Wuthering Heights
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Movie Reviews of Wuthering Heights
Movie Review: Fiennes and Binoche, simply outstanding
Summary: 5 Stars
The performance of Binoche and Finness in Wuthering Heights was amazingly powerful. People often criticize the movie, but, I believe, the director was extraordinarily faithful to the original story. All criticism was directed at how sadistic Heathcliff(Ralph Fiennes) was towards everybody. It is the director's right to add or omit whatever he finds necessary to make a movie version of the book. In this case, the director's choice was to have the characters semi identical to the book's original ones.
It's very simple, if you loved the novel, you would love the movie and forgive the portions that were omitted, and admire the total focus on Heathcliff's anger, and evil side. It's not the movie/director/actors' fault that the novel original characters are actually defected, imperfect human beings.
Even though Wuthering Heights is a great piece of literature, a wild emotional story that is written in a fascinating way, the characters always puzzled me. If everybody is calling Heathcliff a sadistic crazy man, what then is Catherine? I believe that Catherine is even more sadistic and cruel than any other character in the novel.
Catharine was completely engaged in self worship and didn't care about any other human being. The only thing she loved about Heathcliff was his love and devotion to her. She enjoyed breaking his heart, breaking her husband's heart, and enjoyed torturing Edgar's sister with her sense of entitlement to Heathcliff and his love.
"..Why did you betray your heart Catherine?....I forgive my murderer, but yours, I will never forgive..." yeah, Fiennes got to me saying these words, but for the love of God, how delusional can people be? Nobody broke Heathcliff's heart but his Catherine, and no one killed Catherine.
Five stars, to Wuthering Heights for its timeless depiction of human dark side, and when I say dark side, I mean every character in the movie except Catharine the daughter. To me, Catharine the daughter is the only character with some common sense and virtue. I would give more than five stars to the movie if possible, simply because Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche captured so well, the darkest side of love and selfishness as the stars of a great novel.
Movie Review: ONE OF THE FINEST OF 'FIENNES'
Summary: 5 Stars
I must say I was completely surprised by this magnificent film. I had seen other versions and even wrote a review I felt so strongly about the Timothy Dalton portrayal. However, nothing really matches this rendition and Ralph Fiennes is absolutely Heathcliff. You feel the pain, anger, hate, and obsessive love with every scene in this film and it truly follows the book more closely than any other version I have seen. Like I said in the past, this used to be my least favorite of the classics. Now I must confess I believe it is my favorite. I love this tragic love story and believe the Fiennes/Binoche performances exceed all others. You become totally immersed in Heathcliff's suffering and his need to strike out at all who have hurt and abused him and kept him pushed down so that there was never any hope of his obtaining a position that would allow him to marry Cathy. One of the strange things about this story to me is that Heathcliff is the bad guy throughout but I notice that his actions are really reactions to others' cruelty to him. At least this seems true up to the time he is a young man at which point his major abusive behavior kicks in. And, Cathy is always pointing out his ill-kempt appearance, seemingly forgetting that he is forced to live in the stables and has one set of rags to wear. This is a part of this story that has always irritated me about Cathy and her taunting behavior and lack of compassion for his predicament. Anyway, you must do yourself a big favor and get this movie. You will not be disappointed believe me, and you wll find yourself choosing to watch this over and over again. And, one other important thing: no matter how difficult it is to like some of these characters, they all reach your heart in some way at some time in this film. Be sure to be prepared for a good cry when you decide to watch this film.
Movie Review: A Crush is Born
Summary: 5 Stars
Irritated beyond belief after hearing that annoying Kate Bush song "Wuthering Heights", I thought I'd rather be shot in the kneecap with a .22 then actually watch the movie. I finally gave in when Ralph Fiennes made a toss at it.
Most people already know the story of Heathcliff; humiliated as a child, he gets even with his tormentors when he grows up and his revenge isn't so sweet, least of all Heathcliff. I'm just going to focus on Fiennes in this review. He is so hot, it's unbelievable. This is the film that put him in my NUMBER ONE CELEBRITY CRUSH position, a title he still holds to this day. The looks he gives, I guess some people would say he's overacting but noooooo, he isn't. He's just so super hot some people can't handle what a `true player for reals' he is. You should totally buy this movie. It's only like $1.00 used but if you do buy it, I swear to God you'll be crushing on Ralph just like me.
And he's a really good actor, which you can tell because if you just watch him you can feel every word he says. He was trained at RADA and it's obvious he's a skilled actor, especially when he's beating on someone or slapping some chick or throwing dishes around. Also, I read that the girl that played Cathy, Juliette Binoche, had no formal training and was discovered working at Boots. I'm sorry but it shows. She was obviously English trying to do a French accent trying to do an English accent and I was like, just be English, duh.
This version of Wuthering Heights is the best because that Kate Bush song is not in it at all and because they used Ralph Fiennes for Heathcliff. The Ryuichi Sakamoto song was very irritating, too. It made me want to hurt myself and others so now I put on `mute' until I know for sure that part is over.
Movie Review: magical and poetic
Summary: 5 Stars
"It's a rough journey and a sad heart to travel it..."
One of my favorite films, this film has excellence in all its elements; the sensitivity of Peter Kominsky's direction, Mike Souther's gorgeous cinematography shot on location in North Yorkshire, and the loveliest of soundtracks by Ryuichi Sakamoto are the canvas onto which the elegance and fluidity of Emily Bronte's words are painted, and it's the words that I delight in most of all...there is no end to the times I can watch this film, just to hear them.
Comparing this film to the 1939 version is a hopeless pursuit, as both are vastly different, and one film should not take the shine from the other, as one cannot evaluate whether Rembrandt is better than Van Gogh.
Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as Heathcliff, in a performance that reveals more of its complexity and dark passion with every viewing, with his brooding looks and a violence that is never far from the surface. Juliette Binoche is luminous as Cathy (as well as her daughter in the latter part of the film), and though I do admit she lapses into a French accent from time to time, I don't think it minimizes her wonderful performance.
The supporting cast is superb, with Janet McTeer as Ellen, Sophie Ward as Isabella, Simon Shepherd as Edgar, and Jeremy Northam as Hindley.
Sinead O'Connor is effective as Emily Bronte, in the beginning and end of the film, and also narrating portions of the film, with her soft, misty voice.
I find this a magical adaptation...a gloriously written and visually captivating gothic romance, a battle of wills and hearts, vengeance and a love that goes beyond the grave. Total running time is 107 minutes.
Movie Review: "Heathcliff, do come to me."
Summary: 5 Stars
To me, Heathcliff is one of the most complex and compelling characters ever written and I had once thought that any actor would fall short in playing him in a film or miniseries. Having watched this beautiful and haunting adaptation of one of my favorite novels of all time, I have to say that Ralph Fiennes has more than succeeded in bringing the aforementioned anti-hero to life. Emily Bronte would have been proud. Everyone who has read Wuthering Heights knows about the tragic love story between Cathy and Heathcliff and how he becomes a dark, brooding, manipulative, diabolical man who takes his revenge on the people who he feels have wronged him and torn him away from Cathy, including her daughter and his own child and ward. Fiennes brings out Heathcliff's many conflicting emotions flawlessly and his performance floored me. Juliette Binoche as Cathy Linton/Catherine Earnshaw is great as well. The supporting cast is quite splendid too -- no cardboard cutout performances here! The backdrop of the moors is beautiful and gothic, just like Bronte described them in her book. I am very impressed with this adaptation. I haven't seen the 1939 film adaptation or the miniseries from Masterpiece Theater yet, but I wonder if they come close to this wonderful film. The BBC will produce an adaptation some time next year and I think that Richard Armitage (North and South) would make a wonderful Heathcliff because he too could bring many nuances to his acting. In the meantime, I shall treasure this one and watch it over and over again.