Wuthering Heights

This 2009 adaptation of Wuthering Heights appears to be the most popular, at least at the time of this writing. It's not hard to see why: Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley have fabulous chemistry as the ill-fated lovers, and the locations used are just gorgeous. The atmosphere is great with an almost eternally gray sky and lots of desaturated color, making the few rich tones used really pop.

Tom Hardy is easily the best cinematic Heathcliff I've seen to date. He's brooding, passionate, angry, and manipulative. He's a monster, yet also strangely sympathetic. The supporting cast is fantastic. I love Andrew Lincoln as Edgar and the actors who portrayed Cathy II and Hareton were adorable.

Still, there are a few weak points which keep this WH from being great. Charlotte Riley is not a great Catherine, as she plays it too sympathetic. Catherine is selfish and even cruel, and Riley does not come across that way. The writing deserves part of the blame for that as well, giving Catherine some of Nelly's lines about how Heathcliff should not seek vengeance, as that's God's place. Could you see the Catherine of the novel doing such a thing? Also, the structure is confusing, especially for those who've never touched the book. We skip from the middle of the second generation to the first and then back, which is jarring.

This one's popular for a reason. Wuthering Heights fans will likely enjoy it.

I loved this version. Tom Hardy is a genius, and his Heathcliff has stayed with me long after the film finished. Charlotte Riley is also very good, as are the other cast members. I've read the comments about Heathcliff and Cathy having sex, and this being a diversion from the original book, however, Emily Bronte makes it clear in her text that Heathcliff and Cathy spend many unsupervised hours on the moors together. This in itself was shocking in the days when every unmarried young lady required a chaperone, but I think Emily was leaving it up to us, the readers, to decide what Heathcliff and Cathy did with their time together. I think the interpretation in this film is a valid one. Tom Hardy's musings at the end, on his life, and on the possible futility of his revenge were very convincing and haunting. This is a film you won't forget in a hurry.

There have been several adaptations over the years, for my money, this is the best of them all. The novel is a mix of tragedy and love, almost every minute of this version gives you an intertwined intensity of both, the deep and destructive passion between Heathcliff and Cathy.

What I liked most of all, the cast, without being unkind, it felt like a very modern cast, Tom Hardy, Andrew Lincoln, Charlotte Riley and a few others, not necessarily the first names I'd choose for a costume drama of this sort. All however are perfect, no wonder we all love Tom Hardy, he is sensational, an epic mix of villain and dashing hero, that intensity with Riley is clearly visible.

I'd put the likes of Sarah Lancashire and Burn Gorman as actors perfect for costume drama, they just fit somehow.

Glorious production values, it looks incredible, the accompanying music fits the bill, and nobody can argue that the atmosphere is very much there.

Loved it, 9/10.

True, it doesn't always follow the overall structure of the novel by Emily Bronte, and there are one or two slow moments. But it is beautifully done, and does a competent job of adapting a truly complicated book to screen. I don't think it is the best adaptation of the book, but it definitely not the worst. The adaptation was lovingly designed with stunning locations and exquisite costumes, and the photography was excellent. The performances were excellent, the two leads Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley were both superb as Heathcliff and Cathy, and Andrew Lincoln and Sarah Lancashire give able support. The scriptwriter Peter Bowker, who wrote the script for the wonderful BBC drama Occupation, does a good job with the dialogue, which was in general well written and well crafted. All in all, as an adaptation it is beautifully done, not always faithful to the novel, but the performances and the visual design compensates. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Yes, I have seen several versions of Wuthering Heights, the 1939 version holding a special place in my heart. But this adaptation caught me from the opening credits and did not let go long after it ended. This is not your grandma's Wuthering Heights, let's put it that way. It's dark, deadly, and haunting. Much credit for the success of this version goes to Tom Hardy as Heathcliff. Hardy's range as an actor gives new depth to Bronte's anti-hero. You see what a great man he could have become if not for Hindley's torturous treatment of him and Cathy's snobbish refusals. The scenes with Heathcliff and Cathy as young lovers are beautiful and true -- the chemistry between these two actors is scorching. But once Heathcliff turns down the road of cruelty and revenge, it's a slippery slope. Hardy's deep voice and stealth mannerisms give you the impression of a tiger waiting to strike. What I really liked in this version was Charlotte Riley's portrayal of Cathy. She isn't a tantrum-throwing caricature. She gives Cathy a likable earthiness that we can identify with even as she makes dreadful choices. The score, the cinematography, the secondary characters, everything is perfect. It may not be for everyone, but this adaptation is one that does the novel justice.