Wuthering Heights

Starring: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Flora Robson, Donald Crisp, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Hugh Williams, Leo G. Carroll, Miles Mander
Directed by: William Wyler
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama, Romance
1939

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Cathy (Merle Oberon) and Heathcliff (Laurence Olivier) love each other as they live at Wuthering Heights, but coming from different classes with different expectations on them threatens to tear them apart.

Review:

Tim: The 1939 film version of Emily Bronte's classic novel is an impeccable adaptation, directed especially well by William Wyler. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, although I have to admit I never quite loved it. In a year that delivered so many of all-time landmark films, this one feels very good, but doesn't approach the level of greatness.

Some of this may be due to the nature of Bronte's novel. I've read the book and I feel similar about it- exceptionally good, but not great. A big challenge I have is that the characters feel unlikable to me. We're supposed to care about these tragic figures, but it never quite works out that way. Heathcliff is a character I feel some sympathy for, at least regarding his upbringing- he starts out immensely poor, is adopted by a kind gentleman, but faces constant belittlement and abuse at the hands of the gentleman's son. Heathcliff had a difficult life, but he seems so focused on blaming others and takes so little accountability for himself- he chooses to stay in a bad situation. Yes, it's for the love of Cathy, but he always seems interested in playing the victim. Cathy may be the most sympathetic character in the film/book, but she makes decisions and then somewhat laments her lot in life. She chooses whom to marry, she chooses a life for herself- and it's not a bad life. She wisely sets herself up fairly well. Unfortunately, it's not enough. She never lives the life she wanted, although she had arguably more control over her fate than others. I feel badly for Edgar, who is snob and elitist, but he does try to act nobly. We see his darker side, though, and he's a flawed, at times unsympathetic character, too. Isabella is perhaps one of the most tragic figures, but of course, she was warned about the consequences of her actions. So, Bronte wrote this immensely tragic story- nearly everyone in it is a tragic figure. However, they are all somewhat responsible for their own fates. Or, they could have altered their own stories had they made different choices. Every character is so flawed, it's hard to love any of them. I didn't especially like Heathcliff at all, so I wasn't all that invested in his romance. I think that's the central issue of the book, and the film suffers similarly.

The cast here is definitely worth highlighting. Laurence Olivier makes a formidable, memorable Heathcliff. I don't think I love Olivier- I've tried enough films over the years. He's obviously a very talented actor, but there's just something that prevents me from connecting with him and his characters. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role here. Merle Oberon makes a fine Cathy- she's a strong actress and she brings so much emotion to the character. She always makes her presence felt on screen, and she gives perhaps her best performance yet here. I thought she was really effective in the role- I find it a little surprising the Academy ignored her. They did recognize Geraldine Fitzgerald as Best Supporting Actress with a nomination. That surprised me, too. Fitzgerald certainly gives a good performance in the role, but it feels too unremarkable. She doesn't get enough screen time or major opportunities to impact the overall film. She's good, absolutely, but I didn't think she delivered anything truly special. I thought David Niven worked well as Edgar- it's a bit of a thankless role, but Niven is an accomplished actor and he does well with the part. The rest of the cast all work well, Wyler knows how to utilize strong players.

The film itself was nominated for an impressive 8 Academy Awards- in addition to the two acting nominations I mentioned, the film received nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Screenplay; Best Cinematography, B&W; Best Art Direction, and Best Original Score. It won only one award, Best Cinematography. That is impressive- the visuals here are worth acknowledging. I thought the Art Direction was good, too. It's interesting that this film went 1/8 in total, but again, it was released in one of the best years for movies of all time, plus it's not quite great itself. Now, the movie is always good- in Wyler's hands, the film moves at a fairly quick pace. It's a tight 1 hour, 44 minutes- so the story and Wyler aren't squandering time. I never felt bored with the film. It's well edited and maintains a nice sense of momentum. This is impressive, considering Wyler does take time for some great landscape shots. This is a film that very much feels compelling as it moves forward with its story.

Wuthering Heights is certainly worth seeing. William Wyler is a great director and this is another skillfully made film, a strong adaptation of a classic work of literature. I definitely never loved the characters, but the movie has to work with the novel, you know? There's a lot of value in this classic tragedy, though, and movie fans should absolutely see it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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