Emerald Fennell has developed a bold interpretation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, bringing a fresh and intense perspective to the timeless novel. Her adaptation challenges conventional views on whether the story is a toxic romance, a feminist manifesto, or a Gothic nightmare. By embracing the novel’s ambiguity, Fennell invites audiences to engage with the complex emotions and unresolved questions that have fascinated readers since its 1847 publication.
Exploring Emily Brontë’s Radical Amoralism Through Film
Fennell perceives Brontë as a writer who was “radically amoral,” refusing to pass judgments on her characters, especially the women. This refusal creates a disconcerting tension that has persisted through the novel’s reception. She believes this open-endedness is a vital aspect of its enduring appeal.
“Wuthering Heights is the ultimate book club book,”
Fennell says, highlighting how its layers prompt endless debate.
“Everyone can argue about it ’till the cows come home. And so I’m always just like, ‘You tell me.’”
A Lifelong Fascination with Wuthering Heights
Fennell first encountered Wuthering Heights at age fourteen and was immediately captivated by its dark, unsettling qualities.
“I thought, Oh, you can go there. You can make something really disturbing and sexy and nightmarish,”
she recalls.
“It just got me in its grip.”
This early impression shaped her imaginative outlook, as she, like the Brontë sisters who crafted rich imaginary worlds in their Yorkshire parsonage, has carried this story in her mind for years as she developed her own artistic vision.
A Dreamlike Adaptation Diverging from Traditional Translations
Fennell’s film is deliberately not a faithful retelling of Brontë’s sprawling, multi-generational narrative. She trims much of the book’s later sections to focus on a more dreamlike experience. Her version joins the prestigious lineage of cinematic adaptations, following the likes of William Wyler’s 1939 Laurence Olivier-led epic and Andrea Arnold’s 2011 raw depiction, yet aims to stand apart. The film eschews standard period drama conventions through bold choices such as a pulsating soundtrack by Charli XCX and costumes by Jacqueline Durran that blend Victorian and modern elements, like Margot Robbie’s Catherine Earnshaw sporting tiny orange sunglasses with her period dress.
Vivid Surrealism Coupled with Classic Filmmaking Craft
The film’s atmosphere feels distinctly wild and untamed. Bodice-ripping passion meets surreal details—giant strawberries and wallpaper resembling Robbie’s skin create a visceral aesthetic. Yet much was realized through traditional means using old-fashioned analog soundstages and meticulously constructed sets overseen by production designer Suzie Davis. This synthesis of the primal and the precise produces a film that, like Fennell’s previous works Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, is unapologetically bold and likely to provoke strong reactions.
Fennell’s Intentions Among Numerous Wuthering Heights Adaptations
Despite the many existing adaptations of the novel, Fennell acknowledges their greatness and frames her work as a deeply personal interpretation. She has no ambition to replace or perfect past efforts but rather to capture a fragment of the novel’s vast essence.
“It’s vast, the book. It covers generations. It’s at odds with itself. It changes depending on the time of day that you read it,”
she explains. The challenge is akin to adapting Shakespeare or Milton, where the work’s layered complexity invites varied responses.
Reimagining the Gothic World Through Sensory Details
Fennell’s creative inspiration involves rethinking Victorian and Georgian eras through an almost alien perspective. Rather than attempting strict historical accuracy, she asks what the story would look like if experienced fresh and unfamiliar. This approach extends the notion of Gothic beyond gloomy weather to encompass sensory and emotional elements like food and clothing, which she sees as inherently linked to feelings. Intriguing Victorian obsessions such as flower pressing, taxidermy, and hair work are woven into the film’s texture, making everyday objects feel charged with emotional resonance.
Her depiction of the two central estates emphasizes contrasts rife with unsettling details: Wuthering Heights is adorned with goat-skin throws that evoke discomfort, while Thrushcross Grange reveals hairy surfaces beneath its polished appearance. This tension reflects the story’s oscillation between brutal reality and surrealistic, almost primal undercurrents.
Why Gothic Themes Resonate in Today’s Culture
Fennell believes the Gothic revival in popular culture stems from a collective yearning for connection and physical experience. The Gothic, she suggests, works on a subconscious and instinctual level. She highlights works like Frankenstein and a more contemporary addition, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, as examples that evoke feelings as much as ideas. The genre’s timeless appeal lies in its ability to be at once visceral and intellectual.
Examining the Complex Romance of Catherine and Heathcliff
The film is promoted as
“the greatest love story of all time,”
yet the debate about the nature of Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship remains unresolved. Fennell resists defining their bond too clearly.
“You can’t make a didactic film out of a book that is not didactic, really,”
she says.
“The disagreement or the lack of consensus about something is valid and important. Therefore, I’m the least useful person to wade in on the nature of the romance.”
This refusal to offer neat answers reflects both the novel’s complexity and her own artistic philosophy.
Feminist Dimensions of Wuthering Heights
Fennell emphatically considers Brontë’s novel a feminist text. She argues that any significant artistic work created by a woman inherently bears feminist qualities. Her fascination with Emily Brontë centers on the lasting disturbance her novel generates. While Emily’s sisters explored Gothic themes that sometimes troubled her, Wuthering Heights’ unsettling power allows it to transcend its time. Fennell links Brontë’s legacy to artists like Paula Rego and Kate Bush, who create work that defies easy comparison and maintains a unique force.
On-Set Chemistry Among the Cast and Collaborative Spirit
A central emotional element in the film is the chemistry between Margot Robbie as Catherine and Jacob Elordi portraying Heathcliff. Fennell praises the cast’s bravery in tackling material that is “unknowable and complicated.” She also highlights Alison Oliver, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, and Martin Clunes as actors willing to take creative risks. The process of exploring challenging territory allowed the team to discover “something really special.”
Balancing Audience Expectations with Artistic Ambition
Fennell’s reputation as a filmmaker known for bold work precedes her, yet she approaches this adaptation with the goal of evoking emotional authenticity. She admires directors whose films reveal new layers with every viewing, inspiring her to pursue a hyper-detailed, intensely operatic style. Her commitment is to craft an experience that resonates deeply rather than conform to conventional storytelling or audience expectations.
Wuthering Heights Returns to Theaters with a Distinctive Edge
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights now plays in cinemas, offering viewers a feral, emotionally charged vision of the classic novel. By emphasizing the primal, the surreal, and the feminist undertones of Brontë’s work, this adaptation challenges audiences to confront a story that refuses closure. The film’s unique combination of avant-garde creativity and rooted filmmaking craftsmanship ensures it will spark fresh conversations about a work that remains as enigmatic and powerful as ever.
