Noshe mind of Emerald Fennell (the provocative Oscar-winning director already behind the Saltburn phenomenon) the film adaptation of Wuthering Heights he had to shake off every sugary coating. On the Yorkshire moors, the wild wind that whips the primal feelings of Heathcliff And Catherinesymbolizes the indomitable sensuality that pierces postcard romanticism.
Yet, a small fragment of historical – and corporeal – truth remained trapped in the editing room. Leaving behind a hint of bitter regret.
The deleted scene of Margot Robbie with unshaved armpits
During a recent talk at Hay Festival in Wales, the director confessed her aesthetic regret. Having cut a scene in which the protagonist Cathy/Margot Robbie freely showed her unshaved armpits. A choice that for Fennell was not a gratuitous provocation, but a fundamental piece of historical realism. Contemporary cinema’s obsession with perfectly smooth female bodies even in costume dramas, in fact, it often ends up projecting today’s standards of beauty onto eras that did not possess the same tools. Transforming the nineteenth-century heroinesinto smooth and historically unlikely creatures.
When the razor was a male accessory and women didn’t shave
The timeline of beauty, on the other hand, speaks clearly. In the 1800s the razor was considered a male accessory and women didn’t shave the body, always covered by clothes in almost every part. At most they existed (painful) rudimentary facial waxingbut they were a luxury accessible exclusively to the high nobility.
A scene from Emerald Fennell’s film Wuthering Heights. (Photo Courtesy of Press Office)
To see the safety razor to officially make its entry into women’s daily lives we had to wait until the early twentieth century. Well beyond 1847, the year of publication of the gothic masterpiece by Emily Bronte. Show the naturalness of the body Catherine Earnshaw therefore, it was important for the director. Because it meant giving back to her that wild and visceral authenticity, which defines her personality inextricably linked to the land and the moor.
New version coming soon?
The film adaptations of Wuthering Heights are numerous and, so far, the 2026 film has attracted quite a bit of criticism. Primarily because of the costumes that were too sumptuous, but also because of the choice of Jacob Elordi as the male protagonist. In addition to the plot which deviates quite a bit from the tracks of the original text. But the 40-year-old Emerald (who in addition to being a director is also an actress and screenwriter), defends her vision vigorously.
Margot Robbie at the Australian premiere of “Wuthering Heights”. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
More than a faithful academic transposition, she explained, the film lives as the dense and indelible reflection of that reading that struck her at just fourteen years old. An intimate and personal version that walks the thin line of paradox. AND’ Wuthering Heightsbut at the same time it isn’t. A journey in perfect balance between the rigor of literary myth and the avant-garde of a contemporary gaze, which is not afraid to look the controversy in the face.
Now that the backstory has become public knowledge, the debate inevitably shifts to digital channels and among the most avid cinephiles. While a question arises spontaneously among viewers: will this bitter regret from the director pave the way for a future Director’s Cut version?
