Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights Adaptation Sparks Casting Controversy

Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights has been adapted into a film, but it seems that such an iconic story cannot be brought to life without a little controversy — this time, for the casting of Jacob Elordi as the character Heathcliff.

According to online critics, the part of Heathcliff should have been played by an actor of color, but experts on the piece of Gothic literature have their own opinions (via Variety).

Elordi spoke to ABC in Sydney about the controversy, and he took the opportunity to speak highly of director Emerald Fennell, adding that art is subject to interpretation.

He said, “This is Emerald’s interpretation of the text, and Emerald is an artist that I respect and admire, and I think her work is really important.“

The actor said his goal throughout shooting the film has been to “serve the truth of the screenplay that I’ve been handed.“

The film, adapted by Fennell, was released in theaters on February 13, and it’s been described as a romance. However, this is mostly due to the second half of the book being cut from the script — another complaint from fans.

The main complaint causing waves online has been about Elordi, a white Australian actor, playing Heathcliff, who is described as “a dark-skinned gipsy” in the novel.

Heathcliff was brought into the story as a young boy who was found unhoused on the streets of Liverpool speaking “some gibberish that nobody could understand.”

Hindley, a character that has been erased from the film, also referred to Heathcliff as an “imp of Satan,” “a beggarly interloper,” and a “little Lascar.” A Lascar is a term for Southeast Asian sailors in Victorian England.

Heathcliff’s race was never confirmed in the novel, but there is no doubt that he was othered by characters in the book for his origin story, lack of education, and all-around cultural differences.

Book references point to several different races from multiple continents, but there has never been a clear answer, and some believe that was the point.

Claire O’Callaghan, a lecturer in Victorian literature, said, “The ambiguity is really inclusive, because he, as a character, then speaks to a range of people, cultures, and communities who were impacted by colonialism.“

Andrea Kaston Tange, a professor of Victorian literature, said casting Elordi was a bad choice because, based on his appearance, he would be able to fit into the upper middle class of that society.

Many critics believe this was a missed opportunity to hire a person of color to play the role.

Wuthering Heights starring Elordi and Margot Robbie is in theaters now.