Under the Greenwood Tree

I normally approach Hardy adaptations with extreme caution as they have the ability to tarnish the brightest of moods. I read some of the previews and persuaded myself to give it a go. To my joy and astonishment this was a fantastic Christmas treat which the reviewer above clearly failed to understand. Whoever wrote it has clearly no real authority on Hardy whatsoever. The pages of the novel came to light perfectly on the small screen. Hawes was a perfect Ms Day, playing delightfully and genially into the audience's hand. However, for me the performance that stole the show was Pemberton playing a fantastically funny Shiner. He portrayed it with both depth and humour and lit up the screen every time he graced it. The scenery was stunning, the plot had depth and kept me and my family gripped throughout. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with a warm heart, as it certainly warmed mine.

This is a gentle adaptation of one of Thomas Hardy's classic novels. The script is very well done by Ashley Pharoah, who despite his name is not an illiterate Egyptian who can't spell pharaoh properly, but a Somerset person, steeped in Hardy's country and perhaps cider as well, who knows. Keeley Hawes plays the young schoolteacher and organist named Fancy Day who gets all the local men excited by coming to town and casting her spell over them without even meaning to. There is nothing like one of those demure beauties to get Hardyesque men's hearts a flutterin'. A lot of the film was shot in Hertfordshire, which is shocking, considering how much there is of the West Country crying out for more Hardy adaptations to be made where they were meant to be. But as the Americans (WGBH) were involved as co-producers, they must have insisted on a budget which could not stretch as far as Wessex, not appreciating from their foreign perch the difference between the real thing and a substitute. Nick Laughland, primarily know as a television drama director, has done an excellent job of telling this story simply and with charm. The story also features the replacement of the church gallery orchestra with a harmonium, a theme stressed by Thomas Hardy more than once in his writings. It obviously greatly grieved Hardy that the charming old style of music in the country churches with violins and bass fiddle was suddenly eradicated by the rude intrusion of a device known as a harmonium, which is a kind of portable organ. This was one of the examples of heedless 'progress' wiping out centuries of the real thing and replacing it with something deeply inferior and humdrum. But as we are always being told by the politicians and business magnates that progress always equals improvement, who are we mere ordinary creeping creatures that we are to doubt such wisdom from on high and give way to cynicism? The portrayal of the little church orchestra here is a moving illustration of what was lost in transition. And as for the love story, well, that holds us in suspense till the end. Upon whom will Keeley Hawes bestow her heart? Will she marry for money and social position and wed the local squire? Will she wed the vicar and travel to Venice, which she has always longed to see? Or will she choose the earnest local boy who adores her? Three marriage proposals are made, but only one can succeed. Will she choose aright?

Being in the mood for a period romance, I was a bit cautious when I realized this was an adaptation of a Thomas Hardy story. They tend to end unhappily, especially when there are divided love interests. Fortunately, Under the Greenwood Tree is light, even humorous, in parts. Truly I had no idea who Fancy would marry, the wealthy farmer, the austere parson, or the poor (yet brash and handsome) harrier. In the tradition of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, there is the mix of position, miscommunication, and the delightfulness of authenticity of period. A treat to watch. The acting, script, and setting all played well together. If you adore period romances, then this should go on your list to watch.

A simple love story on the surface, the deeper genius of "Under The Greenwood Tree" lies in the understated brilliance with which it encapsulates – in a particularly moving and emotionally evocative way – the great social revolution that underlay the 19th Century.

The young schoolmistress newly arrived in a small rural village is sought in marriage by each of the three men who fall in love with her. But in this tale nothing, not even romance, proves quite as simple as first it appears.

We discover that the woman, Fancy Day (Keeley Hawes), is herself the product of a classic misalliance. Torn between the conflicting classes and cultures of her heritage, she feels herself part of neither. Her great life challenge is finding where she belongs in the world, and this internal conflict deeply colours her struggle to choose among her three suitors.

None of the three suitors, however, is quite what he first seems either – and yet each, in his own particular way, does love this woman.

The richest man in the area, Farmer Shiner (Steve Pemberton) we learn is a self-made man of a uniquely 19th Century sort. He may be descended from the traditional English yeoman farmers who had been small freeholders since Saxon days. But the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution would increasingly benefit larger scale farms over small. Farmers who, like Mr. Shiner, had the daring and foresight to increase their holdings beyond that held by their fathers were best positioned to survive and prosper under these new economic conditions.

Parson Maybold (Ben Miles) represents traditional birth and education, as opposed to new money, in the world of this village. But even he describes himself as a 'modern man' who believes in 'Progress'. As Mr. Maybold says in his Christmas Day sermon at the film's outset, 'The world is changing, and we must change with it.' To this end, he has hired Miss Day as village schoolmistress, so that even the poorest children in the area will learn basic skills they may need to cope with the changing world. All these values would have sounded alien just a generation before.

Yet it is the man who initially appears most straightforward who ultimately proves the most complex: Dick Dewy (James Murray), whose family have been the local carters or carriers in the area since time immemorial. When we first meet young Dick he seems simple, lighthearted, and uncomplicated. But as the story progresses, the challenge he faces becomes nothing less than the great social revolution of the 19th Century: men suddenly realising that their life choices need not echo that of their fathers. The evolving relationship between Dick and his father, Reuben Dewy (Tony Haygarth) is central not just to the film but to our understanding of the whole era. Dick's response to what I shall describe only as the 'Tea Incident' subtly presents a Declaration of the Rights of Man. Dick's later victory for self-respect thus becomes, in a sense, a victory for us all.

I find it significant that in this story the gentry, or traditional ruling class, is completely absent. This would not have been possible in an earlier generation. Jane Austen, for instance, could not have written this story. But by 1840 (when our story was set), and even moreso by 1872 (when the original novel was published), the real power structures throughout the rapidly industrializing world were changing, making omission of the gentry in both book and film not only reasonable but appropriate.

This recent BBC release of "Under The Greenwood Tree" is distinguished by brilliantly nuanced performances, not just from all principal actors but an extraordinarily strong supporting cast. Special credit is due Ashley Pharaoh for a truly inspired screenplay which is both more focused and more emotionally moving than Thomas Hardy's rather rambling original novel.

Beautifully realised in every detail, this village of Mellstock exists simultaneously nowhere – and everywhere. This is a romantic idyll of a time and a place where even the village idiot, Thomas Leaf (deliciously played by Richard Leaf), could feel accepted and part of a warm and loving community … whatever deep currents disturb its deceptively still waters.

10 out of 10. Highest recommendation.

This film, although made for TV, will be a classic, just like the 1995 Pride and Predudice directed by Simon Langton. The sets seemed remarkably authentic, and all the cast were excellent. I particularly enjoyed every scene in which James Murray appeared, he is gorgeous. The chemistry between the two main characters is clear for all to see. Ben Miles who played Parson Maybold was very believable and you could actually feel his inner turmoil, acting at its best. I think that this film could be on your next Christmas present list, either to enjoy yourself or to buy for that very special Aunt, or Mother. I have watched it 3 times in two days.