Emerald Fennell’s new Wuthering Heights film has already stirred controversy, but I want to make the case that the best adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece already exists and it isn’t on screen. In 1978, an 18-year-old Kate Bush captured the wild, haunting atmosphere of the novel in just four minutes of music, creating a version of Wuthering Heights that has outlived almost every film and TV attempt.
In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore why Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights is the definitive adaptation: from its ghostly perspective and groundbreaking composition to its cultural afterlife in flash mobs, memes, and even later adaptations. I also share my personal story of hearing the song for the first time as a child and how it revealed music as something magical and otherworldly.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Kate Bush
01:01 Why Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights?
01:53 Brief History of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights
02:38 Emerald Fennell, Olivier, & Ian McShane
04:16 Kate finds Cathy
05:45 The Definitive Adaptation of Wuthering Heights
17:14 Kate’s Cultural Impact
18:59 What do you think?
19:45 Heathcliff…
