From Kate Bush’s otherworldly pop anthem to Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon embracing on the wild Yorkshire moors, Wuthering Heights is one of the most adapted works of literature in the western world.
One of the most critically acclaimed adaptations to date was Andrea Arnold’s art house take on Emily Brontë’s only novel, released in 2011. Arnold’s film, following her roots in neo-realist filmmaking, adopted a low-key approach to characterisation.
She used improvisational dialogue and placed emphasis on the characters’ relationships with the natural world. The result was a beautifully evocative depiction of the Yorkshire landscape, but a rather understated telling of the novel’s central love story between the foundling Heathcliff and proud, passionate Cathy.
