Heathcliffe (Solomon Glave) and Cathy (Shannon Beer) explore forbidden love in new version of classic novel (photo by Agatha Nitecka)
WUTHERING HEIGHTS (Andrea Arnold, 2011)
Film Forum
209 West Houston St.
Opens Friday, October 5
212-727-8110
www.filmforum.org
www.oscilloscope.net
Digging deep into Emily Brontё’s classic — and only — novel, writer-director Andrea Arnold creates a radically different Wuthering Heights from such previous versions starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon (1939), Keith Michell and Claire Bloom (1962), and Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (1992). Setting the bar high following her exceptional first two films, Red Road and Fish Tank, Arnold’s Wuthering Heights is told from the point of view of a black Heathcliffe, played as a teenager by Solomon Glave and an adult by James Howson, both of whom make their acting debut in the film. Although Cathy (newcomer Shannon Beer, then Kaya Scodelario) takes a nearly instant liking to the poor Heathcliffe, who has been brought in off the streets by her father, Earnshaw (Paul Hilton), her brother, Hindley (Lee Shaw), treats Heathcliffe like a slave, continually beating him and shouting racial epithets at him. Heathcliffe and Cathy try to take advantage of their every stolen moment together by wandering across the Yorkshire moors, but when he learns that she is considering marrying Edgar (Jonathan Powell, then James Northcote), Heathcliffe disappears, only to return later a changed man with a new mission. Working with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Olivia Hetreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring), Arnold streamlines Wuthering Heights down to its bare emotions, eschewing an epic costume drama in favor of a more intimate story that is often more faithful to the book. Shot by Robbie Ryan, who won the Best Cinematography award at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, Wuthering Heights has a look that is dark and captivating, focusing more on character than period dress and sweeping locations. Unfortunately, however, Heathcliffe is significantly lacking in character; his younger self, in particular, broods about, rarely speaking, letting things happen to him and not fighting back. He might be in a precarious situation, but his continued silence grows tired fast, detracting from the overall impact of the film, a shortcoming that is nearly overridden by Beer’s more energetic and interesting Cathy. This might not be a Wuthering Heights for the ages, but it most certainly is a fascinating version of a familiar, sometimes misunderstood classic romantic drama.
Lee Sang-woo, the Ogre of Korean Independent Cinema behind such cutting-edge, controversial low-budget films as Mother Is a Whore and Father Is a Dog, is back with the lame, lurid Fire in Hell. After being caught having a sexual tryst in a temple, a Korean monk winds up in a Filipino mansion, where a Christian minister attempts to rehabilitate a small group of violent criminals. The sex-obsessed monk, Ji-wol (Won Tae-hee), is soon in the midst of a torrid affair with Yeon-hwa (Cha Seung-min), the beautiful young woman who runs things at the mansion. Ji-wol says very little, but slowly, as the events that brought him to the Philippines reveal themselves in ever-more-graphic details, violence threatens to overwhelm everyone. Having trained on the sets of Kim Ki-duk’s Time and Breath, Lee certainly gained a knowledge of shock value, but his storytelling leaves a lot to be desired. Fire in Hell is an incomprehensible misogynistic mess, a manipulative piece of trash as the writer, director, editor, actor, and agent provocateur tacks on more and more ridiculous scenes, leading to a whirlwind, tragedy-filled ending that couldn’t come soon enough. Fire in Hell purports to be about basic human desires and faith, but instead it’s an absurd erotic thriller without the thrills, not even worthy of being shown on late-night cable, although it was, remarkably, selected for the Jeonju and Moscow International Film Festivals. Fire in Hell is screening on September 30 at 5:30, concluding MoMA’s third annual “Yeonghwa: Korean Film Today” series, a collaboration with the 
Born into a working-class family in Manchester in 1935, knighted architect Sir Norman Foster has spent the last forty years building some of the most impressive structures in the world. Titled after a question asked of him by Buckminster Fuller, How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? examines the life and career of the intriguing character behind such innovative constructions as the London Stansted Airport terminal, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, the Sage Gateshead, the renovated Wembley Stadium, the Great Court at the British Museum, Millennium Bridge, Hong Kong International Airport at Check Lap Kok, and the futuristic Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. Written and narrated by architecture critic Deyan Sudjic, the director of London’s Design Museum, in a steady but worshipful tone, the film features interviews with artists Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra, Anthony Caro, and Cai Guo-Qiang, journalist Paul Goldberger, musician Bono, and numerous people from Foster + Partners, which employs thousands of men and women around the world. Directors Norberto López Amado and Carlos Carcas also speak at length with Foster himself, who waxes prophetic about artistic creation, environmental responsibility, and integrating his work with nature. The film examines Foster’s drawing method, the importance of building models even in the digital age, and his dedication to improving humanity’s existence on the planet in addition to delving into his personal life, from the tragic loss of his first wife to his obsession with flight and cross-country skiing. Director of photography Valentín Álvarez lovingly moves his camera in and around such remarkable Foster creations as the Hearst Tower in New York, the Reichstag restoration in Berlin, the Millau Viaduct in France, the Swiss Re Tower in London, HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, and Beijing Airport, shooting them as if they were majestic cathedrals, accompanied by Joan Valent’s evocative score performed by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra. Amado and Carcas steer clear of any controversy, which has accompanied numerous Foster projects, instead concentrating on his many successes and the mind of the man behind the myth, which is itself a remarkable creation. How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? which flows like one of Foster’s buildings: elegant, organic, unique, and endlessly fascinating, will be screening September 30, October 7, and October 14 as part of Symphony Space’s ongoing Thalia Docs series.
