Film Review: ‘Emily’: Director O’Connor’s Mesmerizing Brontë Biopic

R | 2h 10min | Drama, Biography, History, Literature | 17 February 2023 (UK/USA)

Like far too many creative souls who came before and after her, British writer Emily Brontë was taken from us far too soon. Dying on Dec. 19, 1848, of tuberculosis at the age of 30, she passed away without having any idea of the monumental impact that her only finished novel, “Wuthering Heights” (“WH”), would have on society and not only English but also world literature.

Previously adapted nearly 50 times for film, TV, radio, and stage productions, plus a 1978 No. 1 (UK) single by Kate Bush, “WH” is a timeless story of often-unrequited lifelong passion and emotional blackmail. It makes the best case, perhaps ever, of how obsession can eat away at two souls and take down everyone around them in the process.

O’Connor Astounds

Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey) writes her novel, "Wuthering Heights," in "Emily." (Warner Bros.)

Serving as a prequel and stand-alone bookend to the novel and all of its incarnations, “Emily” is the first feature film from Frances O’Connor, a British-born Australian actress best known for her appearances in “Gosford Park,” “Madame Bovary,” and “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Recalling the visual style and spare storytelling acumen of Stanley Kubrick and Terrence Malick, O’Connor’s film is among the most assured and daring debuts ever executed. Her level of confidence exhibited here is otherworldly.

The movie opens with Emily (Emma Mackey: think a brunette Margot Robbie with brown eyes) on her deathbed, being alternately comforted and grilled by her older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling). The elder asks the younger how she was able to conjure “WH,” which she describes as “an ugly story with selfish people.” Without missing a beat, Emily replies “I put pen to paper.”

As any writer worth their weight in salt already knows, putting pen to paper isn’t a simple mechanical exercise. And for the next 100 or so minutes, O’Connor (also the screenwriter) masterfully depicts events in Emily’s short life that led to the creation of “WH.”

Wiggle Room

From a creative perspective, O’Connor has a leg up and a broad canvas on which to work, as many of the events in Emily’s life are sketchy and not fully chronicled or confirmed. There’s a lot of gray area and not enough solid, confirmable facts and details. There is really no definitive version of Emily’s life story.

Likely knowing this going in, O’Connor wisely chose to make the movie as a conjectured work of historical fiction. Emily becomes the basis for the Cathy character in “WH,” while her brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead) and curate William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) are a composite of what would become Heathcliff.

Emily Brontë's brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead, L) and curate William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), in "Emily." (Warner Bros.)

In what is the closest thing to a reenactment of a passage from both the novel and most adaptations, Emily and Branwell are shown peering through the window of the neighboring Linton family. After being noticed, they flee and are chased by guard dogs.

The result differs slightly from the source material, but the intent is clear. O’Connor has essentially put herself into Emily’s head and hypothesized (with stunning believability) how one of the greatest works ever written began its gestation.

Group Participation

The stellar contributions of editor Sam Sneade, cinematographer Nanu Segal, and composer Abel Korzeniowski cannot be overstated here. This film is a true team effort, and it is to O’Connor’s deep and considerable credit to surround herself with collaborators and a cast that brought her vision to realization; there is not a single wasted frame to be found.

It is far too early to determine how “Emily” will ultimately sit with “WH” purists. For some, the novel is an entity unto itself with the life of Emily being a mere afterthought. For others, it will be well received and embraced as an absolute godsend, however hypothetical and far-fetched some might consider it to be.

One thing that any possible naysayers might consider: All of the characters depicted in this film are nonfictional, and all of them had some part in what went into Emily’s novel, most importantly Emily herself.

Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling, L) and her sister Anne (Amelia Gething) Brontë pour over reading material, in “Emily.” (Warner Bros.)

In an era when it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate artists’ work from their private lives, something like “Emily” comes along and suggests that timeless art, for better or worse, is often an offshoot of an artist’s own experiences.

What If

Sometimes, but not always, an artist’s work is an extension of his or her own life. “Emily” might not be thoroughly historically accurate, but it is completely believable in a “what if” context.

O’Connor’s version of Emily’s life is as equally engrossing, enthralling, and mesmerizing as anything found in “WH.”

In the full-circle ending, with Charlotte ultimately putting “pen to paper” with the words of her own first novel, O’Connor ties up the production with a perfectly uplifting and inspirational coda.

Theatrical release poster for "Emily" on the life of Emily Brontë. (Tempo Productions)

‘Emily’ Director: Frances O’Connor Stars: Emma Mackey, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Fionn Whitehead, Alexandra Dowling Running Time: Two hours, 10 minutes MPAA rating: R Release Date: Feb. 17, 2023 Rating: 5 out of 5