Emily Bronte (1818-48) along with her sisters, Charlotte and Anne,
is one of the most significant literary figures of the 19th
century. She wrote just one strikingly innovative novel but was
also a gifted and intense poet.
Pauline Nestor teaches English at Monash University, Australia.
Lucasta Miller was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.
"It is as if Emily Brontë could tear up all that we know human
beings by, and fill these unrecognizable transparencies with such a
gust of life that they
transcend reality."
--Virginia Woolf
Gr 7 Up-Both devotees and those who are new to Emily Bronte's classic tale of gothic star-crossed love and obsession will be captivated by this lush and dark adaptation. Cathy and Heathcliff are tormented lovers torn apart by convention and deceit, leaving a tangled legacy of hatred and love. In her television debut performance, Charlotte Riley embodies Cathy with an uncommon beauty and fiery deposition. Tom Hardy is appropriately brooding, if a bit wooden, as Heathcliff, her adopted brother with whom she falls in love. An excellent supporting cast includes Burn Gorman as Hindley, Cathy's snobbish older brother who despises Heathcliff, and Sarah Lancashire as the servant Nelly, who sees the whole thing happening and is helpless to stop it. Three tastefully shot consummation scenes (no nudity) define relationships and keep the heat on high. Set and filmed in the lush moorlands of Yorkshire, the scenery is startling, desolate, and beautiful. There is a bonus "Behind the Scenes" featurette about the filming; two introductions provided by actress Laura Linney give brief biographical background on Bronte as well as reaction to the first publication of the "shocking" novel in 1847. A teacher's guide and further behind the scenes information is available online at pbs.org. A worthy purchase for both public and high school libraries.-Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
"It is as if Emily Bronte could tear up all that we know human
beings by, and fill these unrecognizable transparencies with such a
gust of life that they
transcend reality."
--Virginia Woolf
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