There have been many adaptations of Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' both in film and TV. There was even a stage musical starring Cliff Richard, but lets not think about that. The book is considered by many as the greatest work of fiction ever written and if the fans are to be believed, there has yet to have been a screen version that lives up to the beloved classic novel. The latest film outing, received mix reviews, with a lot of Wuthering Heights fanatics unimpressed at the directors choice of casting, with Heathcliff 2.0 (Or should that be 12.0?) perhaps not living up to their fantasies. Which makes you think, is there actually an actor out there who could satisfy the needs of the Heathcliff lovers? Or has the character become so romanticised that he will always stay, literally intangible?Heathcliff is often regarded as an archetype of the tortured romantic hero, so much so that the character has now become a stereotype, who is thought of more in terms of his love for Catherine than his final years of vengeance in the second half of the novel.
As for his physical appearance, Paul Thompson, creator of the website 'The Reader's Guide to Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights', points out:
Emily Brontë does not go into great detail over the physical description of Heathcliff. Ellen remarks of the thirteen-year-old boy: ‘Do you mark those two lines between your eyes; and those thick brows, that, instead of rising arched, sink in the middle; and that couple of black fiends, so deeply buried, who never open their windows boldly, but lurk glinting under them, like devil's spies?’. On his return at nineteen, she says ‘A ray fell on his features; the cheeks were sallow, and half covered with black whiskers; the brows lowering, the eyes deep-set and singular. I remembered the eyes.'"
Lets take a look at some of the more seminal portrayals of Heathcliff over the last 70 years;
Laurence Olivier 'Wuthering Heights' (1939)
Directed by William Wyler this was one of the very first 'talkie' screen versions of 'Wuthering Heights', starring Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff along side Merle Oberon as Catherine Earnshaw. Olivier was nominated for an Oscar for his performance but lost out to Robert Donat in 'Goodbye, Mr Chips'. But he needn't have worried as throughout his long career as an actor and director he went on to receive 12 Oscar nominations and won two of the awards; Best Actor and Best Picture for Hamlet. Olivier may have been a memorable Heathcliff, brooding and terribly bitter, but he is thought to have been too handsome and well spoken for the role, and should have been far less attractive than the character of Edgar. The film itself will be held as a classic by some 'old black & white movie' lovers. But the dedicated Wuthering Heights followers will be able to point out it's many inaccuracies. The film covers only the first 16 chapters of the book, with many of the characters being omitted, leaving it to focus more on the complexities of Heathcliff and Cathy's relationship.
Ian McShane 'Wuthering Heights' (1967) TV.
A few decades later and the BBC broadcast a 4-part adaptation starring, Lovejoy himself Ian McShane as Heathcliffe with Angela Scoular as his Catherine. McShane would surely have set teenage hearts aflutter in a decade where Beatles mania hit the UK. When asked which of the past Heathcliffs best match the original, at least in appearance, Paul Thompson said that:
"McShane probably has the most vague, Romany look...(in the book) Lockwood says ‘He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect…’ while Mr Linton remarks ‘I declare he is that strange acquisition my late neighbour made in his journey to Liverpool—a little Lascar, or an American or Spanish castaway.’
With a career spanning 50 years, Ian McShane has probably garnered most of his success since appearing in the US TV series 'Deadwood' playing Al Swearengen. He has since gone on to play other important roles in the epic TV version of Ken Follet's 'Pillars Of The Earth', 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' and upcoming features 'Jack The Giant Killer' and 'Snow White and The Huntsmen'.
Timothy Dalton' Wuthering Heights' (1970)
In 1970 the future 007 was the newest actor to appear in the iconic role of Heathcliff with Anna Calder-Marshall as Catherine. After only a handful of screen performances, his biggest role pre-Wuthering Heights was as the young King Philip of France, in 'The Lion in Winter' (1968), which as it happens was the same film to give Anthony Hopkins his big break. The Shakespearean trained actor Dalton's Heathcliff was intense, passionate and handsome. At the time he would have melted the hearts of a whole generation of women but, perhaps his heart throb looks and green eyes were not exactly what Emily Brontë had in mind when she wrote the character. But maybe it's what her sister Charlotte had in mind? As Dalton went on to play another classic role, Mr Rochester in the BBC's TV adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' (1983). This version of 'Wuthering Heights' will have been remembered for all the right and wrong reasons, the dedicated fans being left disappointed once more at the treatment of the story, focusing only on Heathcliff and Cathy and almost completely cutting out the second generation. 'Heights 1970' definitely wasn't going to win any awards, however it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score, and of course Timothy Dalton went onto to become a huge star playing another iconic British role, James Bond.
Ralph Fiennes 'Wuthering Heights' (1992)
If ever there were a character actor that could pull of the role of Heathcliff, surely it's Ralph Fiennes? Directed by Peter Kosminsky, this version on 'Wuthering Heights' features key 90's actor Fiennes along side French actress Juliette Binoche. Before his role as Heathcliff, Ralph Fiennes had only appeared twice on screen, one of those times being in an episode of 'Prime Suspect'. However he was already an experienced actor, and after graduating from The Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Art he joined Britain's Royal National Theatre in 1987 and the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1988. This incarnation of 'Wuthering Heights' was the most accurate so far, in terms of the full story and characters being covered, but critics were not fond of this interpretation. Some thought Fiennes' too soft and reserved, and that the pair didn't portray the psychological complexities of these characters. Perhaps the director wanted the audience to feel for Heathcliff too much, rather than to alienate them with a more deep rooted un-stableness. Ralph Fiennes may not be everyone's perfect Heathcliff but he went on to become one of the UK's most talented and highly regarded actors, with success in critically acclaimed 'Schindler's List', 'The English Patient' and more recently, seen scaring little children in the 'Harry Potter' films.
Tom Hardy 'Wuthering Heights' (2009) TV
Now if anyone can play intense and disturbed it's Tom Hardy. In ITV's two-parter, Tom is joined by Charlotte Riley as Cathy. There is no doubt about the fact that Tom can act, and brings out Heathcliff's psychotic dangerous side in a darker version of the story, but for those who like their Heathcliff with more of a romantic hero edge, they will undoubtedly look passed Hardy in search for someone more relatable. It seems like it's a lose-lose situation with the role of Heathcliff. Again this adaptation is not completely faithful, especially in structure, frequently moving backwards and forwards in time. But some may feel this version is more in keeping with the tone of the book, giving love and hate equal billing. As usual there was overall mixed feelings about Wuthering Heights of '09, but one thing was clear, even if Tom Hardy wasn't everyone's favourite Heathcliff, most were in agreement about his incredible acting abilities. The year before this Hardy was seen in 'Bronson', and viewers could have been forgiven for thinking he was played by a different actor given the extreme physical differences. He has also given successful performances in 'Stuart: A life Backwards', 'Inception' and this year's 'Warrior', among many others.
James Howson 'Wuthering Heights' (2011)
This year the new and younger version of 'Wuthering Heights' was released, directed by Andrea Arnold of the critically acclaimed 'Red Road' and 'Fish Tank'. This interpretation was a more modern approach than the traditional period drama, with no soundtrack and little dialogue, focusing more on the sounds of the weather and nature. A few enjoyed the stripped down version, where a bleak, social-realism style were employed. But many reviewers and fans of the book felt that those emphases took away from the biggest importance of the story, the characters. A lot of points were also made on newcomer James Howson's ethnicity. But casting a black actor in the role is probably a lot closer to Emily Brontë's vision of the character than the previous Caucasian Heathcliffs, although in the book it is never completely determined.
'Wuthering Heights' enthusiast Paul sheds some light on the topic of Heathcliff's appearance:Ellen says ‘Who knows but your father was Emperor of China, and your mother an Indian queen, each of them able to buy up, with one week's income, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange together?’ This suggests that Heathcliff’s racial origins are not distinct – Ellen is hardly likely to suggest a Chinese father or an Indian mother if he clearly belonged to just one of those groups. He is either of mixed race or has a dark, indeterminate (for the inhabitants of 18th century Yorkshire) origin."
So who would Paul like to see take on the role of Heathcliff in the next inevitable version?
I would look to Arab actors such as Sammy Sheik...imagine them in long, wild hair and whiskers – then you have a true Heathcliff.
It's fair to say that you can never please everybody 100% of the time. There may never be an ultimate version of 'Wuthering Heights' that perfectly brings to life Emily Brontë's book and most likely, the answer to who can best capture the literary anti-hero, will remain as enigmatic as Heathcliff does within it's pages.