Until tonight, I thought his was the best Heathcliff, as well. Sir Laurence Olivier, arguably the best Hamlet, played Heathcliff in the 1939 version opposite Merle Oberon as Cathy. An immortal character, like Sherlock Holmes, or Hamlet. His portrayal is an improvement on the original, and you actually pity him for being caught between Cathy and Heathcliff. Simon Shepherd's Edgar Linton is far more likable than the novel. Each is true to character, from selfish Cathy (Juliette Binoche) to vapid Isabella (Sophie Ward). And, it is in these performances this film rises above its predecessors. But, because the cast is not overly well known in the US, you concentrate on the PERFORMANCES rather than the performers.
The cast of actors includes not one single Hollywood darling. Still standing there, after centuries, keeping its own secrets in the silence of its stones. And the house, the Heights itself, was perfect. Many whole scenes are intact, the dialog exactly as written originally. But for those who have: Anne Devlin treats her screenplay with reverence for Emily Bronte's novel. Yes, the movie can be a bit confusing, even abrupt in the plot shifts for those who have never read the book. Why? Because there is no need to do it again. And that should be the highest praise of all. It is also the LAST time, to date, it has been made. It is the only version to tell the complete story in all of its dark detail. Wuthering Heights had been made 14 times before this, the 1992 incarnation. Never has an adaptation brought this classic Victorian novel so completely to the screen. Love beyond pain, beyond place, beyond reason. It is a fusion, a union of two souls separated by society and circumstance, yet bonded so completely that even death could not sever them. The story of Heathcliff and Cathy is not about love as most know it. Still, I sit here now, trying vainly to describe what I am feeling. Yet, never, in all of that time have I sat down to write my thoughts immediately after watching a film. I have written many reviews, in many places, for quite a long time. As I am a writer, very seldom am I at a loss for words.