Hurlevent

Pretty straight down the line adaption of ‘Wuthering Heights’, 1984, directed by Jacques Rivette
This has elements of Rivette’s style in it. The slow pans across, and the tracks. The long takes, here taken from an even longer distance than usual much of the time. This schema is sometimes in depth, sometimes less so, and editing back and forths come in rarely. When they do, it is usually a sign that we have a scene of specific effectual power. Also notice Rivette’s match on action, but with a slight ellipsis, as the scenes move from room to room, which is a tendency of his. This film has none of his style to a degree as prominent as in other of his works.
The long takes are part of this films overall incredible calm, neutral manner. This can make the love story seem a little underpowered. Nearly reducing to just telling each other (i.e. the audience) how strong their love is (not that this might not be the case with the book). This has the effect of though showing the moments of violence with a certain detachment, making us focus on the interior of the character’s subjectivities. It seems almost entirely shot in the golden hour, in a quite barren landscape. The colour contrasts are low, and generally the whole thing is not so much flat as all on a plane. There are nice changes to this as the film goes on, the new house becomes sickly green and a little psychotic, too much make-up is worn.
The entrance of the music at special moments of import is very Bressonian; as are a few of the scenes of suffering depicted.
This film does have a certain power; largely from the source material, partly from Rivette streamlining it to the extent that it certainly doesn’t become fussy or convoluted. The suggestions of insiders/ outsiders, and class politics, are certainly not entreated much more than they are in the novel. What we have in the end is a perfectly serviceable adaption, shot in a nice rather than brilliant manner, with some scenes (near the end) with some emotional depth.