What Did I Just Watch: Wuthering Heights
Before we begin this review, a reporter must admit their faults. Mine is that I have never read Wuthering Heights or watched any previous adaptations of the original novel. Thus, my first exposure to the latest film came from a flood of YouTube advertisements that began filling my algorithm in early February. Without understanding the original story, the advertisements seemed to suggest it was another run-of-the-mill erotic Valentine’s movie meant to mimic the Fifty Shades series (but this time set in an unspecified olden time).
I quickly forgot about the existence of the film until I saw the online controversies begin to drum up. The casting of Jacob Elordi in place of a man of color, the casting of Margot Robbie to play a character in their teens, the strange marketing ploy of their “affair,” and the strange interviews given by director Emerald Fennell. That is to name a few. Safe to say that none of these conversations really screamed “must-watch” to me. That is, until a friend of mine suggested we watch it in a group, and I am never one to turn down a movie night. My philosophy when it comes to film-watching is simple: If you are in a group, good movies are good and bad movies are great.
Thus, I waltzed into theatres with fairly low and confused expectations. A quick overview of the movie plot for those, like me, who may be unfamiliar with the material.[1] *spoilers ahead* The movie centered around Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of an abusive alcoholic, living in the estate of Wuthering Heights with her paid companion, Nelly. One day, her father picks up a young boy off the streets and gives him to Catherine as a “pet.” She names him Heathcliff, and they become inseparable. Years later, a wealthy man moves into the estate next door with his niece, and Catherine becomes obsessed with the idea of courting him and leaving her drunkard father. Her plan succeeds much to the dismay of Heathcliff, who has been in love with Catherine all these years. Overhearing a conversation between her and Nelly about why she could never be with Heathcliff, he disappears, leaving Catherine to marry the rich neighbor Edgar. She lives lavishly for some time with Edgar and his niece, Isabella, and eventually falls pregnant. Heathcliff returns, having gained unexplained wealth, and the two begin having an affair. Eventually, the affair is stopped by Catherine to preserve Edgar and their child, and Heathcliff marries Isabella out of revenge. Falling into a depression, Catherine locks herself up in a room and eventually dies of sepsis due to an untreated miscarriage. Heathcliff finds her dead in the room and cries over his loss.
While I cannot say if the film lived up to the novel, I can say the film itself felt incredibly flat and confusing. Though the plot on paper seemed relatively simple, the movie felt more like a montage or music video than it did a film. There were long lingering shots of seemingly mundane things, long stretches without dialogue, and generally not a lot happening plot-wise, but a lot happening visually. Margot and Jacob just spent a lot of time staring at the cameras or looking generally sad instead of doing much. It was not horrible as much as it was a little boring. Even though the film was a little over two hours long, I found myself at the conclusion wondering, “Was that it? Is there nothing more?”
Even for a Valentine’s Day film, I do not know that the movie felt particularly romantic. Maybe it was the rushed jump from childhood to adulthood, but the two characters seemed to spend more time angry at each other than in love. After Heathcliff’s disappearance, their reunion felt more rushed and vengeful than happy. Even after their affair began, they did not sell me on the romance of it all, spending a lot of time brooding. I rarely understood or felt why they would be so in love with one another as to drive themselves mad over it by the end of the film. As for the more erotic parts of the movie, they were surprisingly not a large part of the film, contrary to all the advertisements leading up to its release. Instead, the movie was more strange than sexy. A good example of this is the lingering close-up shots of dough being kneaded in a way that felt more uncomfortable to watch than anything.
Overall, I cannot say it was a terrible film, but certainly not bad enough to be good. I left the theatre questioning what I had watched rather than having many coherent thoughts. Still, my overall takeaway is that this film was much like the oversaturated Valentine’s market: much aesthetic and little depth. The actors are beautiful, the colors are vibrant, and the shots are visually impactful. But the story and dialogue? Not so much. I cannot say I would put this at the top of any watch lists, if it makes it there at all.
[1] I have still yet to read the novel so this is solely the recounting of the plot of the movie.
