So, I've had some thoughts since watching Emerald Fennel's Wuthering Heights, and it goes beyond the movie itself and into the rise in anti-intellectualism.
Nobody cares anymore. Everyone just accepts whatever slop is thrown their way because it is much easier to accept simplicity than it is to engage in critical thought. To most, books are just words on a page, rather than an insight on humanities most deep-rooted issues and commentaries on the flaws of society. Their legacies are irrelevant because it's much too complicated to accept that things might be complicated. I've seen a plethora of comments criticising those who are critiquing Fennel's adaptation of the beloved novel, such as "People just don't know how to have fun anymore" or "I can't understand why people don't like it, it was a masterpiece". Using words like 'masterpiece' to describe a film that blatantly ignores the source material and favours appearance over substance, with on the nose symbolism, completely diminishes the true meaning of the word. Masterpieces are things that change our perspective, that shape the world we live in, that will be revered for years to come. And fun isn't what is supposed to come with Wuthering Heights. No story about generational abuse and racism is supposed to be fun. Not to mention, it is a gothic novel. The only element I found captured the gothic elements was the introduction scene, but that essence was quickly lost when it was turned into a story where race is absolved and that sexualises domestic violence. Heathcliff is not a romantic ideal: he is not Mr Darcy but kinky. A key part of Heathcliff's narrative is that he is abused due to his race (which Fennel leaves out so she can cast heartthrob Jacob Elordi), and when betrayed by Cathy, decides to get revenge by essentially ruining everyones lives, including Isabella, who falls becomes a victim of domestic violence at his hands. Instead of seeing this, we see Isabella forces to wear a collar and bark like a dog, rather than getting the scene where Heathcliff kills her beloved dog. Im not here to kink shame, merely to point out how tone deaf it is. And during this, Heathcliff is portrayed as some yearning poet who adores Cathy to the bone, which is not truly seen in the rest of the film, as most of the scenes shared between Cathy and Heathcliff are sexual in nature. Even as a singular piece of art, their 'love' is not really love at all, it is lust. We are supposed to feel bad for him, as if abusing a woman is justified due to the fact that he loved another woman he could not be with. He is a spoiled child who wishes he has the toy someone else does. Heathcliff is not meant to be a romantic figure, he is meant to be a symbol of the effects of abuse and how it can be repeated in the future, creating a cycle of pain and injustice.
Now, beyond Wuthering Heights, I'm sure we have all seen how little people appreciate art anymore. Books are just books, films are just films, and words and just words. Shakespeare is viewed as a boring guy you're forced to study, rather than the most prominent and influential literary figure of all time. People do not care to read a book and learn, to have their perspective broadened, to be bettered. They simply want something simple and digestible. People want to read books to say they have read them rather than to ingest the message. We live in a world where it is no longer necessary to use our own brains, because we have Chat GPT (affectionately nicknamed 'Chat' as if it is our friend, rather than one of the very things responsible for our decline as a race). Art at its core is rooted in a desire for change, for reform, for a better society. It encourages us to engage in critical thinking, to understand nuance, to become fluent in humanity. But nobody cares for art anymore. We want things simple, easy, handed to use without us having to lift a finger. We are declining, we are failing ourselves. We have books at our fingertips, but we'd much rather defend a disgrace of a film than engage in meaningful conversation.
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