Forget all you know about Emily Bronte’s novel of the same name, because the new rendition of this heavily adapted story has received perhaps its most unique take yet. Directed by Emerald Fennell (Saltburn) and starring Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) as Cathy and Heathcliff respectively, tragedy strikes when Heathcliff falls in love with Cathy, a woman from a wealthy family in 18th-century England. Though nothing short of a visual masterpiece where production, costumes and cinematography are concerned, Wuthering Heights feels more empty and hollow than the team intended, even if Robbie and Elordi try their best to sell you their romance.
Fennell has proved with her prior works that she has a knack for visual style, and that certainly becomes the best aspect of Wuthering Heights. Whether we’re looking at Cathy’s curls that fall majestically at her shoulders, the lavish dresses and jewelry adorned with diamonds and appliqué, the rolling hills of the Yorkshire moors or Cathy’s bedroom walls that are painted after her skin tone, each and every shot of this movie is a picture. Oozing with style from the first frame to the last, the films aesthetic has a commendable way of immersing you into the films world. Whether the characters are on the rain soaked hills or drinking champagne at the Linton household, you want to be there alongside them, and it often feels like you are. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren (La La Land) once again proves he is one of the best working today, as his flavorful camerawork combined with the production design makes for a visual feast. The music certainly brings everything together nicely, with scarce but excellent tracks from Charli XCX and another notable original score from Anthony B. Willis (Promising Young Woman). On a filmmaking level, it hits the right notes.
Wuthering Heights: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi Deliver Strong Performances in a Flawed Love Story
The performances are also commendable, too. Just weeks after his Academy Award nomination for his role in Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi delivers another strong performance thus continuing his winning streak. He might not be the Heathcliff viewers anticipated or wished for, but he suits this rendition well indeed. His Yorkshire accent is top notch, and his assertiveness and dominance works in the movies favor. Again, Margot Robbie isn’t an obvious Catherine Earnshaw, but she is the perfect fit for Fennell’s version. The pair certainly have chemistry, and despite neither of them ultimately being that likable, it’s hard not to get behind them on even a base level due to the strength of the performances and likability of the actors themselves. Hong Chau (The Menu), Martin Clunes (Shakespeare in Love), Alison Oliver (The Order) and Shazad Latif (The Commuter) bulk out the supporting cast, and they all do their most with the screen-time given. The cast understood the assignment.
Unfortunately, there is only so far a cast and visual style can take a movie. Despite being based on solid, well adored source material, the story this version beholds feels flat. Robbie and Elordi are talented, but their ‘love’ never feels as believable or easy to root for as it should. Their entire relationship is basically reduced to sex scenes, followed by repeatedly confessing their love for each other without much proof of the fact. The erotic scenes are effective, but there’s nothing surrounding them worth holding on to. To put it simply – it’s not romantic enough. If the romance doesn’t leap off the screen, the tragedy then fails to, as well. Any time the pair are turning on each other or seeking some form of revenge, it doesn’t feel warranted, rather silly and immature. Heathcliff’s decent into something quite dark might entertain but isn’t earned, coming across as random and not in tune with his character. Perhaps the biggest sins are within the script – Heathcliff’s dialogue is eye-roll inducing at times, and any themes introduced including feminism, dominance, passion and obsession are glazed over with little depth or commentary. It’s completely empty.
The aesthetic and music are doing a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to Wuthering Heights. Robbie and Elordi, along with their brilliant costumes and stunning locations, try their hardest to keep you invested in a story that is sometimes sad, sometimes horny, sometimes entertaining but often devoid of any real feeling or emotion. Emerald Fennell is a very talented filmmaker who has an eye for beauty and talent, but this may be her weakest yet, story-wise. Good, but could’ve been better.
Rating: B-
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Wuthering Heights
Tragedy strikes when Heathcliff falls in love with Catherine Earnshaw, a woman from a wealthy family in 18th-century England.
