Laurence Olivier was terribly miscast as Heathcliff if you have read the book. Heathcliff was a swarthy dark child that Cathy's father found at the docks and brought home. Cathy was a somewhat wild and impulsive free spirit. Oberon was a bit too refined to play her in my view. But these were the stars of the era. I think Heathcliff was treated appallingly by Hindley and by Cathy. One reduced him to an ill treated servant and the other destroyed him emotionally because she wanted to be "a lady". It is hardly surprising that Heathcliff was filled with hatred for Hindley and an ambivalent love for Cathy. His actions after her death were cruel and hurt the wrong people - but she and Hindley had damaged him emotionally so much it was hardly surprising. My sympathies were all with Heathcliff !! I have never seen a version that met the Heathcliff of my imagination - or the Cathy really. I think Tom Hardy - although a good actor was ridiculous as Heathcliff - he looked like he had just left Eton. Maybe the Ralph Fiennes - Juliette Binoche version came a bit nearer. I know there is a 2011 version where Heathcliff is played by a black actor but he just didn't have the power to portray the complexity of Heathcliff in my view. I guess we all have a version of characters in our imaginations and nobody quite fits the bill !! It is the same with Rochester and Jane Eyre. So many versions and nobody as yet has portrayed those characters to my satisfaction !!!

What? Not even Cliff Heathcliff Richards?

I'd reply if I could stop laughing !!!

@strangebedfellows said:

Laurence Olivier was terribly miscast as Heathcliff if you have read the book. Heathcliff was a swarthy dark child that Cathy's father found at the docks and brought home. Cathy was a somewhat wild and impulsive free spirit. Oberon was a bit too refined to play her in my view. But these were the stars of the era. I think Heathcliff was treated appallingly by Hindley and by Cathy. One reduced him to an ill treated servant and the other destroyed him emotionally because she wanted to be "a lady". It is hardly surprising that Heathcliff was filled with hatred for Hindley and an ambivalent love for Cathy. His actions after her death were cruel and hurt the wrong people - but she and Hindley had damaged him emotionally so much it was hardly surprising. My sympathies were all with Heathcliff !! I have never seen a version that met the Heathcliff of my imagination - or the Cathy really. I think Tom Hardy - although a good actor was ridiculous as Heathcliff - he looked like he had just left Eton. Maybe the Ralph Fiennes - Juliette Binoche version came a bit nearer. I know there is a 2011 version where Heathcliff is played by a black actor but he just didn't have the power to portray the complexity of Heathcliff in my view. I guess we all have a version of characters in our imaginations and nobody quite fits the bill !! It is the same with Rochester and Jane Eyre. So many versions and nobody as yet has portrayed those characters to my satisfaction !!!

I agreed with you up until the bolded statement. Fiennes is so far from being 'swarthy' & in my humble opinion a boring actor!

I agreed with you up until the bolded statement. Fiennes is so far from being 'swarthy' & in my humble opinion a boring actor!

I did say "closest" simply because all the other versions were so far away from what I imagined the characters to be like. I am not a huge fan of Fiennes either. I cannot think of any British actors who could play those parts convincingly today - they all tend to look the same - same hair styles - same manicures - same eyebrows - same stubble etc. They look like they have all come off the "product" production line. Put them on a wild Yorkshire moor and they would run screaming for their hair lacquer.