After the viral bathtub moment in Saltburn, viewers say Emerald Fennell’s latest film pushes things even further
Emerald Fennell’s take on Wuthering Heights built buzz during a bold and attention-grabbing press tour, with the director suggesting it would be her most provocative project yet. Many have described it as the most explicit screen adaptation of the classic novel so far.
The film stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi and centers on the well-known romance between Catherine and Heathcliff. Ahead of release, Fennell hinted that one particular moment would outdo even the most talked-about scene from Saltburn.
Saltburn, also directed by Fennell, included a controversial scene where Barry Keoghan’s character watches Jacob Elordi’s character in a private moment in a bathtub. After Elordi’s character leaves, Keoghan’s character enters the bathroom and drinks the used bathwater. That scene quickly went viral and sparked intense online discussion.
Given how widely discussed that earlier moment became, many wondered how anything could surpass it. So when Fennell hinted that a scene in Wuthering Heights might rival it, audiences paid attention.
On a red carpet, she was asked about previously saying that the bathtub scene was the first visual idea she had for Saltburn. She replied that the first image she imagined for Wuthering Heights was “similar” in tone, adding: “Something happens on a rock.”
After that comment circulated, social media users began speculating about what she meant. One fan reacted on X, writing: “Is the rock okay? Does it need a therapist? Because I still haven’t recovered from the bathtub.”
Another viewer suggested that whatever the moment was, it might be “even more shocking than Saltburn.” That only added to the anticipation.
So what actually happens in this much-discussed rock scene, and is it as extreme as people expected?
Warning: Spoilers ahead for some of the most intense scenes in Wuthering Heights
The scene in question shows Margot Robbie’s Catherine pleasuring herself while sitting on a rock, with Heathcliff watching nearby.
He approaches her and, despite her initial objections, leans in to kiss her. In response, she pushes grass into his mouth using the same hand she had just used on herself.
He then lifts her up with one hand by gripping her corset, raising her to his eye level. The physical intensity of the moment left some viewers visibly stunned.
Some early reviews mentioned hearing “squeals” from the audience during this scene. Even so, others questioned whether it truly surpassed the bathtub sequence in shock value.
A review from The Independent stated: “The supposedly ‘wild’ Heathcliff never does anything to Cathy that couldn’t be spotted in the average Bridgerton episode… mostly, he sticks his fingers in her mouth.”
Meanwhile, one Reddit user wrote that despite all the talk about how daring the film would be, they felt underwhelmed, commenting: “They could’ve cut the masturbation at the rock and him eating her out once or twice, and this easily would have been PG-13.”
The rock moment is not the only scene that caught attention. Another sequence, which some argue is even more disturbing, shows a young Catherine witnessing the execution of a man who had been convicted of rape.
The scene goes further when two nuns are shown interacting with the man’s body after his death, focusing on his exposed anatomy. The combination of violence and sexual imagery adds to the film’s unsettling tone.
As writer Raven Smith put it in his review for Cultured, “Is it an Emerald Fennell project if someone isn’t being sexually weird when they think nobody’s looking?” The line captures the director’s tendency to explore taboo or uncomfortable themes in her work.
Wuthering Heights is currently showing in theaters.
Content retrieved from: https://www.thatviralfeed.com/wuthering-heights-x-rated-scene-saltburn-comparison/109648.
