I read a lot of books I hated in high school. I wish all copies of Tess of the d’Ubervilles would be burned from existence. Wuthering Heights was not one of them: Heathcliff was a character that reminded me of the Walter Whites I would cherish watching TV antiheroes years later. I also remember reading all these stories about Emily Bronte, the writer, and how she was kind of crazy and a bit of a weirdo. Watching Emily, I side with Frances O’Conner; methinks Charlotte Bronte (Emily’s sister, who wrote Jane Eyre) is a tad bit jealous and skewed the world’s perspective on her fascinating, real literary genius of a sister we sadly never got enough stories from. You heard me Charlotte: Jane Eyre is hot garbage compared to Wuthering Heights, come at me!
The movie really gives us a fresh look at Emily Bronte (Emma Mackey, NOT Margot Robbie or Samara Weaving). We start in the middle of Emily’s life: older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) is off teaching/studying at boarding school like the good daughter to papa (Adrian Dunbar). Emily does not share her sister’s personality, making her sort of a black sheep of the family, laughing off to the side with older brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead) and telling made up stories with younger sister Anne (Amelia Gething). Emily can’t just coast and do nothing in Haworth, Yorkshire forever; so her father enlists local curate William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) to give Emily French lessons in hopes she’ll “grow up” like her older sister.
I’ve seen my fair share of dour English period pieces with the 73 year old grandparents at 1 PM at my local theater. The soulless cloudy backdrops and air of self-seriousness put me to sleep if the movie is constantly hitting you over the head with it. There are times when Emily flirts with relentless desolation and greyness, but Frances O’Conner always pulls back, clear in her mission. Emily Bronte’s painful shyness and early departure means the only real understanding we have of her is through the unreliable narrator Charlotte, her novel writing sister. O’Conner does a pretty solid job stripping away the bias of Charlotte’s account of Emily, painting the “troubled” sister in a new style. The Emily here has similar characteristics to the person Charlotte describes, but the tale parallel’s Wuthering Heights’s daring/progressive storytelling with a fictionalized but maybe possible version of how Emily’s life may have directly inspired her characters. Through these fresh eyes some of those bleak landscapes take on different meanings as Emily slowly finds and hones her own voice, culminating in her literary masterpiece.
It is a right of passage that every British actor or actress has to play a famous Brit in a period piece. Pick the wrong one and you’re up for Razzies. Pick the right one, and Oscar might be in your future. Emma Mackey is in BAFTA range with this performance; the Sex Education star proves her talents go beyond a teen romcom. Mackey’s Emily Bronte didn’t just conjure Wuthering Heights. She worked that god given talent for storytelling through the life experience ringer. Mackey in this movie has to portray Emily going through all sorts of emotional highs and lows, building upon each new experience with more complex growth and character building. By the end, Mackey has crafted a fully realized fascinating human being the world had previously never understood or considered…until now. Not often are we witness to some insightful look at a past historical figure, but thanks to Emma Mackey’s performance here, I happily consider Emily Bronte’s prowess through a brighter, less grey lens.
I wish all biopics took smarter creative license like Emily does. It makes the people portrayed much more interesting. I look forward to years of chances with Frances O’Connor and Emma Mackey team ups, hopefully involving some of that excellent Sex Education cast. Seriously Margot Robbie, watch out: Mackey’s coming for you, Leo and Brad with the next generation of kickass actors. Maeve Wiley for the win!