‘Saltburn’ Director Emerald Fennell’s take on Emily Brontë’s classic delivers exactly what it promises: a lush, maximalist Hollywood romance that trades literary complexity for star power and visual spectacle.
Classic Hollywood Casting
With Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, this adaptation of doomed lovers , feels less like a faithful period piece and more like a gorgeous, occasionally kinky, pop video fever dream set against the windswept moors. This is film is undeniably lush from the hyper realised exteriors to the excessive artifice of stately manors.
The elephant in the room? The casting. Robbie and Elordi are undeniably A-list, but they’re not exactly who springs to mind when picturing Brontë’s tortured souls. This feels like classic old Hollywood: casting for box office draw rather than perfect role alignment. And you know what? It works on its own terms. Both actors commit fully to the passionate, almost feral energy Fennell demands, even if they don’t quite embody the characters as written on the page.
Performance Analysis
Robbie delivers an ardent, raw performance that leans into Cathy’s wild contradictions, though the chemistry between the leads proves surprisingly uneven. In intimate moments: particularly : the connection sizzles. Elordi brings brooding intensity to Heathcliff, but the simmer never quite simmers long enough before peeking to a full boil.
The performances are technically solid and visually committed, making them effective for what this maximalist romance sets out to achieve, even if purists might quibble.
Visual Feast, Narrative Famine
Where the film truly excels is aesthetically. Every frame pops off the screen with sumptuous cinematography that makes the wild moors feel both romantic and threatening. The production design walks a fascinating line between period authenticity and something more heightened: almost surreal at times. The sweeping score complements the visuals perfectly, creating an immersive sensory experience.
But here’s the rub: Fennell’s adaptation strips away much of what makes Brontë’s novel endure. The toxic complexity, the exploration of class and social divides, the psychological depth: it’s largely replaced with melodrama and repetitive romantic scenes. The second half becomes a cycle of the lovers discussing why they shouldn’t be together, then being together anyway. The tonal inconsistency doesn’t help, with purposefully comedic moments that occasionally feel like parody
But with that said, Fennell certainly does deliver , in what would be best described a broad brush pop video epic take on a romantic classic tale, great for a modern big screen audiences, that hopefully seek out the classic novel . Rating : 4/5
Catch our feature, on Romantic Shows and films worth your time in our Filmandtvreview.com Guide to Valentine Film and TV shows..
