Wuthering Heights

A big fan of Masterpiece Theater and of classic novels, I was excited to find out there was a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights. I actually bought this on Amazon without having ever seen it, and after viewing it, I am so happy that I bought it. The film does a great job of showing the passion between Heathcliff and Cathy, and Tom Hardy in the role of Heathcliff is a perfect blend of swoon worthy and terrifying. My only complaint is that Part Two doesn't have the same pop as Part One; it's a little bit shorter, and feels more rushed. But overall, this is a wonderful adaptation that I would definitely recommend to all classical lovers.

This Version of Wuthering Heights is gritty and very up to date. Tom Hardy plays most of his characters, almost always, in a very unsympathetic way, yet his likability is always there. Hardy plays his characters with a lot of truth and if he does show any vulnerability within his characters(where we as the audience show sympathy towards him), it's always just for a moment, but there's never anything cliché about his performances and that's what makes him one of the best actors out there today as well as what makes this version of Wuthering Heights a great movie. That and also the beautiful Charlotte Riley, Riley and Hardy's chemistry is spot on(which doesn't surprise me that they are engaged in real life, their chemistry is amazing in this movie).

This version of Wuthering Heights shows in the greatest way of any movie I've ever seen how people can love one another and hate one another to the most highest extremes, being connected at the 'soul' so to say(Although, the hate is really more of a cover up for extreme pain inside, relating to this movie at least).

Very relatable in the sense where it shows how miserable we can make our lives when we don't let things go and we don't forgive where, at the source of it all, we're ultimately lying to ourselves about our true feelings, as is the case in this film.

Not an easy movie to watch in the sense that the chemistry is so good, that it pains you, as the movie viewer, to see the ultimate outcome, but nonetheless a great movie and one to see for Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley fans.

Being somewhat (!) obsessed with the novel, I've watched every adaption of it going and this is undoubtedly my favourite. It fully captures the darkness and moodiness of the novel and the almost painful love between Cathy and Heathcliff.

Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley have incredible chemistry in their roles, which isn't surprising since they were falling for each other in real life (and unlike Cathy and Heathcliff, they are still together, yay!). Their emotion and passion for each other really comes through, and it makes their complicated love story so much more believable. We can truly see how they are better together, terrible apart.

Aside from the leads, the supporting cast are excellent - particularly Nelly, Edgar, and Hindley. The scenery is spectacular, showing the beautiful wild of the moors. The script is a much condensed but fairly faithful version of the novel. In short, I loved this adaptation the minute I watched it and having watched it 11 years after its release, I loved it just as much.

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.

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