Sunday 15 February 2026

On a damp and gloomy Sunday morning, I drive out to a local cinema to see film number two of 2026. My choice ‘Wuthering Heights‘, a movie based upon Emily Bronte’s infamous and intense novel.

We grab a coffee on the way in, to wake up and ward off the the wintry chills. My friend is grim faced.

“Have you seen the reviews?” she asks arching her eyebrows.

Then dropping her voice to a whisper,

“One even described it as Baroque porn!”

Yikes! I wonder if I have made a huge mistake. But we are here now and … at the very least, it sounds livelier than ‘Hamnet’! So in we go, juggling our drinks and snacks.

And I really enjoy the film.

So is it exactly like the book?

No! But come on people; this is the big screen and a new piece of story telling that has to fit coherently into a 2 hour slot.

Is it a relentless hot bed of steamy sex and naughtiness?

Well there are a few moments when we nearly drop our popcorn, but,for the most part, it is no saucier than many other movies.

So what is it that I love so much about my February film choice? Well, whilst the producers undoubtedly adapt and alter some of Bronte’s more minor characters as well as plot lines, what this movie does brilliantly capture is the  all-consuming, destructive passion between Heathcliff and Cathy on those desolate Yorkshire moors. And, for many of us, who read and love the original book, this is the central theme. Raw, romantic, compelling  and ultimately… devastating.

The soundtrack adds emotional layers and, of course, the moors provide the perfect backdrop. Wild, untamed and uncontrollable, reflecting the moods and desires of our two main characters. This film delights the senses.

So, for two hours, I forget the dreary day outside and lose myself in this great story and when we finally emerge back into the carpark, do you know what I see the damp drizzle through completely new eyes. Suddenly the misty and overcast skies of this Bolton morning look atmospheric and evocative… hinting of brooding desires and forbidden passions and …. and then I see the queue to get out of the carpark and come crashing back to reality!

That is until next month! If I ever get out of here and get home, it is straight off to research next month’s movie …