Fifteen years after its release, Andrea Arnold’s 2011 adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is increasingly recognized not as a radical departure from the source material, but as its truest cinematic interpretation. While Emerald Fennell’s recently released version starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi has sparked conversation – and controversy – regarding its faithfulness to the novel, Arnold’s film continues to resonate for its raw, visceral portrayal of Brontë’s world.
Arnold’s approach was immediately striking for its departure from the conventions of period drama. Gone was the polished aesthetic, the sweeping orchestral scores, and the adult actors portraying adolescent characters. Instead, the film featured age-appropriate casting, Yorkshire accents, and a naturalistic style that emphasized the harsh realities of life on the moors. The opening scene, described as a “sodden moor” shrouded in mist, immediately establishes a tone of bleakness and authenticity. The lack of a traditional score, replaced by the sounds of wind and nature, further immerses the viewer in the environment.
Initially, even Arnold herself questioned her work, expressing a belief that she had “failed” to balance the film’s various elements. Critics were similarly divided, with some praising its boldness while others found it lacking. However, in retrospect, it’s clear that Arnold’s unconventional choices were precisely what allowed her to capture the essence of Brontë’s novel. As The A.V. Club’s Keith Phipps noted at the time, the film was effusive in its approach.
Brontë’s writing is characterized by its intense emotionality and its vivid descriptions of the natural world. Arnold’s film mirrors this style through its charged, handheld cinematography and its focus on elemental imagery – a quaking tree, a panting dog, a foreboding sky. By eschewing the “stately form” typically used to adapt classic texts, Arnold creates a cinematic experience that feels as wild and untamed as the moors themselves. She approximates Brontë’s “wild poetry, in image and sound, like no other filmmaker.”
Beyond its stylistic choices, Arnold’s adaptation also delves deeper into the thematic complexities of the novel. While many previous adaptations have focused primarily on the tragic romance between Cathy and Heathcliff, Arnold’s film emphasizes the social and racial dynamics that shape their lives. She recognizes that Heathcliff’s character is not simply that of a brooding romantic hero, but of a damaged individual whose identity has been forged by his experiences with class, gender, and race.
Here’s particularly evident in Arnold’s casting choices. Unlike previous English-language adaptations, which invariably cast white British actors as Heathcliff, Arnold cast Solomon Glave and James Howson, both mixed-race British actors of Afro-Caribbean descent. This decision, while controversial at the time, was a deliberate attempt to acknowledge the racial ambiguity of Heathcliff’s character in the novel and to highlight the prejudice he faces in a racially stratified society. Brontë describes Heathcliff as a “dark-skinned gipsy” and “little Lascar,” and Arnold’s casting brings this aspect of the character to the forefront.
The casting choices have continued to be a point of discussion with Fennell’s recent adaptation. While Arnold’s casting sparked debate 15 years ago, Fennell’s choice to cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff has drawn criticism for its lack of diversity. Fennell defended her decision by stating that Elordi “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff” on the first edition of the novel she owned, a justification that highlights the ongoing challenges of representing race and identity in literary adaptations.
Arnold’s Wuthering Heights isn’t without its liberties. She omits the second half of the novel, a common practice among filmmakers, and includes scenes that are not explicitly depicted in Brontë’s text, such as a graphic depiction of Hindley and his wife. However, these departures are ultimately in service of a larger goal: to create a film that captures the savage, complex spirit of the novel. It’s a film that doesn’t shy away from the darkness and brutality of Brontë’s world, and in doing so, it offers a uniquely compelling and truthful interpretation of a beloved classic.
While Fennell’s adaptation offers a new perspective on the story, Arnold’s Wuthering Heights remains a landmark achievement in literary adaptation. It’s a film that demonstrates the power of a director’s vision to illuminate the hidden depths of a classic text, and it’s a testament to the enduring relevance of Brontë’s work.
