‘I loved it!’: Brontë Museum staff pay tribute to lively Wuthering Heights film | Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights begins with an aroused nun observing a hanged man standing erect. Other additions to Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel include sadism, masturbation in swamps, beds filled with eggs for sexual effect, and endless sex in the rain.

At the same time, characters were deleted or combined, major plot details were changed and the entire second half of the book was excluded. As well as ensuring a bumpy ride for English literature students tempted to watch the film rather than read the novel, such changes have caused consternation among a number of academics and admirers of Brontë’s work.

However, staff at the Brontë rectory museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, have offered a strong defense of the film, describing it as “astonishing”, “exciting” and “brilliant”.

“I loved it,” said Zoe, who works in housekeeping at the museum. “It made me very emotional. I thought it was amazing.”

“It really feels like a fever dream,” said Mia, her colleague from Digital Engagement. “From the stunning costumes and props to the dramatic soundtrack, it’s a wonderful escape into the world of Wuthering Heights. The themes of the novel shine through.”

Visitor Experience Coordinator Ruth agreed that Fennell’s film – inspired by her experience reading the novel as a 14-year-old – captures “some of the key truths of the book and the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy”.

“I really enjoyed it,” she said, adding that it offered a refreshing alternative to previous adaptations, which include the 1939 version with Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier, the 1992 film with Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, and the 2011 Andrea Arnold film.

Several cast members expressed hope that it would bring people back to the novel. “I think reading the book will interest a lot of viewers,” said Sam, from the museum’s programming department.

Others admitted that there were “a lot of changes to the original novel.” “Some people may not like it [that]“But it’s an interesting film worth watching in its own right,” said Sue, from the Learning Wing.

“Is he sincere? No,” said Outreach Officer Diane. “Is it for purists? No. Is it an entertaining diversion from the novel? Yes!” She also supported the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, despite Brontë’s novel describing him as “dark-skinned”. She said the actor was “amazing, and nailed the accent.”

The cast watched the film at a preview Thursday at Kelly’s organized by the Warner Bros. studio. “We were not involved in the making of the film at all,” said Rebecca Yorke, director of the museum and Brontë Society.

“But Emerald Fennell was a guest at the Brontë Festival of Women’s Writing in September where she spoke eloquently about Wuthering Heights and her personal response to it. Any new interpretation is likely to appeal to one audience more than another and spark lively debate.”

Among those in attendance at the first public viewing in Leeds on Friday morning was Brontë’s newest biographer, Dr Clare O’Callaghan. “I enjoyed it,” she said. “Great performances. There’s a lot of fun in them, as well as poignancy and tragedy.”

Fennell explained that the film was her own take on the story, which was “really refreshing,” O’Callaghan said. “There’s no attempt to remain faithful to the original. If it were more of a historical drama, people might be more upset. But this is far from it, and therefore over the top.”

The Brontë Parsonage Museum is located in the house where Charlotte, Emily and Anne wrote their pioneering novels, which was bought in 1928 by the industrialist Sir James Roberts and donated to the Brontë Society. Emily died at home at the age of 30 in 1848, a year after publishing her first and only book, under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.

Early reviews of the novel contained similar statements of disgust as the less approving notices of Vinyl’s film. Douglas Jerrold’s Weekly said: “The reader is shocked, disgusted, and almost disgusted by the most diabolical details of cruelty, brutality, hatred, and vengeance.”

“We are anticipating an increase in visitor numbers and have already had a significant increase in sales at Wuthering Heights,” Yorke said. “We have extended our hours and produced exclusive merchandise in response.”

The film is expected to take in more than $80 million (£58.7 million) – roughly its production budget – during its opening weekend of release. As part of the marketing campaign, Warner Bros. has partnered with dozens of brands on official Wuthering Heights merchandise, from underwear to passport covers.