A classic story of love, Wuthering Heights, about two people in a toxic relationship who hurt themselves and other people, has more than held up in both acting and cinematography.
When you’re in high school, there are some staples that you read in English class. For me, those included The Red Badge Of Courage, The Scarlet Letter, Romeo and Juliet, and Lord Of The Flies. I know that Wuthering Heights is on the list for some classes, but it was never on the curriculum for mine. And as such, I have still never read or seen it. So when I watched it today, the story was very much a mystery to me even though I’ve heard the title for decades.
Wuthering Heights begins when Hindley and Catherine Earnshaw are children, and their father comes home with a dirty orphan child to raise. He is named Heathcliff, and, over the years, Catherine befriends him and Hindley resents him. When their father dies, Hindley sends Heathcliff to be a servant in their home, and restricts his sister from seeing him, although the two steal away together into the hills. Over time, they fall in love, but Heathcliff is poor, and Catherine wants to be a woman of means. This ultimately creates issues between them and for those who become involved with them.
Before I get to the film itself, I have to say that I don’t understand why Emily Brontë’s novel is such a popular love story. Catherine is horribly selfish and shallow (although I understand that women had few choices in those days) and turns her attentions on a whim. Heathcliff is insufferably brutish and vengeful – and I’m sure there is much more in the book. They are both awful people and I don’t love the story. If you love it, though, I’d truly love to know why.
As far as the film, the cinematography and direction are lovely. Shot in a very stark black and white, shadows fall creepily and everything feels as if it has an exact right space to exist. All of the actors are dressed and made up to perfection, and it is extremely enjoyable to look at, even after 85 years.
The highlights of this film lie in the acting and interactions between Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as Heathcliff and Catherine. Olivier was regarded as one of the greatest of his generation, so I was curious if Oberon would be able to hold her own, and she absolutely did. They each had visual moments of madness and, whatever you may feel about the characters themselves, they were magnetic to watch. Gorgeous performances.
While I understand that Heathcliff had a rough upbringing and we don’t know what happened to him before he arrived at the Earnshaw home, and Catherine was a woman controlled by her brother who wanted both her freedom and wealth, my issue is with how they treated each other and other people. How is this billed as “a great love story” when she is so fickle and he is so mean?But maybe it’s me. I also believe that Romeo and Juliet would have lived if the Friar had just told them “No” and put them in a time-out for throwing tantrums, so what do I know.
When you’re in high school, there are some staples that you read in English class. For me, those included The Red Badge Of Courage, The Scarlet Letter, Romeo and Juliet, and Lord Of The Flies. I know that Wuthering Heights is on the list for some classes, but it was never on the curriculum for mine. And as such, I have still never read or seen it. So when I watched it today, the story was very much a mystery to me even though I’ve heard the title for decades.
