Wuthering Heights
Heathcliff and Cathy are back on the moors, this time in a little-known 1967 BBC television production of Wuthering Heights. For those expecting something to rival the classic 1939 film version in terms of romantic gloss or the underrated 1970 remake in terms of grit, this offering will disappoint.
Part of the problem comes in the limitations of British television from four decades ago: a conspicuously low budget, grimy black-and-white videography, and acting that veers heavily into theatrical emoting.
Some interest on this side of the Atlantic may come in watching a young Ian McShane as Heathcliff. Despite being burdened with a heavy wig and unflattering dark make-up, McShane captures the emotional brooding of Emily Bronte’s compelling anti-hero. McShane is clearly channeling Laurence Olivier’ s Heathcliff from the 1939 film, yet he manages to bring a sense of visceral danger to his seething, vengeful machinations. McShane’s charisma, however, tends to overwhelm Angela Scoular’s Cathy, who often seems more like a bystander to the commotion around her rather than being the crux of the story.
At three hours (divided into four parts), there is also too much of a good thing here. The production could have easily dropped at least a half-hour to help speed along its story.
This televised version of Wuthering Heights is best accepted as a curio for diehard Anglophiles and devoted Bronte lovers.
