Emerald Fennell's new 'Wuthering Heights' adaptation is described as a campy, BDSM-infused fashion shoot starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, drawing criticism for its postmodern irony and significant departures from Brontë's original novel.
The article reviews Emerald Fennell's latest film, an unconventional adaptation of Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights,' starring Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. Described as a '20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness,' the film incorporates campy elements, ripped bodices, and BDSM, including a scene of Cathy's self-pleasuring. Fennell's version is noted for its postmodern irony, indicated by the title appearing in inverted commas, though the reviewer finds this pointless. Character portrayals include a 'primped' Cathy and a 'moody' Heathcliff who later becomes 'Darcyfied.' Martin Clunes is highlighted for his role as Mr. Earnshaw. Fennell makes significant changes to the source material, such as abolishing Hindley, reassigning his vices to Mr. Earnshaw, omitting the novel's second generation, and 'feebly eras[ing]' the issue of Heathcliff's dark skin. The plot follows Heathcliff's adoption, Cathy's marriage to Edgar Linton, Heathcliff's wealthy return, their passionate affair, and his spiteful marriage to Isabella, who is reinterpreted as a 'smirkingly consenting sub.' The film also addresses Nelly Dean's role as an unreliable narrator, with Cathy confronting her. The overall style is characterized as 'frantically, exhaustingly Baz Luhrmann-esque' and resembling a '136-minute video for Charli xcx songs.' The review concludes that the film lacks the impact of Fennell's previous works like 'Saltburn' and 'Promising Young Woman,' seeing it as a 'luxurious pose of unserious abandon' rather than a deeply felt adaptation, calling it 'quasi-erotic, pseudo-romantic and then ersatz-sad.' The film is set for release in February in Australia, the UK, and the US.
