Far from the Madding Crowd

I was prepared to have to ignore all thoughts of the original Hardy text, and the 1967 John Schlesinger classic starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates, but this new version stays reasonably faithful to both plot and events, and recreates the essential elements of the story.  Which is as it should be.

This is a beautiful film to watch, with great period feel and some lovely attention to details.  I loved the passing shot of two men sniffing out the mysteries of a pineapple.  There is a strong sense of the civic mores and hierarchic nature of Victorian rural society, and the acceptance of 'knowing your place' within the structure.  The tale unfolds in straightforward fashion, with no use of flashbacks and minimal narration.  Bathsheba's relationships with her would-be lovers ebb and flow against the seasonal background of farm life and a feeling for how precarious was the line between success and failure.

If I had any quibbles it was with some of the casting.  But certainly not that of Carey Mulligan, who creates a superb Bathsheba.  Headstrong, confident and independent, but revealing of the pressures put upon a woman trying to make her mark in a strongly patriarchal milieu, Mulligan's character is a nineteenth century feminist meting the world on her own terms.

What of her three suitors?  Michael Sheen excels as the socially awkward man of property, Boldwood.  (But, let's face it, that sentence could have stopped after the first three words and made perfect sense!)  He combines the confidence and arrogance of a man who is secure in his position, with the diffidence and gaucheness of the inexperienced admirer.  Simply watching his facial expressions change is a joy.

Then there's Tom Sturridge as the dashing Sergeant Troy, sweeping our heroine off her feet and into a catastrophic marriage.  He certainly gets the bullying aspects of the character right, and swiftly becomes a deeply unpleasant presence.  But the charm that could win over a spirit of such independence is lacking, and it's hard to see why Bathsheba should be swayed by his puerile efforts to impress her.  Even more so if you recall that in '67 the part went to Terence Stamp, who could do roguish so effortlessly.  (I did wonder if this was just down to me looking from a male perspective, but it was the first thing Barbara said to me when we emerged into the light.)

Finally there's Matthias Schoenaerts as the solid, dependable Gabriel Oak.  It's not that Schoenarts is a bad actor, nor that he gives a poor performance here, far from it.  But, like an ill advised attempt at product placement, all I could think when he was on screen was 'Hollywood beefcake'.  'Dorset farmer' wasn't in the running.  Of course we all know that box office concerns will often take precedence over art, and the syrupy nature of the closing scene reflects this, but I couldn't help thinking that Matthias would have made a much better Troy then the one we got.  And the character of Oak benefited from an actor who could do 'rustic'.

A special mention to Jessica Barden as Bathsheba's companion, Libby, who brought a cheeky insouciance and humour to her role.

Worth watching.  But no classic.