Review: "Wuthering Heights" is the fine line between love and tragedy

As my wife and I were leaving the theater, after seeing “Wuthering Heights” on February 14th, I leaned over and whispered, "I guess this was more of a tragedy than a love story.” Of course, maybe that was the point of the movie. To have people asking, Where does love end and pain begin?

”Wuthering Heights” is not a faithful reproduction of Emily Brontë’s novel. It’s more akin to a reimagined cover song. The characters and setting lend themselves to be used in new ways. It’s a story that’s trimmed and squeezed to fit into the Wuthering Heights frame. For better or worse, the movie is a gothic love story that will make you feel something when it’s finished. If that seems appealing, then I would recommend seeing it sooner rather than later. If not, then wait for it to come to a streaming service.

Romantics will only remember the sweeping landscapes

I was not expecting the heavy breathing that opened “Wuthering Heights” to be the violent imagery that it was. I also wasn’t expecting as much blood, mess, and vomiting as there was. Maybe that’s on me for not considering it more beforehand. But in the end, the thing that keeps lingering in my mind isn’t the bits of gore scattered throughout. It’s the longing stares, the passionate embraces, and the unbridled tension.

This movie is cleverly designed to separate the romantics from everyone else. In that way, it’s a bit of a Rorschach test. Those who want to see the desperate love in the decisions being made by Cathy and Heathcliff will. Those who want to pick apart the travesties and despair in life will easily be able to do that, too.

“Wuthering Heights” cuts out characters and large portions from the book so it can drill down on the tension of love. And in doing that, it makes everything about the film dramatic. Almost every scene is a spectacle in one way or another. And for all the transitional parts that might be otherwise subdued, that’s when the stormy weather, house, and isolated location become the drama. For that reason, the whole thing can weigh heavily by the end.

Because “Wuthering Heights” is so engaging on different sensory levels, visual and auditory, it’s hard to forget once it’s over. As someone who’s never seen romanticism in the Gothic era, I thought this movie manages to capture and share some of that magic. Wild winds, constant fog, and heavy storms aren’t an ideal living situation, but writer and director Emerald Fennell injects enough emotion into it all so that it isn’t miserable.

Is “Wuthering Heights” worth watching?

“Wuthering Heights” might not be the adaptation that some people were looking for, but as a dramatic story about love, it hits its mark. The movie is visually rich and musically lush. It’s a dense meal that’s both bitter and sweet as it goes down, but it lingers long after it’s finished.

Anyone contemplating the true vastness of love and all that it encompasses will surely find more to think on when the credits roll. Even if you’re not someone who defaults to seeing romance in everything, the film might still feel intense and fully engaging. Those who lean towards seeing tragedy might come away depressed. Is it a tragedy or a love story? Is there a difference? But the romantics out there will likely come away remembering the movie as a sweeping montage.