I went to see Andrea Arnold's adaptation of Wuthering Heights on Friday, having never read the book or had any previous knowledge of the storyline.
I would normally steer well clear of any films that threaten period drama pompousness, but thought I'd give this one a go, having loved Arnold's previous work. I first thought the film would present a modern take on the story, especially as the trailer doesn't give much away in terms of time and style. I also couldn't imagine Arnold moving away from her previous council-estate themes that are ever present throughout her body of film work thus far, from Fishtank to her lesser-known shorts.
Her new film, however, is set in the mid-1800s period that the book intended, but with none of the polished romanticism that we are all expect with depictions of that time. It is brutally raw and uncompromising, whilst at the same time maintaining a sensitivity that makes us forget that the characters supposedly existed 150 years ago. The film throws up stunning images of nature and the gloriously bleak Yorkshire dales, amidst scenes of stripped down humanity and moments of passion and horror. The dialogue is as sparse and vague as the landscape, shrouded by a soundtrack of unrelenting wind and animal noises. Every single shot is so beautiful that it could be taken out of context and framed.
In the end, what is presented is a montage of moments and feelings, which equal to a devastating love between two people could never ever work. It is heart-wrenching, real and totally human.
I have read a few criticisms of the film, one of which points out how the actors playing the older Cathy and Heathcliff do not work together as well as the younger ones. To me this makes no sense - surely it is inevitable that the relationship between two childhood friends after being separated for several years and adopting new and different lives will become disjointed and awkward. I will agree that the younger actors' performances are more visceral and organic, much more akin Arnold's famous kitchen-sink style, but of course this is going to change when wealth and prestige comes into the equation.
I was thoroughly impressed with Wuthering Heights - it is a bold, daring and fresh take on a classic story, and one that I reckon Emily Bronte would be proud of.
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