Wuthering Heights, ITV style

Another year, another Wuthering Heights adaptation (I know I'm a little late to the party as it's been sitting on the PVR since August). Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre must have more screen adaptations than any other novel (except perhaps Oliver Twist), but I've never been completely happy with any of them. In fact, I think it's nigh on impossible to do either of them justice on screen, but they keep on trying... I'd love to see an adaptation of Villette, however, as I think the novel is brilliantly cinematic and as it hasn't been done to death, something really interesting could be unearthed with a sensitive, intelligent screenplay. I really, really enjoyed Peter Bowker's work on Desperate Romantics. While it was far from being impeccably accurate, it had so much heart and energy and was delightfully acted, which made me see past historical accuracy (though being a pedantic nineteenth century-ist, I feel a bit guilty about doing so). This was a disappointingly watered-down, rather than a full-blooded take on Emily's story. It felt like the Laura Ashley version of Wuthering Heights- there was hardly any emphasis on the Gothic, everything was spotless, the moors were indistinguishable from any other bit of countryside and it was much too sunny (that wasn't anyone's fault and I'm sure any other director would have been thrilled to have such good weather, but that doesn't work so well for WH where stormy and miserable is much more suited to the mood).

Wuthering Heights is not a romance and it always surprises me when it's labeled as such. Heathcliff and Cathy have to be the most miserable, self-destructive protagonists in literature. Tom Hardy has a credible go at Heathcliff (everyone seems to find him gorgeous, but I don't think he's attractive at all- not that Heathcliff has to be good looking). Aidan Turner, recently seen as Rossetti in Desperate Romantics, would make a brilliant Heathcliff (although I find him absolutely gorgeous, he plays selfish and pathologically destructive so well). Although they made Heathcliff more demonic than he usually is (they included the bit when he digs up Cathy's body), they tried to make Cathy more sympathetic in a way that isn't true to the book. Charlotte Riley might be the prettiest Cathy I've seen, but they take out the line about how marrying Heathcliff would be a degradation, making it look as if she marries Edgar on the rebound because Heathcliff has disappeared. 

One of the reasons why Wuthering Heights struggles on screen is because the layered narration is so tricky. Lockwood (non-existent in this version) is hearing the story from Nelly, who relies on various other accounts, and it all becomes very messy (in a good way!) and one doesn't know who to believe. If handled well, I think such a narrative could be really interesting. I also firmly don't believe that Heathcliff and Cathy ever had sex. Only about half an hour is devoted to the second generation (which is where Heathcliff really shows the full extent of his brutality) and the full extent of Heathcliff's physical and emotional cruelty towards Isabella is glossed over.

I wonder what next year's big screen adaptation will be like. Gemma Arterton as Cathy is great casting, but so much hinges on the screenplay... In January 2008, I saw a stage adaptation by Heartbreak Productions that stuck to the book like glue. It was magical. When you have such a fantastic story, why would you want to change it?

When I took my copy of the book off my shelf, I found this rather beautiful bookmark inside. The thing is, I don't remember making it, or anyone giving it to me. A mystery.