Director: William Wyler
Top Billed Actors: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven
Distributor: United Artists
Won 1 Oscar:
Best Cinematography, Black and White - Gregg Toland
Nominated for 7 more:
Outstanding Production - Samuel Goldwyn Productions
Best Director - William Wyler
Best Actor - Laurence Olivier
Best Supporting Actress - Geraldine Fitzgerald
Best Screenplay - Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur
Best Original Score - Alfred Newman
Best Art Direction - James Basevi
Plot: Flashback: A gypsy beggar with dirty hands falls in love with his adoptive sister and she probably loves him back but he's not refined enough for her.
Top Billed Actors: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven
Distributor: United Artists
Won 1 Oscar:
Best Cinematography, Black and White - Gregg Toland
Nominated for 7 more:
Outstanding Production - Samuel Goldwyn Productions
Best Director - William Wyler
Best Actor - Laurence Olivier
Best Supporting Actress - Geraldine Fitzgerald
Best Screenplay - Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur
Best Original Score - Alfred Newman
Best Art Direction - James Basevi
Plot: Flashback: A gypsy beggar with dirty hands falls in love with his adoptive sister and she probably loves him back but he's not refined enough for her.
Another year, another Best Picture nominee directed by William Wyler. Wuthering Heights (1939) is the fourth of thirteen such films and it's Wyler's second Best Director nomination out of his record twelve. No stranger to the Academy Awards in the future, this is Laurence Olivier's first Oscar nomination in his portrayal as the lead Heathcliff. The rapport between both Wyler and Olivier was rocky to say the least. The director is known for his propensity to demand numerous takes without providing specific direction. Apparently, Olivier came into the production full of arrogance due to his success on the stage and he later commended Wyler for dragging him out and wearing him down in order to bring him down to earth and to also act with the subtlety the medium calls for. The relationship between Olivier and leading lady Merle Oberon was also contentious as well. Both actors were said to be sour about leaving their real-life romances in England. Vivien Leigh, who would go on to marry Olivier, vied for the role of Oberon's Cathy, but she was denied (she went on to win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Gone with the Wind (1939)). One heated exchange between the two leads involved Oberon complaining to Wyler about Olivier spitting on her during a romantic scene. A few choice words were had and the difficulties between the director and the actors and the actors amongst themselves makes one wonder how a film so revered was even completed.
One aspect that did go smoothly is the cinematography. Wyler worked very well with Oscar-winning Gregg Toland as they went to to collaborate on many films after this. This film also has the distinction of the first to use the Mitchell BNC camera from Mitchell Camera Corporation, which went on to become the industry standard for decades. Toland's attention to detail to include ceilings in the interior shots, to accentuate the loneliness of the titular estate, as well as his ability to use deep focus to create a crystal clear image of the background and the performers is the work of a pioneering master. At first, I thought this was just an upscaled HD version of the film but reading about Toland's methods has me in total awe. Another impressive aspect is the art direction. This was filmed in California but it really looks like the English countryside and the location in which the two main characters construct their imaginary castle and make it their ongoing meeting place is iconic. I have to also commend the score composed by Alfred Newman. The film has what is seemingly wall-to-wall music and there is never an awkward quiet moment. Critics admire that the dark tone of the novel was accurately replicated and Newman's lush and complex backing is a big piece of it. Plus, the gorgeously romantic "Cathy's Theme" is one to remember.
Although I like that dark tone that was alluded to, it does make for a sobering experience. Olivier is downright miserable and his romantic connections to Oberon are few and far between. I know that's the intention and narrative of the novel but man is it depressing. I'm also not completely on board with his performance as a whole. Although he says numerous takes was what made him realize that film acting required more subtlety, his acting is still showy at times. I know he has so many better screen performances in the future so I don't feel totally wrong for making this critique. As far as the ending of the film is concerned, Samuel Goldwyn had it changed to make it more optimistic. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that by all accounts, the ending goes against the intentions of the novel's author Emily Brontë and it neglects the somber tone that was achieved so gracefully up to that point.
Overall, the the technical aspects of the production - the exquisite black and white cinematography, the lush orchestral cues, and the elaborate art direction go far in accurately adapting the subdued nature of the source material. Changes to the ending of the story sours the picture but it's still a worthy contender in one of the greatest film years.
My Score: 7/10
Guest Reviewer: Andrew Dunfee
With the 1939 Awards, I brought in a guest reviewer to give a second opinion on the highlights of one of the greatest years in cinema history. He watched and reviewed six of these Best Picture nominees and is also making his choice for what should have won Best Picture at the 12th Academy Awards.
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights has been adapted countless times in various media but the most well-known is this film version from 1939 which received 8 Oscar nominations and one win for Best Cinematography.
The film tells the classic story of love that cannot be due to the restrictions brought on by one’s social class. Young Heathcliff is brought into Cathy’s life after her wealthy father finds him poor and alone on the street. Apparently it’s finders keepers when it comes to young, homeless boys in 19th century Yorkshire, England as Heathcliff lives with Cathy and her family thereafter. Reluctant at first, Cathy and Heathcliff then fall for each other, though their love is never to be in the many years to come.
The connection between Heathcliff and Cathy, and the acting of both the child actors and Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the adult versions, are ultimately the strength of an otherwise uneven and melodramatic film. Despite reportedly being unable to stand each other offset, Olivier and Oberon emit a passion for each other that makes their inability to stay apart, no matter how toxic they are for each other, believable. Although they are nominally the protagonists of the story, it’s hard to root for them as their unhealthy relationship brings down those around them. Their counterparts in love, siblings Edgar and Isabella, although not fully developed characters, are dragged down due to their relationship with the star crossed lovers.
The core story and tale of Heathcliff and Cathy’s relationship is bookend by the current day events of the surly Heathcliff as head of the Wuthering Heights estate reluctantly welcoming a traveler to stay for the night. I found this part of the story to be unnecessary and underdeveloped. This is likely due to the fact that this film version only covers the first half of Brontë’s novel. Without the relevant context, this story structure and the mystical ending fail to have the desired emotional impact.
Ultimately, the film is beautifully shot and the win for Best Cinematography is well deserved. This mixed with the performances, especially that of the young Olivier who brings an edge and danger to his character, make this a worthwhile, but flawed, viewing experience.
One aspect that did go smoothly is the cinematography. Wyler worked very well with Oscar-winning Gregg Toland as they went to to collaborate on many films after this. This film also has the distinction of the first to use the Mitchell BNC camera from Mitchell Camera Corporation, which went on to become the industry standard for decades. Toland's attention to detail to include ceilings in the interior shots, to accentuate the loneliness of the titular estate, as well as his ability to use deep focus to create a crystal clear image of the background and the performers is the work of a pioneering master. At first, I thought this was just an upscaled HD version of the film but reading about Toland's methods has me in total awe. Another impressive aspect is the art direction. This was filmed in California but it really looks like the English countryside and the location in which the two main characters construct their imaginary castle and make it their ongoing meeting place is iconic. I have to also commend the score composed by Alfred Newman. The film has what is seemingly wall-to-wall music and there is never an awkward quiet moment. Critics admire that the dark tone of the novel was accurately replicated and Newman's lush and complex backing is a big piece of it. Plus, the gorgeously romantic "Cathy's Theme" is one to remember.
Although I like that dark tone that was alluded to, it does make for a sobering experience. Olivier is downright miserable and his romantic connections to Oberon are few and far between. I know that's the intention and narrative of the novel but man is it depressing. I'm also not completely on board with his performance as a whole. Although he says numerous takes was what made him realize that film acting required more subtlety, his acting is still showy at times. I know he has so many better screen performances in the future so I don't feel totally wrong for making this critique. As far as the ending of the film is concerned, Samuel Goldwyn had it changed to make it more optimistic. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that by all accounts, the ending goes against the intentions of the novel's author Emily Brontë and it neglects the somber tone that was achieved so gracefully up to that point.
Overall, the the technical aspects of the production - the exquisite black and white cinematography, the lush orchestral cues, and the elaborate art direction go far in accurately adapting the subdued nature of the source material. Changes to the ending of the story sours the picture but it's still a worthy contender in one of the greatest film years.
My Score: 7/10
Guest Reviewer: Andrew Dunfee
With the 1939 Awards, I brought in a guest reviewer to give a second opinion on the highlights of one of the greatest years in cinema history. He watched and reviewed six of these Best Picture nominees and is also making his choice for what should have won Best Picture at the 12th Academy Awards.
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights has been adapted countless times in various media but the most well-known is this film version from 1939 which received 8 Oscar nominations and one win for Best Cinematography.
The film tells the classic story of love that cannot be due to the restrictions brought on by one’s social class. Young Heathcliff is brought into Cathy’s life after her wealthy father finds him poor and alone on the street. Apparently it’s finders keepers when it comes to young, homeless boys in 19th century Yorkshire, England as Heathcliff lives with Cathy and her family thereafter. Reluctant at first, Cathy and Heathcliff then fall for each other, though their love is never to be in the many years to come.
The connection between Heathcliff and Cathy, and the acting of both the child actors and Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the adult versions, are ultimately the strength of an otherwise uneven and melodramatic film. Despite reportedly being unable to stand each other offset, Olivier and Oberon emit a passion for each other that makes their inability to stay apart, no matter how toxic they are for each other, believable. Although they are nominally the protagonists of the story, it’s hard to root for them as their unhealthy relationship brings down those around them. Their counterparts in love, siblings Edgar and Isabella, although not fully developed characters, are dragged down due to their relationship with the star crossed lovers.
The core story and tale of Heathcliff and Cathy’s relationship is bookend by the current day events of the surly Heathcliff as head of the Wuthering Heights estate reluctantly welcoming a traveler to stay for the night. I found this part of the story to be unnecessary and underdeveloped. This is likely due to the fact that this film version only covers the first half of Brontë’s novel. Without the relevant context, this story structure and the mystical ending fail to have the desired emotional impact.
Ultimately, the film is beautifully shot and the win for Best Cinematography is well deserved. This mixed with the performances, especially that of the young Olivier who brings an edge and danger to his character, make this a worthwhile, but flawed, viewing experience.