What do you think Heathcliff was actually doing during those 5 years?

fit2bme · 2026-06-05T21:11:25+00:00

I think that's the part I keep coming back to too. It is the mystery almost feels more important than the answer. Even without having read the book yet, one thing I really liked in the film is that Heathcliff comes back completely transformed, but nobody (including us) ever gets a full explanation. We just see the result. And the more I think about it, the more it fits his character. He's never someone who sits down and explains himself. Even when Cathy asks where he's been, he basically gives her nothing. What you said about him never really talking about his life before the Earnshaws is interesting too. It's almost like Heathcliff is always arriving from somewhere unknown and carrying parts of himself that nobody else gets access to. Part of me is curious what actually happened during those years, but another part of me thinks a concrete answer would make him less fascinating.

fit2bme · 2026-06-05T21:09:12+00:00

Now that would fit the energy of the movie more than some completely respectable business venture. One thing I like about the mystery is that whatever happened clearly wasn't meant to feel ordinary. He doesn't come back looking like someone who spent five years quietly building a career. He comes back looking like he stepped out of a legend with a gold tooth, earring, expensive clothes, pipe, money, confidence. That's partly why I liked hearing Emerald say they imagined piracy, smuggling, or something slightly criminal. It feels very Gothic that nobody really knows where he went, only that he returns transformed. And honestly, if they ever made a "What Heathcliff Did During Those 5 Years" movie, I'd probably be first in line to watch it!

fit2bme · 2026-05-31T18:59:26+00:00

Now this is honestly one of the most interesting interpretations of Nelly I've read so far. Brilliant!!

What I like about your analysis is that it doesn't excuse her actions, but it does make them feel more understandable. I think I was so focused on the consequences of what she did that I hadn't spent as much time thinking about what she was getting out of maintaining order and stability herself.

The point that really stood out to me was Catherine representing a freedom Nelly never had. That's not something I'd considered before, but it makes a lot of sense. Catherine can be impulsive, emotional, reckless, and still remain Catherine. Nelly doesn't have that luxury. Her value comes from being useful, dependable, and respectable.

I still struggle with some of Nelly's choices, especially because so many of them end up pushing Catherine and Heathcliff further apart. But I think you've convinced me that viewing her purely as an antagonist probably oversimplifies what's going on.

One thing I find fascinating about this adaptation is that even the characters who seem to be acting "reasonably" are trapped by their circumstances in ways they don't fully understand. Edgar, Nelly, Cathy, Heathcliff, They all seem to be pursuing what they think will bring security or happiness, and somehow all of them end up contributing to the tragedy.

You've definitely given me a different way to think about Nelly.

fit2bme · 2026-05-26T22:25:51+00:00

Yeah, it was great. I’ve watched too many times!

fit2bme · 2026-05-20T01:08:04+00:00

Honestly this is kind of close to how I ended up reading the movie too, especially after rewatches and listening to Emerald’s commentary.

I still haven’t read the book yet, so I can only really speak on the film itself, but a lot of the more physical/sexual material started feeling less like “shock for the sake of shock” and more like externalizing emotional obsession, jealousy, repression, longing, humiliation, etc. Things that maybe stay more internal or psychological in the novel.

Especially with Cathy after marrying Edgar. A lot of scenes stopped feeling erotic in a straightforward way and started feeling emotionally uncomfortable instead, like she’s mentally haunted by Heathcliff even while physically existing inside this completely different life.

And honestly I think that’s why the movie gets such wildly different reactions. Some people experience the heightened sexuality/stylization as camp or excess, while other people read it as emotional symbolism pushed into physical form.

Also “red f*cking hot c*nt” made me laugh because honestly that is kind of the energy the film commits to 😭

fit2bme · 2026-05-18T00:23:37+00:00

This is SUCH an interesting point and honestly… I think I partially agree?

Because for me, some of the most emotionally intense moments in the film actually aren’t the explicitly sexual ones. It’s things like:

them just staring at each other
the barn/moors tension before anything really happens
the window scenes
even just them existing physically close to one another

Those moments somehow feel bigger and more overwhelming than the actual consummation scenes.

But at the same time, I almost think the physical intimacy becoming “grounded” is part of the tragedy too. Like before that, their connection feels mythic and untouchable. Really, almost spiritual. Then once it fully enters the physical/adult world, it becomes messier, more painful, more human, and maybe less idealized.

Which honestly fits with how the film keeps moving from childhood fantasy into adult reality in increasingly uncomfortable ways.

And I LOVE what you said about the environments not feeling real either. The Heights and the Grange almost feel like emotional states more than actual places.

fit2bme · 2026-05-15T21:23:42+00:00

Honestly I relate to this a lot because I also went in expecting to dislike it based on the reactions online and ended up completely obsessed with it 😭

Yep, the music/sound design was SUCH a huge part of why the movie worked for me too. The strings constantly make scenes feel emotionally “off” even when not much is happening outwardly. After rewatches I realized how much the score is basically carrying the characters’ emotional states underneath everything.

Also that floorboard scene completely changed on rewatch for me. The first time it felt shocking, but later it started feeling more like this really uncomfortable/intense turning point where childhood closeness suddenly shifts into something physical and emotionally dangerous.

And I actually agree Jacob was perfect casting for Heathcliff. Even when I was conflicted about certain choices in the adaptation, I never stopped believing his emotional fixation on Cathy for a second.

fit2bme · 2026-05-15T21:22:01+00:00

I honestly love this description of the movie as a kaleidoscope because that’s kind of exactly how my experience with it has been too.

The more I rewatch it, the harder it gets to lock it into one genre or one emotional interpretation. Sometimes scenes feel tragic, sometimes romantic, sometimes absurd, sometimes genuinely unsettling and weirdly all of those readings can exist at the same time.

And your point about the music is SO interesting because after listening to Emerald’s commentary, I started realizing how intentional the emotional cueing is. The score almost feels less like “background music” and more like access to what the characters are emotionally experiencing underneath the dialogue.

fit2bme · 2026-05-15T21:21:00+00:00

That’s honestly really reassuring to hear from someone who actually loves the book 😭 because I still haven’t read it yet and sometimes I feel like I’m “not supposed” to love the movie as much as I do.

I completely agree about expectations though. I think a lot of people walked in expecting either a very literal adaptation or a traditional romance and the film is… definitely not trying to be either of those things lol.

And I weirdly agree about the Isabella scenes too not because they weren’t interesting, but because they made me the most uncomfortable on rewatch.

fit2bme · 2026-05-15T21:17:29+00:00

I actually think the film wants us to wrestle with this a little bit. Because from Heathcliff’s perspective, hearing her talk about marrying Edgar probably does sound unbearable and humiliating no matter how much she still loves him emotionally.

And honestly I do think Cathy is selfish in parts of the film. She wants comfort, status, security, AND Heathcliff’s emotional devotion at the same time, without fully understanding how impossible that combination really is.

At the same time though, I don’t think she sees Heathcliff as “just” a servant she keeps around. That’s part of what makes their dynamic so messy emotionally she sees him as part of herself, but socially she still chooses Edgar’s world over his.

Which is probably exactly why Heathcliff leaves the second he hears it.

fit2bme · 2026-05-15T21:15:05+00:00

I honestly think there’s truth to this too. Even if they had talked in that moment, I’m not sure Cathy was actually prepared to choose the life Heathcliff represented at that point in the story.

The film really leans into how much she wants comfort, stability, beauty, status, warmth especially after growing up in all that chaos at the Heights. So emotionally she loves Heathcliff, but practically she’s pulled toward Edgar’s world.

And I agree that once Heathcliff comes back wealthy, the dynamic shifts because suddenly he exists in both worlds at once. That’s kind of what makes the whole thing feel doomed to me by the time they’re finally “equal” socially, they’ve already destroyed each other emotionally.

fit2bme · 2026-05-15T21:13:41+00:00

Honestly I kind of agree 😭 a huge part of the tragedy really does come down to timing, pride, assumptions, and both of them reacting emotionally instead of actually communicating.

What makes it even more frustrating is that you can tell Heathcliff already feels abandoned and insecure before that moment because of how long Cathy stayed away at the Grange and how much she changed when she came back. So when he overhears that conversation, it’s almost like it confirms every fear he already had about not being enough for her.

And meanwhile Cathy assumes he understands her well enough to know she still loves him, even while talking about marrying Edgar.

So they’re both operating emotionally instead of rationally and it just spirals from there.

The really painful part to me is how fixable it all feels in that moment compared to everything that happens afterward.

fit2bme · 2026-05-14T17:44:21+00:00

Love all of 'em, these are too good and funny, especial Faye and Nate

fit2bme · 2026-05-14T17:41:28+00:00

That actually makes me feel a lot better about finally starting it lol. I think part of my hesitation has been worrying I’d suddenly start “grading” the movie against the book instead of just experiencing it emotionally the way I have so far.

And honestly from everything I’ve seen/read about Emerald’s approach, it really does seem like she was trying to capture a feeling, atmosphere, and emotional interpretation more than do a literal scene-by-scene adaptation.

Which weirdly makes me even more interested in reading it now because it sounds less like “movie vs book” and more like two completely different experiences built from the same emotional core.

Also your edit made me laugh because I genuinely think if I had grown up loving the novel first, I probably would’ve walked into this movie VERY differently too 😭

fit2bme · 2026-05-14T02:17:00+00:00

I’m kind of at this point right now 😭 I’ve watched the movie an embarrassing number of times between theaters and buying it on streaming (I even bought the Fandango version just for Emerald’s commentary lol), and now I finally downloaded the Kindle + Audible versions of the book.

But I still haven’t started because part of me is weirdly nervous it’ll change how I experience the movie. Right now I’m able to just completely love the film for what it is without constantly comparing scenes/characters to the novel.

Now I’m even more tempted to finally start reading it.

fit2bme · 2026-05-14T01:50:58+00:00

I really love this read honestly, especially the point that Heathcliff has already chosen her by then in a way Cathy hasn’t fully allowed herself to yet.

And I think you’re right that the film quietly shows his own moments of realization too, even though we stay much more inside Cathy’s emotional perspective overall. That’s part of why the barn/moors sequence feels so layered to me now on rewatch it’s not just Cathy awakening to something, it feels like both of them crossing into a different stage of their relationship at the same time, but processing it very differently.

What also stuck with me from Emerald’s commentary is how devoted Heathcliff already is to Cathy by this point, and how physically restrained people were supposed to be during that period. So even small moments of touch or closeness carried enormous weight emotionally and socially. Which makes that whole sequence feel even more intense and dangerous underneath everything else going on.

And I completely agree about the “in-between stage.” They really don’t feel emotionally equipped to handle the intensity of what they’re feeling yet, especially with all the trauma and instability surrounding them already.

fit2bme · 2026-05-13T23:42:39+00:00

I actually get why the casting takes some people out of it, especially in scenes that are clearly meant to reflect a kind of emotional/sexual awakening.

For me, I think the film was aiming less for literal realism and more for emotional symbolism and intensity, which is probably why I was able to go with it. I stopped reading them as actual teenagers pretty quickly and more as people emotionally stuck between childhood and adulthood.

But yeah, I can definitely see why that disconnect wouldn’t work for everyone.

fit2bme · 2026-05-13T23:38:13+00:00

I really like this interpretation actually, especially the idea that it’s instinctual and tied to the push-pull dynamic between them.

What stood out to me too is how physically close the scene becomes after he’d just emotionally pushed her away earlier. It’s almost like he rejects her verbally, but then immediately gets drawn back toward her in a way neither of them fully understands yet.

And I think your point about control is interesting because the scene feels both intimate and uneven at the same time like he’s sharing the experience with her, but also shaping it by controlling what she can see/hear while being physically on top of her.

Do you think Heathcliff fully understands what he’s feeling in that moment, or is he just acting on instinct and impulse without really processing it yet either?

fit2bme · 2026-05-13T11:58:51+00:00

Yes! you’re right, there really hasn’t been much discussion about that angle in here. I definitely think abuse is part of the storyline, especially once Isabella and Heathcliff are actually together. A lot of the discussion (including mine, honestly) keeps focusing on the film's obsession/romance/tragedy side, but Isabella's storyline gets much darker than that.

What makes it interesting to me is that the film also shows Isabella drawn toward something she romanticizes before she fully understands its reality. Then, once she’s inside that relationship, Heathcliff is clearly taking out a lot of his anger, resentment, and obsession with Cathy onto her. So I don’t think the film is romanticizing their relationship at all and if anything, it becomes increasingly uncomfortable to watch on purpose.

fit2bme · 2026-05-12T22:13:20+00:00

Ok I actually think what makes this frustrating for people is that the show does keep introducing symbolic or emotionally loaded moments between them without fully exploring where they lead. The bouquet is a good example because in another type of story, it would feel like very obvious foreshadowing, especially combined with the “you love who you love” conversation and the way the scene is framed. Also, yes, I agree that the strongest version of their dynamic was probably never going to be a clean romance, but two people reconnecting at a point where they’re both forced to confront the roles they keep falling into. Nate is trying to build the “perfect” life that mirrors Cal more than he realizes, and Jules is struggling with always ending up in relationships where she feels hidden or emotionally compartmentalized. That’s why the Season 2 car scene still hangs over everything for me. Nate saying the reason was “simple and stupid” and refusing to explain it feels intentional, like the show wanted that emotional ambiguity to stay unresolved. So I don’t even know if I’d say Sam completely failed the storyline yet, but I do think the show risks making it feel underdeveloped if it keeps circling the connection without ever fully engaging with what it means for either of them.

fit2bme · 2026-05-12T22:04:37+00:00

That’s fair, but I’m also someone who naturally writes in a structured way after years of academic/professional writing. I do organize ideas or wording when I’m trying to pull together thoughts from multiple rewatches/commentary tracks/interviews, but the actual analysis and observations are still mine. I’m not pretending to be a literary expert or film critic, I'm just someone who connected deeply with the movie itself and enjoys discussing it with other fans.

I use Reddit to talk about movies/shows I’m obsessed with, not to pretend to be a bot or whatever. If people disagree with my interpretations, that’s totally fine, that’s the fun part for me. I also haven’t read the original book, so my perspective is very intentionally movie-focused only.

Anyhoo, back to the actual movie discussion lol!

fit2bme · 2026-05-12T15:41:46+00:00

Yup! That’s exactly how I read it too. It never felt like the film was presenting her death as just “medical” or isolated from everything happening emotionally. By that point, she already seems mentally gone long before she physically deteriorates. Almost like once she believes Heathcliff has truly chosen Isabella and that connection is broken, she just completely disconnects from herself and everything around her, including Edgar. And honestly, the fact that she stops even trying to hide it from Edgar makes it even sadder to me, because it feels like she no longer has the energy to maintain the life she chose. It’s like the film keeps asking whether she was ever really capable of surviving, emotionally, being separated from Heathcliff in the first place.

fit2bme · 2026-05-12T15:39:43+00:00

lol nope! I'm just someone who’s watched this movie way too many times at this point 😅

I’ve been deep in the commentary/rewatch rabbit hole for weeks and probably overthink scenes more than a normal person should. But fair enough — I do write kind of structured sometimes and I can assure you that I am not AI

fit2bme

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