"I am Heathcliff" and "this rock has been waiting for me my entire life"

So, in the past two days we have watched two very different films! It's been another slightly barmy work week so it's been nice to have a couple of restful hours with D each night enjoying movies. The first was last night via t'internet: PBS' version of Wuthering Heights. Now, as most of my friends will know, this is my absolute favourite book of all time. At the age of 14 I sat on my bed and read the whole thing from cover to cover, breaking only to eat and sleep, as I recall. It is the most amazing, terrifying, wonderfully romantic, horrifyingly gothic book I know and if you haven't read it then you should! At 14 I felt that I had learnt everything there was to know about love from Emily Bronte's characters. Fortunately I have mellowed slightly since then and D hasn't had to wander over lonely moors shouting my name or anything. This new film was really good. I haven't yet seen a truly convincing Heathcliff (and I saw the great Sir Cliff in the musical version - seriously!) but Tom Hardy was really great and the whole thing reminded me of the beauty and complexity of this book. And Hareton is surely one of the most lovely, redemptive characters in fiction.

And tonight, after a crazy day of teaching and student interviews, we endulged in out customary Nandos/cinema combo. We went to watch 127 Hours. This came as a bit of a surprise to me (I thought we were going to see the new Christian Bale film) and I entered the cinema feeling a little nervous. You see, this is the film 'where the guy cuts his arm off'. Now, I am not into horror at all and I never watch excessively gory films. I didn't like the sound of this at all. I came out feeling quite different. I don't often cry in the cinema (hard-hearted woman!) but I felt as if I could cry and cry for hours and hours (in the interest of decorum, I didn't). I truly cared about this guy and was totally immersed in his story. Interestingly I never placed myself in his position or imagined what I would do if I got my arm inadvertently stuck beneath a boulder. Instead, it made me think about things like friendship, community, the need to rely on others, the bonds of love that tie people together, and the importance of living life to the fullest. Pretty profound for a Wednesday night! When he leaves his arm behind he seems to be leaving more than just a body part. Rather he is abandoning a previous way of living and, in fact, is a fuller person without the arm. Into the ether he just says 'thank you' and D and I were discussing the focus of his thanks. There is no horrid Hollywood 'may as well cry out to God given that nothing else has worked' moment. But there is a sense that he is thankful for this important, revelatory moment. OK, so I covered my eyes briefly during 'that scene' but I would really recommend this thought-provoking film with its incredible scenery and beautifully realised central character.

Anyways, it is late and I have finished my tea, so it is time for bed. It has been a long day!
Hope everyone is doing well
CSW