Based upon the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, this film tells the story of Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan – An Education), a fiercely independent and spirited young woman. She starts out as a simple country girl, who inherits her uncle’s farm. Financially autonomous (a rarity in Victorian times), beautiful and headstrong, she attracts three very different but determined suitors. She is both surrounded and confounded by them.
Thomas Hardy’s novel, published in 1874, has inspired an abundance of stage and film adaptations. Bathsheba even motivated The Hunger Games’ author Suzanne Collins to name Katniss Everdeen after the Hardy heroine. The last time this work was filmed for the screen was for John Schlesinger’s 1967 hit starring Julie Christie. This adaptation is directed by Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt).
Why do Hardy’s comically flawed but deeply human characters still ring true 140 years later? The answer lies in their still-potent mix of spirited temperaments and dark complexities. The film’s screenwriter David Nicholls notes Far From the Madding Crowd has elements of tragedy but it also has a tremendous lightness, brightness and romance interspersed with moments of pathos and drama.
It is, indeed, a richly layered work, with the resilience and resolve of the central character so beautifully captured by Mulligan. I particularly appreciated the fact that her three suitors were of such different temperaments. Oak is painfully respectful and restrained to the point of infuriation, at least on the audience’s part. Of course, we must remember the times, but while we admire his chivalry, the fact that he doesn’t make a move becomes wearing. Boldwood goes from being standoffish to downright persistent, determined to lay his stake. As for Troy, he is a cad of the higher order, a thoroughly obnoxious and manipulative character, who sweeps Bathsheba off her feet. Although she endures a great deal, it is – in fact – Oak who is put through the ringer, having to stand by and watch while others try to get their claws into the woman he clearly loves from the outset. Apart from several times wanting to yell out to Oak to “make a move, for God’s sake”, I enjoyed the ride.
As I hadn’t read Hardy’s novel I had no conception of the turn of events that would transpire … and saw that as a plus. I also thought Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s (The Hunt) cinematography was a feature.
Rated M, Far From the Madding Crowd scores a 7½ out of 10.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Tom Sturridge, Matthias Schoenaerts and Michael Sheen
Release Date: 25 June 2015
Rating: M
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television