Wuthering Heights

Being a classic film buff, I had the chance of being introduced to this film by chance one late evening when it was being aired on TCM. I fell in love with the movie, and when I was told that it would be required reading over the summer, I was ridiculously happy. As many have noted, the 1939 adaptation of "Wuthering Heights" is, more or less, merely the first volume of Emily Bronte's beautifully and powerfully written classic -- focusing less on the detail of Heathcliff's wrath post Cathy's death, but moreso on the sheer complexity of Heathcliff and Cathy's relationship (the scenes at Penniston Crag of them among the moors and heather are not in the book because Bronte had to stick to Ellen's point of view -- it was nice that we could finally have an in-depth look at the tumultuous relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff). While characters are omitted (Frances, Hareton, Linton and the baby Catherine), it still retains much of the very nature of the novel. (If you will recall, many parts of "Gone With The Wind" were changed and characters removed in the process of transferring Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece into a screen epic. After all, this is Hollywood.)

The cinematography is divine (very much worth its Oscar), perfectly capturing the very essence of the bleak, chilling, haunting Yorkshire Moors that Bronte described in her book. Laurence Olivier is, in my opinion, a very fine Heathcliff. Indeed, in the book his nature is more animalistic and devilish, but Olivier superbly exhibits what Heathcliff is all about -- dark, brooding, and terribly bitter. Even at our first introduction to him, we know by the tone of his voice that something is very, very wrong with this man and that something is very, very off in that household. Olivier expresses Heathcliff's wildness and devilishness through his voice, stance and through his facial gestures, rather than so much in other physical ways. Merle Oberon is remarkable as Cathy -- a much more dark and exoctic beauty than Isabella whose good looks are very wholesome and pure (perhaps to match the darkness of the gypsy stable-boy Heathcliff), and capturing the duality of personality that is Catherine Earnshaw -- part of her wanting to love a wild, evil, wicked stable boy... the other part longing to be part of a higher society. Particularly coming to mind is her scene in the kitchen with Ellen and that marvelously disturbing death scene -- her eyes wild. (I do wish they would have left in the part of the book where she refuses to eat and begins hallucinating -- Oberon could have performed it so well.) Also to be noted are the stunning performances of David Niven and Gerladine Fitzgerald as the long-suffering Edgar and Isabella Linton (respectively), their lives made miserable by Cathy's selfishness, vanity and greed to be part of a higher way of living, and by Heathcliff's undying love for Catherine and his course of revenge and destruction. Flora Robson is also wonderful as Ellen Dean, narrator of the whole sordid story.

Someone mentioned that this film (by focusing on the love story and by the ending, I suppose) tried to say that Heathcliff and Catherine were perfect for each other and could have, eventually, found true love. I disagree, wholeheartedly. I believe what director William Wyler was trying to say here was that Heathcliff and Catherine were not good people. Cathy was right when she said that she and Heathcliff's souls were made of the same basic fiber -- they were both greedy and selfish (he wanted her passion for him to be as deep as his passion for her and she wanted and if he couldn't have it, no one else deserved to have it, and God forbid those around him feel any kind of love, compassion or humanity; and she didn't even really know what she wanted, except to be part of the upper crust and to rise above what she had lived through when Hindley became master of their house) and because of that, their love could have never meant anything BUT tragedy. They could never have found happiness together because they were not happy people. But they could find love in death -- because in death, they could be what they really were all along -- children; mere children forced to grow up all too quickly with the death of the man who cared deeply for them, thus forcing Hindley to become head of the household. There would be no Hindley in death. And as children they were good together -- as children, Cathy, wicked as she was at times as a youngster, could restore hopes of prosperity to Heathcliff's dark, bitter soul. They were, as children, more or less all one another had. And so they could go on, as children, without a care, happily picking heather and being King and Queen on the moors.

You've GOT to see this movie.

This classic version of the Bronte novel is probably familiar to most movie fans, and with good reason. Although the recent Ralph Fiennes version is also excellent, nothing can quite surpass the 1939 film's bleak black-and-white cinematography or the impassioned performance of Laurence Olivier. Some of us still mourn that his then-wife, Vivien Leigh, wasn't granted her wish to be cast as Catherine, but Merle Oberon is nonetheless excellent: her Catherine isn't quite likable, but then, she isn't supposed to be. Instead of sugar-coating the story as Hollywood is so wont to do, the filmmakers give us Cathy and Heathcliff as they should be: ruthless, selfish, destructive, and fascinating. The only major drawback is the saccharine musical score, which tries to make this wild, haunting story into a candy-box romance. Fortunately, all the other elements resist this tendency. Even though the film only covers half the novel, you'll find it satisfying and unforgettable.

"Wuthering Heights" is a tragic romantic drama and an adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel of the same name, with a screenplay based solely on the first part of the book.

We follow a traveler, lost in a snowstorm, who finds shelter at the estate of a cold and ruthless host named Heathcliff. Reluctantly, Heathcliff allows him to stay in an upstairs room. During the night, the traveler is awakened by a chilling draft that pushes open the window shutters. Just as he moves to close them, he feels an icy hand grasp his own and hears the ghostly voice of a woman calling Heathcliff's name. Shaken, he calls for his host and recounts the eerie experience. Heathcliff, suddenly enraged and agitated, rushes out into the blizzard, shouting a woman's name into the snowy void. Ellen, the housekeeper, tells the stunned guest that he has heard and felt the presence of Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw's spirit - Heathcliff's great love, who died many years ago...

Director William Wyler crafts an intense yet somber melodrama of deliberate pacing, one that faithfully captures the atmosphere of the novel's portion on which the screenplay is based. The film's bleak, wintry tone can stir melancholy, even depressive feelings in its audience. Dynamic twists or humor remain overshadowed by the overpowering emotional currents endured by the protagonists. Love, hatred, betrayal, pride, and revenge pulse through nearly every scene.

The production design is lavish and perfectly aligned with the characters' inner states. Long takes of the harsh, wind-swept Yorkshire moors and marshes are striking, while mist and shadow reveal the darkest corners of the main characters' souls. The interior of the house resembles a cold prison, burdened with words and secrets from the past that no one can escape. Dialogue is often heated and fierce, heightening the melodramatic atmosphere.

Thematically, the film explores impossible love across rigid class divisions, destructive passion steeped in moral ambiguity, and the inability of young people to temper pride and ego in pursuit of happiness. It asks the question: can love truly be a curse that destroys lives and leaves only despair, even when a fleeting ray of sunlight appears on the horizon?

Laurence Olivier plays Heathcliff with an icy, almost demonic energy. His character is wounded, yet every scar fuels his drive for revenge, beneath which smolder deep sorrow and bitterness. Heathcliff is not merely a man tormented by unrequited love - he is also a manipulator and an avenger. Merle Oberon portrays Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw Linton as a blend of wild cruelty and childlike innocence - unpredictable, passionate, and unwilling to give up "the game" regardless of the consequences.

David Niven embodies Edgar Linton, a kind and well-mannered gentleman swept up by the stormy passions between Heathcliff and Cathy, fully aware that his love will never be returned in equal measure. Geraldine Fitzgerald gives life to Isabella Linton, a naïve young woman who becomes a victim of the infernal whirlwind from which there is no escape, carrying the scars of her own idealism.

Flora Robson, as Ellen Dean, serves as the moral backbone of the film - a quiet storyteller trying to bring a touch of warmth to the coldness of Wuthering Heights. Hugh Williams imbues Hindley Earnshaw with a bitter, self-destructive nature tainted by envy and malice.

"Wuthering Heights" is an intensely charged melodrama that faithfully conveys the spirit of Emily Brontë's novel. Its twists and turns can both freeze and burn the heart. I believe it to be a remarkable experience for every true lover of the genre.

I have not read the Emily Bronte novel on which this film is based so obviously I cannot comment on the effectiveness of it as an adaptation (I understand that almost the entire second half of the book was excised). However, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Oberon and especially Olivier, one of my favorites, are very convincing and moving as the doomed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff (according to my friend, Heathcliff is written as being much more likeable in the film than in the book). The supporting cast was also very good. Wuthering Heights just deals very poignantly with the effect that birth and status have on people's lives. Yet another winner from Wyler. My score 9/10.

"Wuthering Heights", based on the novel by Emily Bronte, gets a first rate treatment from its director, the genial William Wyler. The adaptation was done by Charles McArthur and Ben Hecht, two of the best writers working in the Hollywood of that era. The great cinematography by Gregg Toland makes it visually stunning. Alfred Newman's music score plays in the background, making this film a classic that will be cherished by movie lovers.

Some comments to this forum express their displeasure in the adaptation one sees on the screen. Most people forget what a task it must have been to get the essence of the Bronte novel in a cinematic form, something the adapters did with elegance and charm.

The cast that was assembled for "Wuthering Heights" is a dream come true. Presenting the young Merle Oberon in all her beauty makes one almost fall instantly in love with her. Ms. Oberon had a fantastic presence, which translated in probably her best work in films.

The dashingly handsome Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff, creates the right chemistry against Ms. Oberon's Cathy. Mr. Olivier was at the pinnacle of his career. He responds well to Mr. Wyler's direction. His Heathcliff shows a mean streak, but over all, Olivier gives an impressive performance.

David Niven is excellent as Edgar Linton, the man who wins Cathy's heart with his kindness. Flora Robson does also an outstanding job as Ellen, the housekeeper, who serves as the narrator. The young and beautiful Geraldine Fitzgerald makes a brilliant Isabella.

The rest of the players are equally wonderful, Donald Crisp, Hugh Willimas, Leo G. Carroll, Cecil Kellaway, made contributions to the movie.

Ultimately, this film is a love story doomed from the beginning. This tale of the passion between the lovers in the moors is a perfect way to lose oneself in the magic of the movies.