“He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same”
Look, Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” might not exactly be the adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel that everyone wanted it to be. In fact, i think she may of well just created an original story with the characters different names. However, Emeralds take on the beloved story shines in its own way. It’s breathtaking, its soul destroying and Charli XCXs soundtrack is ethereal. This film has etched itself into my heart and soul and left a mark. It really covers what it’s truly like to yearn and desire someone so much it can absolutely destroy you. It captures the ideas of soulmates so beautifully.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as our Catherine ‘Cathy’ Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Their on screen chemistry is just magical. The film follows the love story between Cathy and Heathcliff, starting out when they were just children. Cathy’s brutal and abusive father brings home a young orphan boy and introduces him to his daughter. Cathy names him Heathcliff and the two develop a close relationship instantly. Despite just being children, their love for each other is shown almost instantly. In a scene where the two arrive home late, Heathcliff immediately jumps to take the blame and takes a horrible whipping from Mr Earnshaw, later declaring he would take any form of punishment if it meant no harm came to Cathy.
After a time jump, the two are now adults and still clearly very close. Cathy is thrilled to hear the news of their new neighbours, Edgar Linton and his ward Isabella. Shazad Latif and Alison Oliver star as Mr Linton and Isabella and both deliver noteworthy performances, alongside Hong Chau who plays Nelly. A standout for me was Alison, has some funny, quirky moments that had my whole cinema laughing. Despite admitting to being in love with Heathcliff, Cathy decides to marry Mr Linton prominently because of his wealth, triggering Heathcliff to leave Wuthering Heights.
When he returns even more handsome and very clearly rich, the movie really comes alive. The forbidden love between the two is electric and powerful. The film captures that primal feeling of longing to be with your soulmate perfectly. A visually stunning montage of the two making love across the Yorkshire Moors brings the screen to life. The colours, the landscapes and the pulsating vocals of Charli XCX shining in the background are breathtaking.
Emerald really captured the epitome of yearning. It really makes you feel absolutely everything during and even more after. It gets under your skin in the most haunting way possible. The reminder that you must say ‘i love you’ in real time, and not wait until it’s too late. The relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff is so beautifully toxic and it’s impossible to not see their pining. Margot and Jacob were astonishing in capturing those raw emotions between the pair, their intoxicating chemistry heightens the true story of the film.
The choice to only adapt the first half of the book was perfect, it gave the whole narrative time to develop and allow the audience to understand these two, very complex characters. This film overall is hauntingly captivating, Emerald Fennell is an absolute visionary that just keeps giving. Most people dislike this adaptation of the film, but I think it’s a fresh, modernised look at the original novel. As said by Emerald herself, this is her own development of the thoughts she had of the book growing up. Well done to her for sticking to what she believed in and delivering some of the most soul destroying scenes of cinema this year.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
