'Inhaled with my groin': Jacob Elordi's Wuthering Heights review makes waves Down Under
The winds of change – and perhaps a touch of elemental passion – are blowing through the Australian media landscape, thanks to a particularly fervent review of the new Wuthering Heights film. Starring Australian heartthrob Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Cathy, the adaptation has been met with a surprisingly visceral reaction from one of the nation's prominent critics, igniting a firestorm of discussion and debate.
A Review That Commands Attention
Nikki Gemmell, newly appointed chief film critic for The Australian's rebranded Culture section, has delivered what can only be described as a five-star knockout blow. Her review, emblazoned with the headline "My first five-star review: I inhaled Wuthering Heights with my groin," has sent shockwaves through readers and industry observers alike. The audacious phrasing, a stark departure from traditional critical language, has been both lauded for its raw honesty and decried for its perceived vulgarity.
"Well, there's a phrase I never thought I would read in a film review," commented one bemused reader on social media, echoing a sentiment shared by many. Others expressed a mixture of shock and amusement, with one commenter quipping, "Glad you enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’ll be having what you are having." The sentiment of surprise was palpable, as the review's uninhibited enthusiasm contrasted sharply with the often reserved tone of mainstream film criticism.
Gemmell's Passionate Prose
Gemmell's review pulled no punches, describing the film with an intensity that left little to the imagination. "Be still, my churning 14-year-old heart," she wrote. "After the clit-tease of a muscular marketing campaign we now get the actual product, ripe for Valentine’s Day. A film of such gleeful power it may well liquify your innards just watching it." This vivid, almost physical, description of her viewing experience highlights a reviewer willing to embrace the emotional core of Emily Brontë's tumultuous tale, even if it means employing unconventional language.
The review also touched upon the film's thematic elements, suggesting, "Chia pudding is Cathy’s composed side." This whimsical observation, alongside the more potent imagery, paints a picture of a critic deeply immersed in the film's atmosphere and character dynamics. The review implicitly positions the film as a fervent, almost primal, experience, a far cry from a passive observation.
A Counterpoint in Criticism
However, not all critics have been swept away by the same tide of passion. In stark contrast, The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw offered a more tempered, and some might say, cynical assessment, awarding the film a mere two stars. Bradshaw described the movie as "quasi-erotic, pseudo-romantic and then ersatz-sad, a club night of mock emotion." This divergent opinion underscores the subjective nature of film interpretation and highlights the varying expectations audiences and critics bring to classic literary adaptations.
The juxtaposition of these two reviews – one a five-star explosion of visceral reaction, the other a two-star dismissal of emotional authenticity – serves to emphasize the divisive nature of the Wuthering Heights narrative itself, and how different cinematic interpretations can elicit such polarized responses.
Media Landscape Shifts
Gemmell's bold pronouncements come at a time of significant restructuring within The Australian's Culture section. Her appointment as chief film critic, following the rebranding of the section, signals a move towards "fresh voices" and a more dynamic, multi-platform approach. This shift has also seen the departure of several long-standing columnists, including former ABC broadcaster Phillip Adams and literary editor Stephen Romei. The reduction in the number of film reviews published and the contraction of the literary section's book review pages have been noted as potential consequences of these changes.
A spokesperson for The Australian defended the masthead's strategy, stating that the company is "modernising and expanding its culture, arts, and entertainment coverage through a new multi-platform Culture vertical led by Milanda Rout, investing in video, newsletters, and fresh voices." They pointed to strong audience growth and subscriber engagement as evidence of the strategy's success, highlighting the inclusion of new columnists like Charlotte Ree.
Elordi and Robbie: A Pairing Under Scrutiny
The casting of Jacob Elordi, known for his brooding intensity in Euphoria, as the brooding Heathcliff, and Margot Robbie, a powerhouse performer, as the tempestuous Cathy, was always going to generate significant interest. This particular Wuthering Heights adaptation appears to have tapped into a primal energy that resonates with some viewers, while others find it overwrought or lacking in nuance. Gemmell's review, in its sheer uninhibitedness, has undoubtedly amplified this conversation, turning a film critique into a national talking point.
Whether this passionate review translates into box office success remains to be seen, but it has already achieved a significant feat: it has made audiences and critics alike pay closer attention to Wuthering Heights and the evolving landscape of Australian media. The conversation around Jacob Elordi's portrayal and the film's overall impact is far from over, fueled by a review that dared to be, in a word, unforgettable.
