Wuthering Heights (2011)

A poor boy of unknown origins is rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his young foster sister, Cathy. Based on the classic novel by Emily Bronte.

Director:

Andrea Arnold

Writers:

Andrea Arnold (screenplay), Olivia Hetreed (screenplay),

Stars:

James Howson, Solomon Glave, Shannon Beer

5 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Howson	...	Heathcliff
Solomon Glave	...	Young Heathcliff
Paul Hilton	...	Mr. Earnshaw
Shannon Beer	...	Young Catherine Earnshaw
Simone Jackson	...	Ellen Dean
Steve Evets	...	Joseph
Lee Shaw	...	Hindley Earnshaw
Adam Lock	...	Pastor
Amy Wren	...	Frances Earnshaw
Eve Coverley	...	Young Isabella Linton
Jonny Powell	...	Young Edgar Linton (as Jonathan Powell)
Oliver Milburn	...	Mr. Linton
Emma Ropner	...	Mrs. Linton
Richard Guy	...	Gamekeeper Robert
Michael Hughes	...	Hareton

Storyline

A poor boy of unknown origins is rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his young foster sister, Cathy. Based on the classic novel by Emily Bronte.

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Plot Keywords:

foster sister | tragic love | horse riding | foster family | child abuse | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Anemodarmena ypsi

Filming Locations:

Cotescue Park, Coverham, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,956 (USA) (5 October 2012)

Gross:

$96,889 (USA) (30 November 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ecosse Films, Film4, HanWay Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min 128 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority lent various historic items from their museum collection to be used for set dressing: stoneware jars and pottery items, child's cradle, peat barrow, peat spades, oatcake making equipment including thivel, board and cake stand, knitting stick and backcan for carrying milk from the field to the farm house. These items are usually on public display at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, Wensleydale.

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Crazy Credits

After all credits, including distributors' credits, there is a final shot of Heathcliff.

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Connections

Version of Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966)

User Reviews

Failed attempt to shock

Saw this at the Venice film festival last week. It had quite a few walk outs near the beginning (probably the strong Yorkshire accents with lots of background noise made it unintelligible for non native English speakers) and they were the lucky ones as it certainly did not improve over the following 2 hours.

The director's main aim seemed to be to try and shock audiences who thought they were coming to an Emma Thompson type costume drama by making the film as morose as possible and throwing in lots of swearing, violence and a bit of necrophilia. Unfortunately the only shocking thing was that they had managed to make such a bad film out of a classic novel.

There were numerous petty things which annoyed me about this film, e.g. the use of pathetic fallacy with the weather is way over the top (the Earnshaws live under a constant biblical downpour whereas there rich neighbours in the next door valley have a climate from a fruit juice advert); the cameraman either had Parkinson's or had been previously employed in one of those American police series where reality is represented by a constantly jerky camera; the actors playing the adult Cathy and Heathcliff look nothing like their younger selves - Heathcliff even appears to have changed race!; would a 19th century strict Christian father be happy with someone sleeping with his teenage daughter in the house?; would a 19th century Heathcliff be able to swan around Edgar house willy nilly? I could go on.

Most importantly I think the director fails completely in making us feel any sympathy for her characters. Heathcliff has a hard time of it in his youth but has no redeeming features. It's not helped by the fact that the actor playing the adult Heathcliff is atrociously bad at his job.

I have no problem with making Wuthering Heights dark and brooding but make it a bit less daft.