The highly anticipated film by Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie Wuthering Heights sparked controversy from the first day of its release.
Directed by Emerald Fennell, the romantic comedy based on the novel of the same name by Emily Bronte. It revolves around the love story of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.
The film was released on February 13 and shortly after its release, it was harshly criticized for its opening scene featuring a hanging man, while people around paid more attention to an involuntary physical response.
Fennell eventually explained the reason behind this scene, which she said was not meant to be used as shock value, but rather a meaning and reason behind it.
During a conversation about The United States today, the director opened: “In the first moments of a film, you have to set the tone and say what it’s about. It’s a deeply felt romance.”
At the same time, she wanted audiences to understand that the film was going to be “darkly funny, surprising and weirder” than expected.
Emerald continued: “It was important to recognize from the beginning that excitement and danger are sort of the same thing – that’s what gothic is, and it was important that the first thing we saw was Cathy, this young girl, seemingly scared but actually delighted.”
THE Wuthering Heights The designer admitted that she wanted to break people’s perception of the world of period dramas, which for them was “fragrant, beautiful and charming.”
“That wasn’t the case at all. It was a dangerous place to live, so it was crucial for me to show that from the start,” Fennell said.
