I received the new DVD yesterday. I've been waiting to see this for so many years I can't express how happy I am to finally see it.
The video quality isn't the best (vintage, fuzzy, black and white TV - this is from 1967 after all, and the BBC has made no promises of beautiful remastering). The DVD menu photos feature color photography of the main actors and they give an idea of how beautiful it could have been had it been presented in color.
Ian McShane as Heathcliff is very young, quite handsome when cleaned up, and a bit of a ham; you can tell he was probably more comfortable on stage than in front of a camera at this point in his career. His facial expressions may be a bit broad at Heathcliff's most dramatic youthful moments, but as Heathcliff ages he seems to get his bearings, and I believe he was very well cast. His beautiful voice is so resonant even at this young age it makes one wonder what he must have sounded like as an infant. He is a great brooder and some of the close-ups of his face are lovely. He looks more like a dark gypsy than any of the other actors I've seen in the role.
Angela Scoular as Cathy seemed comfortable in front of the camera; she is very pretty and has a fresh presence. Watching her in the role I wondered why she didn't go on to do more in her career; she has great charisma on camera. The supporting cast are all very good.
The one unfortunate aspect of the play might be the wigs the male actors were required to wear; at times I found myself amazed at their height. McShane's facial hair as he ages is also quite artificial-looking and stagy. I also would have appreciated it more if the viewer weren't forced to listen to the wind constantly in the film; I'm sure it was there to remind us, even in interior shots, that the moors outside were wild and woolly, but the sound is a bit much in almost every scene.
The interior sets are run-of-the-mill and stagy, but they used real (and breathtaking) locations for the exteriors, and even the houses Miss Bronte based her story upon are featured in the play. The photography of the wild scenes on the moors would have been so beautiful in color, but somehow the fact that it is in black and white lends a sort of ancient feel to the cinematography.
The direction is a bit hit and miss and some of the editing seems choppy, especially near the beginning, but if you are able to put aside modern broadcast standards, somehow it all comes together into a rustic, very atmospheric, ghostly production. By the 3rd and 4th parts of the story you find yourself wrapped-up in it, and the ending has a satisfying emotional resonance I didn't expect.
Although the production values are dated and the video quality is not the best, I would say that as a historical example of the type of TV play available in the UK at the time, a curiosity for Wuthering Heights/Bronte fans, and as a vehicle for the very young McShane's talent, this 1967 version of Wuthering Heights is definitely worth a watch.
182 minutes in length (4 parts). No special features. Subtitles are an option (only in English), and scene selection is possible. Aspect ratio 4:3
The video quality isn't the best (vintage, fuzzy, black and white TV - this is from 1967 after all, and the BBC has made no promises of beautiful remastering). The DVD menu photos feature color photography of the main actors and they give an idea of how beautiful it could have been had it been presented in color.
Ian McShane as Heathcliff is very young, quite handsome when cleaned up, and a bit of a ham; you can tell he was probably more comfortable on stage than in front of a camera at this point in his career. His facial expressions may be a bit broad at Heathcliff's most dramatic youthful moments, but as Heathcliff ages he seems to get his bearings, and I believe he was very well cast. His beautiful voice is so resonant even at this young age it makes one wonder what he must have sounded like as an infant. He is a great brooder and some of the close-ups of his face are lovely. He looks more like a dark gypsy than any of the other actors I've seen in the role.
Angela Scoular as Cathy seemed comfortable in front of the camera; she is very pretty and has a fresh presence. Watching her in the role I wondered why she didn't go on to do more in her career; she has great charisma on camera. The supporting cast are all very good.
The one unfortunate aspect of the play might be the wigs the male actors were required to wear; at times I found myself amazed at their height. McShane's facial hair as he ages is also quite artificial-looking and stagy. I also would have appreciated it more if the viewer weren't forced to listen to the wind constantly in the film; I'm sure it was there to remind us, even in interior shots, that the moors outside were wild and woolly, but the sound is a bit much in almost every scene.
The interior sets are run-of-the-mill and stagy, but they used real (and breathtaking) locations for the exteriors, and even the houses Miss Bronte based her story upon are featured in the play. The photography of the wild scenes on the moors would have been so beautiful in color, but somehow the fact that it is in black and white lends a sort of ancient feel to the cinematography.
The direction is a bit hit and miss and some of the editing seems choppy, especially near the beginning, but if you are able to put aside modern broadcast standards, somehow it all comes together into a rustic, very atmospheric, ghostly production. By the 3rd and 4th parts of the story you find yourself wrapped-up in it, and the ending has a satisfying emotional resonance I didn't expect.
Although the production values are dated and the video quality is not the best, I would say that as a historical example of the type of TV play available in the UK at the time, a curiosity for Wuthering Heights/Bronte fans, and as a vehicle for the very young McShane's talent, this 1967 version of Wuthering Heights is definitely worth a watch.
182 minutes in length (4 parts). No special features. Subtitles are an option (only in English), and scene selection is possible. Aspect ratio 4:3