In the William Wyler film version of Wuthering Heights (1939), starring Laurence Olivier, gone is the slow working out of Heathcliff’s ugly revenge and his final casting-off of it. Gone is the focus on death following error and disillusionment. Gone are the countervailing values of Catherine’s daughter, Cathy Linton, and Hareton; there are no Cathy Linton and Hareton in this film. Gone is most of the novel’s morality. This is not what Emily Bronte intended. One could never get any idea of the brilliance she demonstrated in Wuthering Heights from watching this inadequate film.
Cover of Wuthering Heights
