Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” released in theaters this month, has ignited debate among literary enthusiasts and critics alike. The film, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, departs significantly from the 1847 novel, prompting discussion about casting choices, narrative alterations and the director’s overall interpretation of the classic tale.

Fennell, known for her provocative direction in films like “Saltburn” and “Promising Young Woman,” acknowledged from the outset that her take on “Wuthering Heights” would not be a faithful recreation of Brontë’s work. “Everyone who loves this book has such a personal connection to it, and so you can only kind of ever make the movie that you sort of imagined yourself when you read it,” Fennell stated at the film’s Los Angeles premiere. She further explained to Variety that attempting to replicate Brontë’s masterpiece was beyond her scope, stating, “What I could do, though, was look at how it made me experience, and hope that that would connect with some people.”

One of the most discussed aspects of the film is the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. The novel’s descriptions of Heathcliff’s appearance have long been subject to interpretation, with references to him being a “dark-skinned gypsy” or a “lascar,” leading to ongoing speculation about his racial identity. Some scholars suggest Brontë deliberately maintained ambiguity, reflecting the prejudices of the time. Fennell’s film does not explicitly address Heathcliff’s race, instead focusing on his social standing as an orphaned boy found on the streets of Liverpool. This shift in emphasis, from racial otherness to class disparity, has drawn criticism from those who believe it diminishes a crucial element of the character.

Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Cathy Earnshaw has also sparked conversation, primarily due to the age difference between the actress and the character as originally written. In Brontë’s novel, Cathy is 15 when she accepts Edgar Linton’s proposal and 18 at the time of her death. Fennell addresses this by introducing younger actors, Charlotte Mellington and Owen Cooper, to portray Cathy and Heathcliff in their youth, before transitioning to Robbie and Elordi as the characters mature. Robbie has indicated that her Cathy is intended to be in her early to mid-20s when she first appears on screen, with the film spanning approximately six years of her life. The film subtly acknowledges Cathy’s age through dialogue, with her maid, Nelly, commenting that she is “well past spinsterhood” and should consider marriage.

Further casting changes include the portrayal of Edgar Linton, traditionally described as having “light hair and fair skin,” who is played by Shazad Latif, an actor of Pakistani, English, and Scottish descent. Isabella Linton is reimagined as Edgar’s “ward” – an orphaned minor under a guardian’s care – played by Alison Oliver, rather than his sister as in the original text.

Fennell’s adaptation also omits several characters present in Brontë’s novel. Mr. Earnshaw, Cathy’s father, who plays a significant role in bringing Heathcliff into the family, remains alive throughout much of the film, absorbing some of the antagonistic traits of his son, Hindley, who is entirely absent. Cathy’s mother, and both of Edgar’s parents, are also excluded from the film’s narrative. The film also departs from the novel’s narrative structure by removing the framing device of Mr. Lockwood, the initial narrator, and altering Nelly Dean’s role from storyteller to a more direct participant in the events.

Perhaps the most significant alteration is the film’s decision to focus solely on the first half of the novel, concluding after Cathy’s death. The second half of Brontë’s work details Heathcliff’s descent into vengefulness following Cathy’s demise and his subsequent mistreatment of her daughter and son. By omitting this portion of the story, Fennell presents a more romanticized and less morally ambiguous portrayal of Heathcliff.

The film also distinguishes itself through its heightened sensuality. While Brontë’s novel contains subtle erotic undertones, Fennell’s adaptation features explicit scenes of intimacy, reflecting a similar stylistic choice to her previous work, “Saltburn.” Scenes depicting physical closeness between Cathy and Heathcliff, such as kissing in the rain and more overtly suggestive moments, are far more pronounced in the film than in the source material.

The film’s ending diverges dramatically from the novel. In Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” Cathy dies shortly after giving birth to her daughter, and the story continues to follow the next generation. Fennell’s film concludes with Cathy’s death and the loss of her child, depicted in a graphic scene with blood pooling beneath her body. This stark and unsettling image provides a definitive, albeit altered, conclusion to the tragic love story.