My Honest Opinion on Emerald Fennell’s Adaptation of Wuthering Heights

(From Pinterest)

Last weekend, I went to the movies with a friend. We entered the mostly empty theater with popcorn and drinks in our hands, as we were quietly chatting over the trailers, the screen turned black, and all we heard was some very questionable noises (erotic noises) which sounded like they were coming from a man. I was already forming an idea of what was going on behind the dark screen–and I could tell my friend was too. When the screen brightened to show what was going on, I was shocked because instead of what I thought was happening, a man was being hanged for whatever crime he had committed. If I could describe Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, I would say, good movie, bad adaptation.

Things I didn’t like:

After the movie ended, I got that high from watching a movie in a theater with a big screen, so I gave it an automatic 5 stars, but after reflecting on it a bit, I changed my rating to 3 stars. Going into the movie, I tried very hard not to compare it to the original novel (I already knew it wasn’t going to be a true adaptation), but I couldn’t help but think about everything missing. It kinda felt like the original story was watered down to just a toxic romance. 

I wished they had kept Hindley as a character. I think the role he played in the mistreatment of Heathcliff really fueled his motivation for revenge. In the movie, it seemed like he was getting revenge just because Cathy rejected him, but it was so much more than that. His revenge came from not only rejection, but also because of classism and racism. It’s a shame that this wasn’t shown in the movie (at least in a noticeable way).

I also really wished they had kept the 2nd generation. The fact that Heathcliff’s revenge extended to children who had nothing to do with his mistreatment really shows how twisted and cruel he was. Without the children, the message of overcoming generational trauma didn’t show through in the movie; in fact, I would say that it’s not even there. While Heathcliff and Cathy had a tragic ending, their kids were able to overcome that and have a somewhat happy ending. I totally get why they didn’t keep them in the movie, though. With the pacing, the movie would have probably been 4 hours long if they kept the kids.

I personally also didn’t like how erotic the whole movie was. I usually don’t mind more sexual scenes in movies, but in this movie, it felt a bit too much, excessive. I guess it felt wrong given the time period, but I can’t really use that excuse because nothing about the movie is time period accurate. I don’t really have a reason for why I didn’t like how sexual it was, other than it made me slightly uncomfortable.

(from Pinterest)

Things I did like:

I don’t want to just sit here and bash every little thing I didn’t like about the movie because I truly believe that it was a good movie, just a bad adaptation. I really liked all of the costumes. I thought they were all so cool, especially Cathy’s. I can’t stop thinking about her ribbon hairstyle with the braids. I love it when a movie/show knows they’re not period accurate and really leans into being so creative with the dresses and suits.

Another thing I really liked about the movie was how it portrayed Nelly. They gave her more character, more background. In the book, it just felt like she was a nosy woman. In the movie, it felt like she had more of a purpose, more feelings, and her own motivation. She was forgettable in the novel, but memorable in the film.

The sets and cinematography were also so good. The way everything was filmed was so beautiful, and so were the locations. Wuthering Heights (the house) definitely had that gothic vibe to it. I think they portrayed the isolation of the characters so perfectly by having miles of just empty fields

Overall, I really enjoyed watching the movie; it didn’t feel like a waste of a 10 dollar ticket. There are so many things I wish were the same from the original novel, but we can’t all have everything we want, so I’ll have to make peace with that. If you’re interested in Wuthering Heights, I definitely recommend you go see the movie first before even picking up the book. That way, you can truly enjoy everything the movie has to offer. I am for sure going to watch it one more time.