Content warning: this review mentions physical and animal abuse.
Welcome to Part 11 of looking at various adaptations of Wuthering Heights and seeing if they can capture the spirit of the book by Emily Brontë. Today, I’ll be looking at the 2011 movie starring James Howson as Heathcliff and Kaya Scodelario as Catherine.
This is the first film version directed by a woman. Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold took the reins of this project. I wondered how long it would take to do that since the book was written by a woman. But, do you know what else I pondered about? When were we going to get a non-white Heathcliff? Behold, this adaptation answers the call. Anytime I think about this, the Hallelujah chorus chimes in!
Then, I watched the movie. This is not to say that it’s bad, far from it. It definitely has things going for it, yet it has some issues. Let’s talk about what worked. First, I love how authentically unlavish everything looks. The Wuthering Heights estate resembles a prison with its dim lights, narrow spaces, and drained colors. Thrushcross Grange has more hue, but it comes off as sterile. The outdoor scenes are well done with plenty of shots of the open fields and mud by the former estate. The nature-based soundtrack accompanies the setting very well. It all felt lived in.
Second, this is one of the few adaptations, in which almost every character is unlikeable. This is in tune with the spirit of the novel. Everyone has their flaws, even characters like Mr. Earnshaw. He wants his children to be good Christians, but he inflicts physical punishments on them, especially Heathcliff and Hindley. People might see that as un-Christian.
Third, as I mentioned earlier, this is the first version that contains a Heathcliff played by a non-white actor. While there have been great performances by a white man playing that character, it’s more believable when an actor of color takes on that role. Heathcliff is immediately singled out and abused based on his physical appearance, particularly his darker skin. For instance, when he comes to Wuthering Heights, the first thing that happens to him is Nelly stripping him of his clothes and slapping him. Later, Mr. Earnshaw tries to assimilate him into the community by getting him baptized. This ends with Heathcliff sprinting out of the church.
Fourth, the first half of the flick is young Catherine and Heathcliff running around on the Moors and developing their relationship. Even though it omits the second part of the novel, I didn’t mind it at all since it contains the most fleshed-out bond between the two. It truly shows how they want to dominate each other. This is especially true with Heathcliff grabbing Catherine’s wrist and she pulling out a clump of his hair. Solomon Grave and Shannon Beer – the child actors who play these characters – are engaging and have plenty of chemistry. Honestly, if the movie were simply those two spending time together, it would’ve been five stars.
However, the flick also has its flaws. The first reason is the pacing. While the film moves steadily in the first half, it drags in the second part. I even began to wonder when it was going to end, and it did a minute later. It didn’t help that there were so many flashbacks that I felt like I was in Inception. The second is that James Howson is not good. He’s more passive than most interpretations of the adult Heathcliff, which isn’t in the spirit of the character. In the novel, when he comes back, he has a revenge plan and acts on it. Howson’s Heathcliff reacts to what people say or do and gets emotional or violent. What’s worse is that Howson barely shows any emotions besides smugness and extreme sadness (the second when Catherine dies). Part of me feels bad for saying all of that because this was the only acting role he got, and there hasn’t been a Heathcliff played by a multi-racial actor since. At the same time, the idea of having a person of color playing that character would’ve fared better after years of whitewashing if his performance was more effective. Kaya Scodelario fares much better as Catherine. She truly understands how that character is a stubborn, spoiled brat who wants to dominate others.
Even if viewers tolerate the aforementioned flaws, this isn’t meant for everyone. While I like the cinematography since it contains some beautiful shots, there are a lot of hand-held camera movements, especially when Heathcliff is running away from something. It’s so prevalent that some people might get annoyed. And, there’s animal cruelty. The book and the 1998 Masterpiece Theatre movie have that, yet this version takes it to a whole new level. Not only is there the disturbing scene with Isabella’s dog from the novel, but also there are sections involving Heathcliff skinning a sheep (which draws blood) and snapping a rabbit’s neck. My husband, who has seen many Wuthering Heights adaptations, thankfully didn’t view this one because he has a hard time with animal abuse.
The 2011 Wuthering Heights movie has its pros and cons. On one hand, the aesthetics are great, and it displays the most developed relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine. On the other hand, although it has a non-white actor as Heathcliff, I wish he was better. The pacing doesn’t help either. It won’t appeal to everyone. I would only recommend it to those watching every adaptation of Wuthering Heights and can tolerate animal abuse.
Now, let’s see how this one fits into the ranking.
- Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights 1992 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 2009 Series
- Wuthering Heights 1939 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1958 Teleplay
- Wuthering Heights 2011 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1967 Series
- Wuthering Heights 1998 Television Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1970 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1950 Teleplay
- Wuthering Heights 2026 Movie
We’ll see how this ranking evolves after I see all the others.
Stay tuned next month when I review the last adaptation I saw – 2022 movie with Bryan Ferriter and Jet Jandreau.
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything 