University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

Suffering Bronte

By Paul Chaplin
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

There are two ways of looking
at American International's film
version of "Wuthering Heights." It
may be examined as a rendering of
Emily Bronte's novel, or it may be
regarded as an updating of William
Wyler's 1939 film, which starred
Lawrence Olivier and Merle
Oberon. To juxtapose the newer
film with the older would certainly
be a tour de force in which a critic
could develop interesting ideas
about acting techniques, the auteur
theory, and perhaps even the
"studio look" of the two films. I'm
not equipped to handle such a
review, and it would be of no great
interest to an average filmgoer.

Skims The Plot

Obviously "Wuthering Heights"
(1970) must be judged on its own
merits. Whenever a film is based on
a novel, it is immediately compared
to the original written source. A
film adaptation of a play or musical
also faces such comparisons, yet
dramatic sources are naked torsos
that directors cover with cloths
which are their interpretations of
the work. In a novel, especially one
like "Wuthering Heights," the
author usually has the work fully
clothed. The story is complete in
print — everything is there, from
descriptions of rooms and
characters to reporting how a
character speaks.

My primary objection to
"Wuthering Heights" is that this
presentation is not the same, not
the complete story that Emily
Bronte wrote. Patrick Tilley's script
neatly skims the surface of the
book for a plot, and then creates a
new ending, omitting material in
the second half of the novel. It's
been a while since I've read
"Wuthering Heights," though I
believe those familiar with the
novel would agree that the
symmetry of the plot is part of the
beauty of the novel.

American International's
production appears to be an
attempt to achieve the effects of
Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet,"
namely having two tragic lovers
whom fate will not unite, and then
are ultimately destroyed. Timothy
Dalton is physically qualified to
play Heathcliff; he is dark,
handsome and mysterious.
Unfortunately, his acting skill relies
heavily on loud screaming, or just
looking dark, handsome and
mysterious. Anna Calder-Marshall
plays a vivid Catherine and her
performance is the strongest in the
film.