This is the best adaption of Wuthering Heights
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Wuthering Heights
Regina_Giddens — 16 years ago(February 09, 2010 05:18 AM)
I think. I know people complain that it cuts the story in half, but that one half is way more faithful to the book than any of the other versions, even if they do include the second half of the story.
No one else has ever convinced me as Cathy or Heathcliff. When I watch Ralph Fiennes or Juliette Binoche (etc) play the roles, they always seem really superficial and detached from the characters. I thought Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon totally embodied Cathy and Heathcliff, and most importantly of all, I really
believed
that they loved each other, which I never really did in other adaptions.
The black and white suits the story so well. It gives it so much more atmosphere than any of the other colour adaptions.
It's not perfect. I think the ending is too abrupt, and I wish they'd emphasized Wuthering Heights (and especially that room of Cathy's) as its own character more, like Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre. But I still think it's the best adaption and I think it's aged wonderfully. It hasn't dated at all.
Songbird, you've got tales to tell. -
rondine — 15 years ago(May 23, 2010 09:38 PM)
I agree! It's not about how complete this is compared to the book- it's about the story told by the movie itself.
And what you said is so true- Olivier and Oberon are competely believeable as two desparately in love people under tremendous stress (mostly caused by themselves.)
The music in this version is sublime- the cinematography dingy when necessary, and glowing with light at other times.
The casting in this was really perfect. As a side note, I find it fascinating that Oberon was of Indian birth and her nickname was "Queenie" and her child character says to Heathcliff that his mother was an Indian queen.