My mother adored the 1939 version with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as a passionate romance. It was a bit of a shock when I finally read the novel on which this is based to find it not romantic at all. Heathcliff is a brute and an evil monster, and what he has with Cathy seemed more composed of hate than love. Think creepy stalker guy. (The man killed her puppy!) So in a way Fiennes in this film is closer to Bronte's conception--darker and more vicious. What undermines this film for me is two things. One, just plain storytelling and pacing. The 1939 film is engrossing on its own terms, even if not as faithful to the book in omitting the "second generation" storyline. The other problem was Binoche as Cathy. Some complain about her French accent and that she (and Fiennes) were too old to play the lead roles. My problem was that she was annoyingly giggly and... well, not watchable. ( )