NEW YORK (OSV News) – “Barbie” meets “Bridgerton” in “‘Wuthering Heights,'” the latest screen version of the beloved 1847 novel by Emily Bronte.
Writer-director Emerald Fennell has placed those quotation marks around the film’s title to indicate that this is not a faithful adaptation. Wise move, as this take veers wildly from the source material. Indeed, purists may be tempted to toss their well-worn copies of the classic book at the screen in disgust.
In lieu of Bronte’s original tale, Fennell offers an odd mix of campy Harlequin-esque romance and weird Gothic horror. Within this concoction, sumptuous sets, flashy costumes and wild weather turn out to be the real stars.
As her 2023 black comedy, “Saltburn,” demonstrated, Fennell also likes to shock. Here, the opening scene itself sets the twisted tone.
An unruly mob writhes in delight as a man is hanged on a scaffold. As the condemned, in his death throes, has an anatomical reaction mimicking arousal, the camera zeros in on a nun who’s clearly getting quite a kick out of this sight.
The forbidden love between Cathy Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) then takes center stage.
We meet them as children when Cathy’s father (Martin Clunes), in an act of charity, adopts a young urchin (Owen Cooper). Youthful Cathy (Charlotte Mellington) christens him Heathcliff after her dead brother. He becomes both her pal and protector — especially when dad turns violent after a night of drinking.
Fast forward to adulthood, and these chums clearly have the hots for each other. But Cathy resists, unwilling to marry below her station. Instead, she entices and snares a kindly rich neighbor, Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif). Heartbroken, Heathcliff reacts by fleeing.
Years pass and Heathcliff returns. But the once-scruffy lad is now a self-made man, cleaned-up and possessing a fortune.
In response to this transformation, Cathy quickly casts her marriage vows to the Yorkshire winds and gives way to her rekindled passions amid much grabbing and gasping. This despite the fact that Cathy is carrying Edgar’s child.
“Kiss me again and let us both be damned,” Heathcliff proclaims in a cinematic moment of truth.
Observers of these soapy proceedings include Nelly (Hong Chau), the governess who can keep a secret (sort of), and Edgar’s sister Isabella (Alison Oliver), who is obsessed — in a most unwholesome manner — with dolls, human hair and ribbons.
It all adds up to an overheated mess. Thus, in the end, this “Wuthering Heights” might more aptly be titled “Withering Lows.”
The film contains brief bloody violence, a graphic execution, instances of physical abuse, strong sexual content, including adulterous activity and aberrant behavior, partial nudity, a couple of uses each of rough and crass language and a few crude expressions. The OSV News classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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