Wuthering Heights

Plot synopsis:
=== Opening (Chapters 1 to 3) ===
In 1801, Lockwood, a wealthy young man from the South of England who is seeking peace and recuperation, rents Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire. He visits his landlord, Heathcliff, who lives in a remote moorland farmhouse, Wuthering Heights. There Lockwood finds an odd assemblage: Heathcliff seems to be a gentleman, but his manners are uncouth; the reserved mistress of the house is in her mid-teens; and a young man who seems to be a member of the family, yet dresses and speaks as if he is a servant.
Snowed in, Lockwood is grudgingly allowed to stay and is shown to a bedchamber where he notices books and graffiti left by a former inhabitant named Catherine. He falls asleep and has a nightmare in which he sees the ghostly Catherine trying to enter through the window. He cries out in fear, rousing Heathcliff, who rushes into the room. Lockwood is convinced that what he saw was real. Heathcliff, believing Lockwood to be right, examines the window and opens it, hoping to allow Catherine's spirit to enter. When nothing happens, Heathcliff shows Lockwood to his own bedroom and returns to keep watch at the window.
At sunrise, Heathcliff escorts Lockwood back to Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood asks the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, about the family at Wuthering Heights, and she tells him the tale.
=== Heathcliff's childhood (Chapters 4 to 17) ===
Thirty years earlier, the owner of Wuthering Heights is Mr. Earnshaw, who lives with his son Hindley and younger daughter Catherine. On a trip to Liverpool, Earnshaw encounters a homeless boy, described as a "dark-skinned gypsy in aspect". He adopts the boy and names him Heathcliff. Hindley feels that Heathcliff has supplanted him in his father's affections and becomes bitterly jealous. Catherine and Heathcliff become friends and spend hours each day playing on the moors. They grow close.
Hindley is sent to college. Three years later Earnshaw dies and Hindley becomes the landowner; he is now master of Wuthering Heights. He returns to live there with his new wife, Frances. He allows Heathcliff to stay but only as a servant, and regularly mistreats him.
A few months after Hindley's return, Heathcliff and Catherine walk to Thrushcross Grange to spy on Edgar and Isabella Linton, who live there. After being discovered they try to run away but are caught. Catherine is injured by the Lintons' dog and taken into the house to recuperate, while Heathcliff is sent home. Catherine stays with the Lintons. The Lintons are landed gentry and Catherine is influenced by their fine appearance and genteel manners. When she returns to Wuthering Heights her appearance and manners are more ladylike, and she laughs at Heathcliff's unkempt appearance. The next day, knowing that the Lintons are to visit, Heathcliff, upon Nelly's advice, tries to dress up, in an effort to impress Catherine, but he and Edgar Linton get into an argument and Hindley humiliates Heathcliff by locking him in the attic. Catherine tries to comfort Heathcliff, but he vows revenge on Hindley.
The following year, Frances Earnshaw gives birth to a son, named Hareton, but she dies a few months later. Hindley descends into drunkenness. Two more years pass, and Catherine and Edgar Linton become friends, while she becomes more distant from Heathcliff. Edgar visits Catherine while Hindley is away and they declare themselves lovers soon afterwards.
Catherine confesses to Nelly that Edgar has proposed marriage and she has accepted, although her love for Edgar is not comparable to her love for Heathcliff, whom she cannot marry because of his low social status and lack of education. She hopes to use her position as Edgar's wife to raise Heathcliff's standing. Heathcliff overhears her say that it would "degrade" her to marry him (but not how much she loves him), and he runs away and disappears without a trace. Distraught over Heathcliff's departure, Catherine makes herself ill. Nelly and Edgar begin to pander to her every whim to prevent her from becoming ill again.
Three years pass. Edgar and Catherine marry and go to live together at Thrushcross Grange, where Catherine enjoys being "lady of the manor". Six months later, Heathcliff returns, now a wealthy gentleman. Catherine is delighted, but Edgar is not. Edgar's sister, Isabella, soon falls in love with Heathcliff, who despises her, but encourages the infatuation as a means of revenge. One day, he embraces Isabella, leading to an argument with Edgar. Upset, Catherine locks herself in her room and begins to make herself ill again.
Heathcliff takes up residence at Wuthering Heights and spends his time gambling with Hindley and teaching Hareton bad habits. Hindley dissipates his wealth and mortgages the farmhouse to Heathcliff to pay his debts. Heathcliff elopes with Isabella Linton. Two months after their elopement, they return to Wuthering Heights, where Heathcliff hears that Catherine is dying. With Nelly's help, he visits Cathy secretly. However, Catherine is pregnant. The following day, she gives birth to a daughter, Cathy, shortly before dying.
After Catherine's funeral, Isabella confides in Nelly, laughing as she tells Nelly how glad she is that Cathy died and that she has left Heathcliff. Rejected shelter by Edgar, Isabella eventually finds refuge in the South of England and gives birth to a son, Linton. Hindley dies six months after Catherine, and Heathcliff thus finds himself master of Wuthering Heights.
=== Heathcliff's maturity (Chapters 18 to 31) ===
Twelve years pass. Catherine's daughter Cathy has become a beautiful, high-spirited girl. Edgar learns that his sister Isabella is dying, so he leaves to retrieve her son Linton in order to adopt and educate him. Cathy, who has rarely left home, takes advantage of her father's absence to venture further afield. She rides over the moors to Wuthering Heights and discovers that she has not one but two cousins: Hareton, in addition to Linton. She also lets it be known that her father has gone to fetch Linton. When Edgar returns with Linton, a weak and sickly boy, Heathcliff insists that he live at Wuthering Heights.
Three years pass. Walking on the moors, Nelly and Cathy encounter Heathcliff, who takes them to Wuthering Heights to see Linton and Hareton. Heathcliff hopes that Linton and Cathy will marry, so that Linton will become the heir to Thrushcross Grange. Linton and Cathy begin a secret friendship, echoing the childhood friendship between their respective parents, Heathcliff and Catherine.
The following year, Edgar becomes very ill and takes a turn for the worse while Nelly and Cathy are out on the moors, where Heathcliff and Linton trick them into entering Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff keeps them captive to enable the marriage of Cathy and Linton to take place. After five days, Nelly is released and later, with Linton's help, Cathy escapes. She returns to the Grange to see her father shortly before he dies.
Now master of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, Cathy's father-in-law, Heathcliff, insists on her returning to live at Wuthering Heights. Soon after she arrives Linton dies. Hareton tries to be kind to Cathy, but she withdraws from the world.
At this point, Nelly's tale catches up to the present day (1801). Time passes and, after being ill for a period, Lockwood grows tired of the moors and informs Heathcliff that he will be leaving Thrushcross Grange.
=== Ending (Chapters 32 to 34) ===
Eight months later, Lockwood returns to the area by chance. Given that his tenancy at Thrushcross Grange is still valid, he decides to stay there again. He finds Nelly living at Wuthering Heights and enquires what has happened since he left. She explains that she moved to Wuthering Heights to replace the housekeeper, Zillah, who had left.
Hareton has an accident and is confined to the farmhouse. During his convalescence, he and Cathy overcome their mutual antipathy and become close. While their friendship develops, Heathcliff begins to act strangely and has visions of Catherine. He stops eating and, after four days, is found dead in Catherine's old room. He is buried next to Catherine.
Lockwood learns that Hareton and Cathy plan to marry on New Year's Day. As he gets ready to leave, he passes the graves of Catherine, Edgar, and Heathcliff and pauses to contemplate the quiet of the moors.

Tags: revenge, gothic, romantic, melodrama

Review:
What this movie has MADE me feel.The story of Heathcliff and Cathy is not about love as most know it.
I was particularly interested in finding a version where they use all of my favorite speech by Catherine when she speaks of her changing love of Linton compared to her eternal love for Heathcliff and showing this scene as it I find it the most important part of the book.
The casting choice is also excellent as well with all the characters looking and acting exactly like I pictured in my head as i read the book.
The movie strays from Bronte's novel only on minor issues, and overall, performs in a manner worthy of the classic story.The sensitive and masterful score by Sakamoto is almost a character in itself.
The powerful performance by Heathcliff (Fiennes) is shown in the scene when he is talking on the moor after finding out Catherine's death, the mixed emotions of hatred, despair, and hurt are seen as he shows how heartbroken in the news of her demise, with the words in mind "Haunt me then..." (by far and away the best line in the book).
It doesn't surprise to me that Spielberg had chosen Ralph Fiennes as his Schindler's List's Amon Goeth after had seen such a good work.I also think that the scriptwriter chose the best phrases from the book, I especially love Heathcliff's speech after Cathy's death, next to that tree, very touching, and when he says "I cannot live without my life, I cannot live without my soul" (which Cathy had already said before when Heathcliff runs away and she goes to Linton's home) I almost burst in tears.Those who love classic stories and very good movies based on them, must see this..
Ralph Fiennes is almost Bronte's character on screen, and skillfully maintains a bit of sympathy for Heathcliff even when he is committing the most dreadful of acts.
Although I would not suggest this film to anyone who has not read the book first (you would be thoroughly confused and missing out on major details of the plot!)  I found Wuthering Heights (1992) to be the ideal visual aid to compliment the tragedy and passion of Heathcliff and Catherine's story.
If Emily Bronte were alive, she herself would have cast Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff (he was born for the role!) and Juliette Binoche was perfect particularly when she showed the more playful and childish sides of Catherine (her laughter was exactly as I had imagined - bright and bold...and just irritating enough that it really would drive Heathcliff - and later, Hareton - to suffer from wounded pride when it was directed at their egos).
Ralph Fiennes is a beautiful hunk of man, and Juliette Binoche is undeniably lovely, but neither of them should EVER attempt to play characters that are supposed to range in age from late teens to late thirties.
This is, I warn you an unqualified review since I have read only a small part of the book (I'd started on it but it seemed too dark and insane to read en route to work, I promise I'll get back to it), but I'll say one thing: I've seen a very good film.As expected the story essentially deals with the doomed romance between Heathcliff and his foster sister Cathy and the trail of human destruction wreaked by the former when he feels that the world has cheated him of his companion.
Juliette Binoche (Cathy Earnshaw/Catherine Linton) is the pearl of the casting and as the object of Heathcliff's obsessions she is almost a justification for his vengeful acts.
Ralph Fiennes' Heathcliff seemed a bit stiff in the opening scenes but picks up steam quickly (warmed, I assume by Cathy's love) and is stunningly savage when the film rushes headlong into its darker sections, reviving the memory of those qualities that made us wake up to his Amon Goeth (Schindler's List).The film contrary to expectations does not flinch away from the more cruel aspects of the story (although whether to the novel's extent I cannot say).
For God-knows-what reason, the plot is revealed as a narration by a hooded monk-type played by Skinhead O' Connor (restricted, thankfully, to the opening and closing sections of the film).Still the good parts of this film far outshine its failings and I hope that those who have read the complete novel will be able to agree that this is one amongst few films based on a classic book that can be watched without cringing in embarassment..
Of course, I can only tell you my input on the movie and can't exactly tell you if you would like it or not.I first watched Wuthering Heights then I read the book.
I was watching WH when I suddenly burst into tears (the part where Heathcliff is cursing Cathy after she dies.)I usually don't cry in movies, but I was really touched.Wuthering Heights has this eerie, betrayal, love like feeling where you think everything is going to turn out fine when it doesn't.
Juliette Binoche plays Cathy Earnshaw and Ralph Fiennes portrays Heathcliff.
Famously, this portrays for the first time the whole of the story in the book, it is captivating and moves fast, and Fiennes deserves superlatives as the diabolical Heathcliff, menacing but with the eyes of a wounded animal.
I believe that this movie accurately portrays the passion and the feeling that this book gives about soulmates and how a love like that can transcend even death, but also if not nurtured correctly can become a destructive force in people's lives.
I have read Wuthering Heights, and fallen in love with it; this is the first (and only) movie version of it I've had the opportunity to watch so far, and, sadly, I cannot say I'm satisfied.The directing is mediocre at best, with awkward results altogether, and the film overall fails miserably at both conveying the overwhelming, passionate emotion the written masterpiece is practically based upon and, despite all obvious efforts, achieve its ethereal darkness and cruelty.
The story does not flow naturally (or, rather, it's too rushed), and, as can be expected from any movie adaptation, there are plenty of plot cuts to drive any fan of the original novel mad.
Indeed, Binoche's Cathy is not half as wild, passionate and crazy as she could and should have been -- instead, she remains pretty much the same throughout the movie: so emotionless that, eventually, it becomes annoying and frustrating; certainly, a great enough part of her strong personality is there, but many other aspects of her complex character were more or less neglected.
While Ralph Fiennes makes a decent Heathcliff, and a handsome, tortured one at that, with an already expected climax in the scene immediately after Catherine dies (where else, right?), I still can't forgive the producers for a certain detail in his countenance: surely, he had a gorgeous, piercing -- sometimes verging on mad -- pair of blue eyes, but, as anybody who's read the novel will know, they should, even for symbolical reasons, have been black; furthermore, his portrayal shares some of the female lead's faults, including, sadly, an inexcusable lack of emotion and expressiveness throughout most of the film.
The supporting cast was tolerable; then again, most secondary characters had so little screen time that I can hardly judge (character development was practically nonexistent in this movie; I wonder whatever happened to Edgar's likable, tender ways, or his special relationship with his daughter: two examples among the many aspects that were either neglected or badly mistreated in this adaptation).
In fact, I think the movie is somewhat lacking in the sound department, which is one of the factors that makes it so weak emotionally, since the acting doesn't make up for it.From the awkward way the story is told, to the plot holes, to all the aforementioned flaws, I was, all in all, disappointed in this film.
The title of this comment may, however, have come out a little harsher than I intended it to: Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights is still a viewable (and, at times, enjoyable) movie, for both readers and non-readers; although the former may (or may not) be more or less unsatisfied with it, depending mostly on their take on the novel and how fond they are of it, and the latter are likely to find themselves lost a little too often, since very little is explained concerning the plot (in short, it's not made clear how the characters come to feel the way they do at virtually any time), making it difficult to follow and enjoy.
It is not, in any way, an insult to its written counterpart, and takes good advantage of most of its best quotes, but surely doesn't come anywhere near its greatness and intensity.In conclusion, while I don't regret viewing the film, I'm strongly convinced I won't be going out of my way to watch any other movie version of this classic ever again..
And no other characters of Juliette Binoche in her movies could made me so satisfying to look at her than "Wuthering Heights".
An absolutely classical love story by Emily Bronte filmed by Peter Kosminsky who did an excellent job not only by capturing the whole essence of the story but also by picturing the XVII/XVIII century England really well.The main story is about three generations that occupied an estate called the Wuthering Heights.
This was the first Fiennes movie I saw and Ralph Fiennes was the Heathcliff I imagined whilst reading the novel, fiercely handsome, passionate and romantic.
That includes some of the most important scenes building Cathy's character, like the one where she invites her new friends Edgar & Isabella to visit her at WH, and there is an argument which shows her temper underneath her "ladylike" veneer, not to mention Edgar's weakness.Or the wonderful talk with Ellen where she discusses being thrown out of heaven and cast back down to Wuthering Heights (although that scene still has a great woman-to-woman feel).
I also liked the way the director wrapped the story back to the beginning scenes.Binoche was believable as her own daughter, even in the scenes with Heathcliff, which, considering that we've been seeing them as lovers for an hour before that, is quite an accomplishment.I loved the device of Emily Bronte narrating, and Sinead O'Connor was an excellent choice.I liked the suggestion that Cathy's spirit is protecting her daughter, something missing (as far as I can tell) from the original.
Juliette Binoche has a good death scene as Cathy, where Cathy imagines she can see Wuthering Heights...and the scene where Heathcliff breaks into the chapel and holds her body is unforgettable.In spite of its flaws, I would recommend this to Bronte fans..
I have a special attachment for this movie because it is based upon one of my most favourite classic stories.The most favourite aspect this movie is the excellent acting by Ralph Fiennes who portrayed the character of Heathcliff exactly as it was in my mind.And one more thing ...
People who didn't read the book may struggle to understand Heathcliff's actions or his complex inner world.But, considering the fact that the filming of such an intense story about love and mad passion is extremely difficult,next to impossible, I must admit that this is, by far, the best attempt at it anyone has ever made..
That said, if you took away the soundtrack and applied a contemporary one, we may be talking about a serious contender.The 1970 version suffers from having a miscast Cathy, and as much as I admire Juliette Binoche, I have to knock a mark off for the same issue here, although that said, she really does her very best and aside from the French accent that is just about detectable, there is no doubting the passion she brings to the role.Ralph Fiennes is every bit as good as Olivier and Dalton.
I could think of no one better than Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes to play the roles of Kathryn and Heathcliff.
Just think if I had not seen that particular version I would most probably not even know who Heathcliff was!( Heathcliff of course played by the very handsome and talented actor Ralph Finnes!!)Well in conclusion I hope you will take some thought to go and rent this movie.
Heathcliff vows vengeance on the Lintons by marrying Edgar's sister Isabella (Sophie Ward) and then also torturing Cathy and Edgar's daughter, Catherine Linton (Juliette Binoche- again!).The film's mistake is that it is too tentative in the first half.
Binoche is much better as the daughter and Fiennes is stronger as older Heathcliff.One of the good things about the adaptation is its fidelity to the novel.
However Fiennes' Heathcliff is suavely evil.The inclusion of the second half of the novel is really what recommends this film and why fans of the novel should put it top of their list of adaptations to see.
The film is awesome, watched numerous times and never tire of it, the setting and scenery are second to none, Ralph Fiennes, is the best Heathcliff ever, superb This film is by far the best adaption, I cant and wont watch any other version.I've lived in North Yorkshire, and visited Haworth and the Bronte Museum, where the props from the film are kept, there life and times are very realistic to this film, magnificent moors and scenery as in the film.I must also add that the cast of this film are well suited to their parts, and were outstanding in the roles they played.
The bewitchingly beautiful Juliette Binoche plays both Catherine Earnshaw and her daughter Cathy Linton and one can imagine why a man would go mad for love of such a woman.
As the tormented and cruel Heathcliff, Ralph Fiennes is credibly dark.Another great virtue of this film version is that, unlike many other movie adaptations of this enigmatic novel, it covers the whole story, rather than stopping at the death of Catherine.
The novel is a long one covering three decades, so no film can depict all the incidents, but arguably the most pivotal scene is when Catherine declares her intention to marry Edgar Linton while confessing her love for Heathcliff and this scene is there in this movie..
The acting is also excellent, particularly Fiennes' masterly, scorpionic Heathcliff and Janet McTeer's understated Nelly.I have always felt, quite seriously, that Kate Bush's five minute song was the most intense and faithful interpretation of 'Wuthering Heights', and if there is anything lacking in this film, it is that song's wild, unhinged momentum.
In actual fact it would make more sense in this form, as a BBC series once showed.Wuthering Heights is far from a great film, but it couldn't be much better because the central novel is also far too limited to be anything more than a time-filler for the non hardcore romantic or English literature student.
The 1939 film is a classic romantic tragedy, offering sympathy for all the characters in varied ways, but this blames it all on the wretched heathcliff, and the extended version cut from the book, prolongs the agony for lovers of oliver and oberon's masterpiece.
Ralph Fiennes is from his looks the perfect Heathcliff and as a good actor I was missing him screaming with pain after Cathy's death.
Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite romantic English novels.That's why I was curios to see all the movies based on this book.
Unfornutately, this version was a great disappointment for me, taking into consideration the actors chosen for playing Cathy and Heathcliff.
This is one of the few classic's, I have not read or watched an adaption of before, and it surprised me as it was quite scary in places, and I thought "Wuthering heights" was a love story.It's very dark in spirit this film, showing the pain and damage love can cause, the way the locations are captured is also very cold, making this overall quite a bleak, depressing film.
Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw (Juliette Binoche) fall in love.This version of the Emily Brontë novel is most notable for Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes early in their careers.
so, the escape is Ralph Fiennes as the real Heathcliff, not a surprise but real useful for rediscover a character in its profound complexity and Juliette Binoche in a Cathy who represents more than a victim of love.
To think that Heathcliff and Cathy are supposed to be in love is ludicrous, considering the amount of chemistry between Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.If you want to see a classic film, watch the 1939 version.
The film is a rather faithful adaptation of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.
The pairing of Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes made for a great film.
I'm a big fan of Emily Bronte's novel, and have recently been trying to get my hands on movie adaptions (So far, I've only gotten the 1939 black and white version and this one).
The scenes were breathtaking, however; Binoche was beautiful; and Ralph Fiennes is the most indescribable actor I've ever watched.
I had already read the book and I thought it would be impossible to adapt a novel where time is the main character.
Peter Kosminksy directed this faithful adaptation of the Emily Bronte classic entitled,Wuthering Heights.It features Juliette Binoche,Ralph Fiennes and Janet McTeer.Set against the stark beauty of the English moor, the mysterious gypsy boy Heathcliff, adopted by the Earnshaw family, discovers his soul mate in his stepsister Cathy.Also,he is a wanderer.He is looked down upon by his stepbrothers and becomes a servant.
I love "Wuthering Heights" as a book and I enjoy comparing adaptations.
While Ralph Fiennes is one of the best Heathcliffs I've ever seen and I was elated that the second generation was kept intact, this 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights left me indifferent.