Fennell's Wuthering Heights: R-rated romance shocks purists

Emerald Fennell's cinematic reimagining of "Wuthering Heights" has arrived, drawing immediate attention for its significant departures from Emily Brontë's 1847 novel. The director, known for provocative works, aimed to capture the emotional resonance of the story rather than a direct translation.

Fennell's adaptation revisits the tortured romance between Cathy and Heathcliff. However, key character elements have been altered. Heathcliff's racial ambiguity, a long-standing point of discussion, is de-emphasized in favor of class distinctions. Margot Robbie's Cathy is portrayed in her early to mid-twenties, a departure from the book's teenage Cathy.

Further deviations include changes to the Linton family. Edgar Linton's description differs, and Isabella is presented as his ward, not his sister. The Earnshaw family dynamic is also modified, with Mr. Earnshaw alive and Hindley absent, though Mr. Earnshaw adopts some of Hindley's negative traits.

The film also foregoes the novel's original narrative structure. It omits the first narrator, Mr. Lockwood, and Nelly Dean's role as the primary storyteller. The adaptation covers only the first half of the book, ending before Cathy's death and Heathcliff's subsequent actions.

Notably, Fennell's "Wuthering Heights" embraces an R-rated sensibility, featuring explicit sexual content and passionate encounters absent from Brontë's text. This bold approach starkly contrasts with the book's more implicit eroticism.

The film's conclusion diverges significantly from the novel. While Cathy dies after childbirth in both versions, Fennell's adaptation sees her infant also perish, depicted through a disturbing visual cue.