Film Analysis Of Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights written by Emily Brontë and published in 1847, tells of a story of love, obsession, hate and revenge. The author was told to be of a mysterious and reclusive character whereby biographers found it to be a challenge to source information on her shortly lived life. The protagonists of Wuthering Heights, formed a dark love, as the book is a gothic novel which aims to horrify and fascinate readers by integrating passion, cruelty and even supernatural elements. This classic fiction tale, was adapted as a film in 2009 by ITV with screenplay by Peter Bowker, directed by Coky Giedroyc and produced by Radford Neville. This essay attempts to analyse and evaluate Neville’s film adaption of Wuthering Heights, based on the points

Lockwood and Nelly Dean. This gave the film a credible source of emotions and information. Excluding the two narrative perspectives, allowed for unbiased point of views, as the film director also came to the conclusion that they were not credible as a narrative voice. In fact, according to Neville, “the camera lens is not suited for an unreliable narrative perspective.” It would have been unreliable for Nelly Dean and Mr. Lockwood to explain the story as they detested Heathcliff and would have portrayed him in a negative light as seen through their quotes from the novel, “"Hindley hated him, and to say the truth I did the same,” "gipsy," "wicked boy," "villain," and "imp of Satan.” Hence, opting for a different method in allowing the audience to perceive their own opinions from the movie. Through the audience watching a story and left to put the puzzle together, allows for a greater range of emotions and formation of their own judgements and conclusions. The director uses zooming in on the characters to capture emotions such as the scenes where Heathcliff and Catherine argue and where Catherine expresses her unhindered love for Heathcliff to Nelly revealing the theme of love. It is used as an “in the moment” spectator, as the lens is positioned to show the characters full face apart from the body to capture expression. This is done

The setting portrayed the time frame in which the movie was supposed to be set in, being the 1800’s which adds to how the image was maintained with the description from the novel. There was the presence of horse driven carriages, Victorian British clothing and the proof of no electronic items. According to Clare B. Dunkle in 2010, “Location-wise, the building used for the Wuthering Heights farmhouse is a poor choice. That is not the impression one would get from the movie where it resembles a gothic mansion perched upon a hill with no hint of animals or farm work.” In spite of this criticism, the distinction between the two locations were clear as Thrushcross Grange in the film showed a better, wealthier up kept mansion compared to Wuthering Heights. It represents refinement, class, cultivation, and propriety as it consists of expensive furniture and expatiating décor when compared to the old mansion that has moss growing on it. The Heights sits exposed on a stormy hilltop, but the Grange is calm and protected down in the valley. There is continuous back and forth movement on horse and foot throughout the movie as would be expected in a 19th century