Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights: A Polarising Cinematic Experience
Emerald Fennell's latest film, 'Wuthering Heights', has ignited a firestorm of critical backlash, yet it stands as a testament to her unique directorial vision. The British filmmaker, known for her provocative style, delivers a movie that is both reviled and revered, blending posh sex, pop-video aesthetics, and marvellously asinine elements into a cinematic spectacle.
A Midpoint of Cinematic Brilliance and Absurdity
At the heart of 'Wuthering Heights' lies a two-minute sequence that briefly convinces viewers they are witnessing greatness. Margot Robbie's Cathy, adorned in Elton John's sunglasses, navigates a surreal garden while Charli XCX's soundtrack swells with reverb and metallic strings. This moment of pure cinema, however, is swiftly undercut by absurdity as Robbie sits on eggs and interacts with a jellied fish, shattering the illusion. This encapsulates Fennell's approach: a blend of high style and deliberate silliness that defines her filmography.
Fennell's Divisive Filmography and Public Persona
Emerald Fennell has become a household name, not just for her films but for the intense debates they provoke. Her debut, 'Promising Young Woman', was hailed as a post-#MeToo battle cry by some and criticised as gutless by others. Similarly, 'Saltburn' divided audiences with its shock value and posh sensibilities. 'Wuthering Heights' continues this trend, gutting Emily Brontë's complex novel for a Fifty Shades-inspired kink, drawing vitriol from critics like Clarisse Loughrey, who deemed it "astonishingly hollow". Yet, Fennell's work remains compelling, driven by her posh background and knack for opulent staging.
The Stylistic Flourishes and Cultural Impact
Fennell's cinema is a supercut of influences, from 'Point Break' to Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette', rendered with a head injury-like twist. In 'Wuthering Heights', scenes like Cathy surrounded by leeches or Martin Clunes' corpse amidst bottles showcase her luxe silliness, designed for Pinterest boards and screenshot folders. She excels as a stylist, akin to Adrian Lyne, crafting low-brow but sleek erotic dramas. Her films, while thematically shallow, resonate with audiences, evidenced by queues for 'Wuthering Heights' installations in London, highlighting her cultural pull.
Fennell's Place in Modern Cinema and Future Prospects
The COVID-19 pandemic inadvertently boosted Fennell's career, propelling 'Promising Young Woman' to Oscar success and placing her among Millennial Auteurs like Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig. However, her work differs in quality and intent, favouring texture and bombast over depth. Fennell embraces her role as a maker of popcorn cinema, with 'Wuthering Heights' serving as an unleashed exercise in style—sumptuous yet terrible, like a garbage-tasting birthday cake. She thrives in commercial glitz, unapologetically avoiding subtext, and her reign of terror in cinema shows no signs of waning.
