This 1998 TV version of Wuthering Heights is superb, if a touch flawed in a few fundamental areas. Novel purists will be sure to adore this one.
Robert Cavanah might be the most evil portrayal of Heathcliff I've seen yet. Oh he does have his sympathetic moments, but overall this version really plays up how despicable he is, even going so far as to having him sexually assault Isabella on their wedding night. Other highlights in the cast are Sarah Smart as the second Catherine and Matthew Macfadyen as Hareton, whose animosity evolves into the love that finally breaks Heathcliff's desire for vengeance. In fact, one of this miniseries' greatest strengths is the second generation, so rarely incorporated into WH adaptations.
My main gripe is that some areas are too, well, nice for this story. Catherine is written as a thoughtless but overall naive girl. In the book, she was downright cruel and certainly not as naive as she is painted here. Plus the thirty-something Orla Brady is much too old to be playing the character. The music is romantic, but, like the Alfred Newman score for the 1939 movie, too sweet to fit such a dark story.
Nevertheless, this is a beautiful adaptation and WH fans like myself will be sure to appreciate it.
Robert Cavanah might be the most evil portrayal of Heathcliff I've seen yet. Oh he does have his sympathetic moments, but overall this version really plays up how despicable he is, even going so far as to having him sexually assault Isabella on their wedding night. Other highlights in the cast are Sarah Smart as the second Catherine and Matthew Macfadyen as Hareton, whose animosity evolves into the love that finally breaks Heathcliff's desire for vengeance. In fact, one of this miniseries' greatest strengths is the second generation, so rarely incorporated into WH adaptations.
My main gripe is that some areas are too, well, nice for this story. Catherine is written as a thoughtless but overall naive girl. In the book, she was downright cruel and certainly not as naive as she is painted here. Plus the thirty-something Orla Brady is much too old to be playing the character. The music is romantic, but, like the Alfred Newman score for the 1939 movie, too sweet to fit such a dark story.
Nevertheless, this is a beautiful adaptation and WH fans like myself will be sure to appreciate it.