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Emily Brontë's timeless love novel, Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, has been celebrated as a 'sleeper' hit for generations. It continues to successfully touch readers' hearts and provoke their imagination. The novel also spawned fertile ground for innovative film interpretations on account of its complexity in characters and darkness in themes.
So far, Wuthering Heights has been used as a source for the screen no less than 14 times. Each adaptation gives its flavor and interpretation to Brontë's tale, reflecting the era and culture in which it was written. This article will examine these 14 film adaptations, discussing their specialties and contributions to the series of Wuthering Heights.
14 adaptations of Wuthering Heights
1) Wuthering Heights (1920)
This 1920 silent British adaptation of Wuthering Heights was directed by A. V. Bramble with Milton Rosmer as Heathcliff and Ann Trevor as Cathy. It was the first adaptation of the novel and was filmed in and around Brontë's home village of Haworth.
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Unfortunately, this film is now lost, so no copy of it is known to exist today. In 2014, a script and some production stills were found, which are now displayed at the Brontë Parsonage Museum.
2) Wuthering Heights (1939)
William Wyler directed this version of Wuthering Heights shot in 1939, where Heathcliff is played by Laurence Olivier and Cathy by Merle Oberon, with Edgar Linton portrayed by David Niven. This version only covers the first 16 chapters of Emily Brontë's book, ignoring the second generation of characters.
This acclaimed film received eight Academy Award nominations and even won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Film in 1939. It was even awarded the Oscar for Best Cinematography by Gregg Toland. It was declared in 2007 to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" for preservation to the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
3) Abismos de Pasión (1954)
Mexican-made adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights, Abismos de Pasión (1954), is directed by Luis Buñuel. It features Jorge Mistral as Alejandro, alias Heathcliff, and Irasema Dilián as Catalina, alias Cathy.
Buñuel's cinematic version gained success, where the setting was the Mexican countryside, and the story was given his surrealist touch. Hence, this movie retains the fervor that two lovebirds had for one another's obsessive love and clings to the gothic dimension of the novel.
4) Arzoo (1950)
This is a Hindi classical romantic drama film by director Shaheed Latif. It was produced by Hiten Chaudhary and stars Dilip Kumar as Badal and Kamini Kaushal as Kammo with Shashikala in another important role. The screenplay was penned by Ismat Chughtai while the composition of the music of the film was done by Anil Biswas.
It is a coming-of-age love story between childhood neighbors Badal and Kammo. However, upon coming of age, Kammo's father doesn't accept their love because Badal does not have a stable place to stay. The movie is loosely fashioned from the novel, where Badal plays the role of Heathcliff and Kammo of Catherine.
5) Hulchul (1951)
This is a Hindi drama film directed by S. K. Ojha and produced by K. Asif. The cast includes Dilip Kumar as Kishore and Nargis as Asha with supporting actors K. N. Singh, Balraj Sahni, and Jeevan. It was written by Hasrat Jaipuri, while the music was composed by Mohammed Shafi and Sajjad Hussain.
Kishore is the Indian version of Heathcliff and Asha equivalent to Catherine. With these themes of love, betrayal, and revenge, this movie unfolds in the backdrop of Indian society.
6) Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966)
Directed by Abdul Rashid Kardar, the movie features Dilip Kumar (Shankar), Waheeda Rehman (Roopa), and Pran (Thakur Ramesh). The characters adapted from Wuthering Heights are plotted against the background of the Indian setting.
The story revolves around the love romance between Shankar, a poor orphan dwelling with a rich landlord, and his daughter, Roopa, who is against her brother, Ramesh, as he hates Shankar. The movie explores themes of love, betrayal, and revenge.
7) Wuthering Heights (1970)
This version also narrates the first half of the novel by Emily Brontë, which ends at the end with the death of Cathy but does not involve the characters of the second generation. The 1970 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights was directed by Robert Fuest and starred Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff and Anna Calder-Marshall as Cathy.
It is known for its dramatic and gothic atmosphere combined with breathtaking cinematography by John Coquillon and the haunting score by Michel Legrand. Photographed on location in the Yorkshire Moors, this lends to the authenticity and mood of the narrative.
8) Hurlevent (1985)
Hurlevent is a French drama film directed by Jacques Rivette in 1985. It is a cinematic translation of Emily Brontë's novel, although the movie was shot in southern France in the 1930s. Fabienne Babe plays Catherine, while Lucas Belvaux is presented as Roch (Heathcliff). Olivier Cruveiller plays the role of Guillaume brother of Catherine.
Unlike most other adaptations, Rivette's version stands out because of the distinctive way he depicts the complicated and dramatic relationships between the characters, just like in the novel itself. The film is a reflection of the gothic and passionate nature of Brontë's novel but with the setting of French culture and history.
9) Onimaru (1988)
Onimaru (1988), also known as Wuthering Heights, is a Japanese drama film. Yoshishige Yoshida directed the adaptation of the novel by Emily Brontë set in medieval Japan. Lead actor Yūsaku Matsuda plays Onimaru or Heathcliff and Yūko Tanaka plays Kinu Yamabe or Catherine.
The movie narrates the intense and obsessive love affair between Onimaru and Kinu, which differs from the passionate and stormy love affair in the Brontë novel. The film competed at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.
10) Hihintayin Kita sa Langit (1991)
Hihintayin Kita sa Langit (1991), translated as I'll Wait for You in Heaven, is a Filipino romantic drama film directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna. Main Cast Richard Gomez plays Gabriel, while Dawn Zulueta plays Carmina; he also has supporting actors, namely Michael de Mesa, Eric Quizon, and Jackie Lou Blanco.
It is loosely adapted from Wuthering Heights, transposed in the Philippines. The movie plots follows Gabriel, an adopted orphan, and Carmina, the adopted daughter of his adoptive father, in the tumultuous love they share amidst many social and familial obstacles. The film's hits are its passionate performances and the beautifully shot cinematography.
11) Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1992)
Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1992) is a drama film by director Peter Kosminsky. There, Ralph Fiennes portrays Heathcliff and Juliette Binoche in a double role as Catherine Earnshaw and her daughter, Catherine Linton. This is one of the few adaptations depicting the second-generation characters from the novel.
The movie was a tale of the deep passionate love of Heathcliff and Catherine and how Heathcliff later on, sought revenge. The believable cinematography by Mike Southon and the haunting soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto added to the movie's atmospheric and emotional entrenchment.
It was Ralph Fiennes's first movie while Juliette Binoche's performance also received great accolades since it proved her mettle as an actress.
12) The Promise (2007)
Also called Ang Pangako, this is another Filipino romantic drama film by Mike Tuviera. The script was, in fact, adapted from the 1991 film Hihintayin Kita sa Langit. The stars include Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin as Daniel and Andrea.
The film tells the story of Daniel and Andrea, who endure suffering because they love each other and want to grow and live together regardless of social barriers and Andrea's tyrant brother. The film captures the intense and tragic love in the main roles under the tonality of the original Brontë novel.
13) Wuthering Heights (2011)
Wuthering Heights (2011) is Andrea Arnold's British Gothic romantic drama film. In this version, Kaya Scodelario portrayed Catherine Earnshaw, and James Howson was Heathcliff.
It is characterized by raw and gritty storytelling; the movie is set in the childhood and adolescence of Heathcliff and Catherine. The multiracial portrayal of Heathcliff is fit for Brontë's original description of the character as a "dark-skinned gypsy".
Robbie Ryan was the cinematographer for the film, and it has an atmospheric score done by Mumford & Sons, so there is nothing but uniqueness and an experience of a lifetime. This film was produced and released in 2011 at the Venice Film Festival. It was critically acclaimed for being courageous and unorthodox.
14) Wuthering Heights (TBA)
Next in line for an adaptation, directing will be Emerald Fennell, of Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, the film will star Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw; the adaptation is being made in preproduction in the UK in 2025.
Casting decisions have also attracted some controversy, with diverse fan reactions to the presence of Elordi and Robbie. Hopefully, Fennell will do much better this time with the leading strength from the actors.
