More UK Reactions to Wuthering Heights 2009

More opinions around now that Wuthering Heights 2009 has been broadcast in the UK (check ours here).

Digital Spy publishes the ratings of the first episode:

The first part of a new dramatisation of Wuthering Heights delivered 3.96m (19%) over 90 minutes. (Neil Wikes)

So WH beat Becoming Jane that was BBC1's primetime choice:

A screening of Becoming Jane, starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy, followed with 3.24m (15%). (Neil Wikes)

GOOD
Hilliard & Croft Books:

"Wuthering Heights", as this latest adaptation shows, is anything but a simple love story. It is about passion and the soul; the fine line between heaven and hell, and living life on the edge, where convention is simply a prison....and begs the questions, "What is it to be truly alive?" and, "What is real goodness, and what is evil?"
Thank you to the casting department, the screenplay and script writers and to the great actors for such a brilliant presentation of the book!!

Culture and Anarchy:

In this episode, the revenge which Heathcliff visits upon the next generation is in some ways rather abbreviated, but is played out well. The burgeoning romance between Hareton and Catherine is nicely done, however, and demonstrates that there can be freedom from the past, even though the last shot is of the ghosts of Cathy and Heathcliff looking out of the windows at Wuthering Heights. Only these two survivors seem to have any real possibility of freedom and happiness. Overall, I enjoyed this, and think it a worthy addition to the wide range of WH adaptations out there, but it is very difficult indeed, if not impossible, to suggest the full psychological range of the novel in any adaptation, I think.

joyce-171 (imdb thread):

I thought it was amazing and I am going to re read the book :) well done ITV and to all the cast outstanding .

Libs (C19 board):

I enjoyed this (even though all the adverts do break the involvement with the story).
It was an adaptation rather than a re-telling, but it picks up on aspects of the story that are sometimes lost in more dramatic versions.
I'm off to watch the second half tonight and then, like Kate, I'll probably go back to the original text.
It was good to see authentic Yorkshire scenery too after all the scenes of 'Yorkshire' that looked nothing like Yorkshire in The Tudors!
I was at East Riddlesden Hall (the outside of Wuthering Heights) last year just after they filmed there so it was good to see it and how they have very cleverly transported it onto the moors when it's actually on the outskirts of Keighley!

Magpye (twitter) Wuthering Heights was excellent, the piece of music towards the end, FAB! But 5 advert breaks!....ruined the atmosphere

EmilySian Wuthering heights, brilliant adaptation!!!! Best one yet. Sobbed my heart out, was so sad! Tom hardy was perfect as Heathcliff.

marjieN wuthering heights Turned out to be brilliant. Cried at the end for cruel, arrogant Heathcliff, but 'twas blind love that soured him so much

cornyemma Really enjoyed the adaptation of Wuthering Heights. I am also becoming more and more impressed with Tom Hardy's performances ..class!

cmcardle Really enjoyed Wuthering Heights. Really beautifully shot and the music was excellent. A rare 'well done ITV' from me.

BAD

Deep Thinker:

OK, yes, it was interesting that they decided to change the structure and historical setting so as to interpret the story in a way that hasn’t been done before, and at first I thought it would work well. But when the flashback scenes started, taking us back to the beginning of Heathcliff and Cathy‘s story, I soon realised that it lacked something.
What it lacked was soul.

Enigma:

Although it had an amazing cast, top-class acting, was written by a Bronte sister (Emily Bronte to be specific) it felt rushed... to a certain degree... characters seemed rash in some of their decisions and just as we (the viewers) were about to really get some insight and real depth (which i believe the actors were dying to give)- the script demanded for the next piece of action or scene to happen. So in short, i think two 75 mins sections is way to short to really build the tension and drama in this story and its characters demand.

A working Catalan mother in England:

Watched Wuthering Heights the last couple of nights, a new adaptation on ITV1, I really don't know why anyone would even try to adapt such a book into such a short amount of screen time! It couldn't be more unsatisfying, so of course I now need to get the book and read it. I am grateful to these TV adaptations, thanks to them I have discovered Austen, Hardy, Thackeray... we didn't do them at school back home (there is a great deal of Catalan and Spanish literature to get through, you know?).

Zeffirelli (C19 board):

This version pays lip service to WH, and those lips are pouty Tom Hardy's and with a poor attempt at convincing the audience that Heathcliff and Cathy are anything more than slightly selfish inconvenienced lovers (and with no real sense of the vital connection between them). I was never so disappointed in a dramatisation of WH as this one, but 2010 might yield up another. I don't see the point in missing out some of the most crucial dialogue that formulates the heart of what is going on.

villagepauper (imdb thread):

I quite liked the first generation, but the way they split the second generation was incredibly annoying! It can't have been that hard to edit in the order of the book, since it was just two large chunks at the beginning and the end. Everything was pretty good, the characters and set and everything, but the way they screwed up the second generation is enough to make me quite dislike this version. They didn't develop catherine and edgar's father-daughter relationship, or explain how Heathcliff even knew he had a son, not to mention Hareton and Catherine's relationship was severely lacking. I think if they were going to do such a bad job they should have just stuck to the first generation!

lindamihkelson (twitter) Saw end of Wuthering Heights tonight - a melodramatic mess, poor casting/acting/dialoge/direction etc only the buildings were interesting :(

vixrocks I'm a bit dissapointed with itv's Wuthering Heights. Too much anger from heathcliffe not enough emotional pain. End felt too rushed!!

neilkirkman felt a little bit disappointed by 2nd part of ITV drama Wuthering Heights. suspense of part 1 lacking in part 2.

strumpet_song_ @confused_sarah wuthering heights adaptation was crap, in the main - ruined one of my favourite books. made me feel more lovelorn than b4

Categories: Movies-DVD-TV, Wuthering Heights