Oh, I love the hell out of Wuthering Heights, but they're both thoroughly unpleasant characters. I think the idea that Heathcliff is desirable is this stupid vague notion largely harboured by people who haven't actually read the book.

I think this may also be a consequence of how the movies have cast the role. Cathy too, for that matter.

Although Angelus was far more entertaining than Angel, when it came down to it.

Absolutely! Which is why I love me some Wuthering Heights!

I think, inasmuchas Angelus Heathcliff is desirable, he is only desirable if you are Darla Cathy. Having a dangerous, powerful, badass hunk of tall, dark and smouldering who adores you with the no-holds-barred intensity Dean Winchester reserves for his little brother, and Jack Bristow reserves for his daughter, (and Wesley Wyndham Price reserves for Fred Burkle) and who views you as an equal, and who scares the crap out of other people but not out of you because you are so utterly two halves of the same whole - I can see the appeal of that. But that isn't the same as finding that character inherently appealing. It's the dynamic that's appealing, I think. It's just that people mistake the two. (And then write books in which they castrate Heathcliff Angelus, and make him sparkle, and people eat it up with a spoon.)

...of course, I may be talking total bollocks.

I think this may also be a consequence of how the movies have cast the role. Cathy too, for that matter.

True, dat.

Got to say, neither Ralph Fiennes nor Lawrence Olivier seem remotely sane choices to cast as Heathcliff. And as for the luminous Juliette Binoche as a French-accented Cathy...

boggles

...actually, the obvious choice to play Heathcliff is Sean Bean. I mean, he's from South Yorkshire, not North Yorkshire, but what's a few miles between friends? He'd be awesome. Who to put opposite him...hmm...that's the thing, it should be someone who hits you with her strength of character first and foremost, not her fragile beauty.

ponders

Oh, lord, and don't get me started on the pure comedy gold of Cliff Richard thinking he was a good choice to play Heathcliff in the stage musical of the same name.

...

...

...apparently he's under the impression that irony means 'like iron'.

I've always thought Heathcliff and Cathy are supposed to be more compelling than likeable.

I think, inasmuchas Angelus Heathcliff is desirable, he is only desirable if you are Darla Cathy.

I heart Fay's spicy brains and can't believe I never thought of this.

neither Ralph Fiennes nor Lawrence Olivier seem remotely sane choices to cast as Heathcliff.

See, I think Ralph Fiennes is perfect. He's all intense and vaguely crazy.

See, I think Ralph Fiennes is perfect. He's all intense and vaguely crazy.

Fiennes is way to clean cut for the role, imho and too light haired.

The creepiest think about Wuthering Heights that's stuck with me lo these many years is something that a prof. put forth in college: Heathcliff and Cathy were step-siblings.

His reasoning was that Cathy's father brought urchin!Heathcliff home to live with them, but -- why that specific child? Surely there were umpteen urchins from which he could have chosen, so in picking Heathcliff, he must have had a reason, such as fathering an illegitimate child with some random woman.

Now, I don't think that Heathcliff and Cathy being step-siblings is textually supported, but if it were true, it's an extra layer of both creepy AND crazy.

Fiennes is way to clean cut for the role, imho and too light haired.

Yeah, but -- clean-cut and light-haired can be altered with no problem.

Step-siblings or half-siblings?

...actually, the obvious choice to play Heathcliff is Sean Bean. I mean, he's from South Yorkshire, not North Yorkshire, but what's a few miles between friends? He'd be awesome. Who to put opposite him...hmm...that's the thing, it should be someone who hits you with her strength of character first and foremost, not her fragile beauty.

Sean Bean would be AWESOME as Heathcliff. For Cathy, I propose Emily Watson. (Come to think of it, Bean and Watson were in that pretty-but-stupid movie, Equilibrium, together as lovers, but we never got to watch them together since it was pre-movie.) Watson's got the acting chops and the intensity, and she could be ferocious when needed.

who views you as an equal, and who scares the crap out of other people but not out of you because you are so utterly two halves of the same whole - I can see the appeal of that. But that isn't the same as finding that character inherently appealing. It's the dynamic that's appealing, I think. It's just that people mistake the two.

So much this. It's a bit of train wreck, these two utterly crazy people who are so clearly suited for no one but each other, and cut this swath of destruction through the world because of it -- it's sort of awesomely terrifying and gorgeous in its own way, like a tornado or a hurricane.

I always felt like I might want *someone* to love me like that, before realizing what that might actually mean (i.e., when I was, like, ten).