’s novel as inspiration. Alternatively, if she had actually included more of the original thematic elements from the book in her film, I think this would have pulled the plot together a lot more effectively. Is this movie amazing, incredible, and world-changing? No. Is it still a fun watch? Sure.