With Emerald Fennel’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights being a disappointing film at best, you may wonder how other adaptations have fared at bringing the complex masterpiece to life. I have watched seven interpretations of the novel in order to ascertain why Brontë fans cannot agree on which is most faithful to Brontë’s vision. I have ranked them based on their honesty towards the book, and how they explore themes that are the heart of Wuthering Heights.
7. “Wuthering Heights” (Film, 2026) – Emerald Fennel
Gorgeous costumes, great soundtrack, but absolutely no depth or even theme that can be distinguished as book accurate. Fennel creates the illusion of depth in her world building, and any further exploration of what is meant by things like skin walls or giant strawberries, leads to the most unfruitful discoveries imaginable (the walls are made of skin because she’s trapped there, in her own skin…). The shallow understanding of the book is devastatingly bad, but the undermining of abuse victims and lack of any class or racial awareness is most egregious.
6. Wuthering Heights (Film, 1939) – William Wyler
A very beautiful rendition of the book, but without the passion that is required. Both Laurence Olivier’s Heathcliff and Merle Oberon’s Cathy are much too tame and amiable for the vengeful and angry story. While the black and white colouring allows for Heathcliff’s character to be ambiguously racialised, interestingly, the white Olivier with mixed-race Oberon adds a layer of racial commentary unintentional to the original production. The film ends similar to Fennell’s with Cathy’s death, which ignores the major theme of generational trauma that the book seeks to explore. Overall it is a fluffy, happy film of the 1930s and I cannot muster much hatred toward it.
5. Wuthering Heights (Film, 2011) – Andrea Arnold
All vibes, no depth. The only reason this film is higher than the 1939 version is because it captures the aesthetics of the book accurately. I also find the depiction of Heathcliff and Cathy’s relationship as children to be well explored. Overall, the characterisation of our main couple diverges significantly from the book with another meek Cathy and a strangely boyish Heathcliff. The adult relationship is lacklustre without connection or madness. However, it masterfully highlights death as a core theme with many depictions of brutalised animals, but not much else.
4. Wuthering Heights (Mini-series, 2009) – Coky Giedroyc
As the most book-accurate depiction, I find this to be an agreeable adaptation. If you are a fan of BBC’s Pride and Prejudice TV show, then you are likely to enjoy this. While Tom Hardy carries some racial ambiguity crucial to the story, his compatibility with Charlotte Riley as Cathy does not portray what I wish from it. One of the greatest parts of this adaptation is its ghostly capturing of the story, and raw emotionality of the characters. The abusive nature of Heathcliff is well highlighted and the full story explored. The biggest qualm I have with this variation is that it is rather boring and Hardy’s wig and Riley’s scarf are unforgivable…
3. Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (Film, 1992) – Peter Kosminsky
As the most gothic and mystical adaptation, I enjoyed Kosminsky’s take. I find Ralph Fiennes to have a stunted and flat performance of Heathcliff, while Juliette Binoche’s Cathy was my favourite depiction overall despite the mildly French accent. She finally has a passionate, dislikeable personality, and a profound malaise that book Cathy embodies. While it does aim to tackle the second half of the book, it feels rushed. Strangest of all, it has a framing device of Emily Brontë actually telling the story, which in some respect lends to the complex narration of the book.
2. Wuthering Heights (Film, 1988) – Yoshishige Yoshida
Set in medieval Japan, this adaptation diverges from the plot of the book significantly. However, it faithfully portrays the anger, abuse and othering themes that are so important to the text. There are also further explorations, independent of the book, such as the plight of women in Japanese culture, that I find invaluable to a great adaptation. Unlike works like Fennel’s, this is how to adapt a classic novel, inventively and honestly; it doesn’t need to be something it’s not. Most notable about the film is its explicit depiction of violence and sensuality in a way other adaptations have felt scared to attempt.
1. ‘Wuthering Heights’ (Song, 1978) – Kate Bush
How can someone have created such an accurate, manic, ghostly vision of Cathy without having even read the book? Kate Bush did it, and I think it is safe to say that she remains the ultimate adapter of an unadaptable book. The song and music videos capture an essence that no other depiction has come close to. Under these circumstances I can also forgive it for foregoing the second half of the novel.
Illustration by studiomaryflorence for The Student.