Far from the Madding Crowd

"I am a woman. It is my intention to astonish you all." Bathsheba (Carey Mulligan)

Thomas Hardy would make a fortune today writing soap opera period pieces like Far from the Madding Crowd for HBO. That's a compliment because this film is done with such restraint (far fewer gratuitous country-beautiful shots and more close ups) that it could have been set in any era and the human condition would be the same.

Besides its fidelity to the spirit of Hardy's typically bright, tough farm girl ("I have an education. Nothing else"), class division, complicated loves, Far offers a heroine, Bathsheba (well-cast, crooked smiling Mulligan) far ahead of her time (See the above quote). Although she doesn't want for suitors, she doesn't want to be subjugated by a husband either ("being some man's property"). Katherine Hepburn could have played this role.

As life and Hardy would have it, chance and human nature have their own agendas, and Bathsheba makes bad decisions based on youthful passion and naiveté—Hardy, frequently a figurative scold, makes sure she pays amply for her mistakes before he sets the balance right between fortune and misfortune. His more famous Tess of the d'Urbervilles is the finest example of the strong-willed, suffering heroine, who, because of weak men, is mercilessly buffeted by the fates and her own weakness.

One of Bathsheba's suitors, the painfully shy William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), personifies the aging Victorian society, bound in property and loneliness; to her he importunes, "I want very much to protect you … for the rest of your life." However, the temporary prize of Bathsheba is given to the crimson-uniformed rake, Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge), another character waiting for Hardy's punishment.

The obvious right guy for her is farmer Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), whose steadfast love for the heroine could only be compared to Job's suffering. To her he always speaks honestly and lovingly: "I'm not going to tell stories just to please you. You can be sure of that."

Far from the Madding Crowd is a crowd pleaser. Hardy would have loved the adaptation.

I've never read the novel on which this is based but decided to give the film a try seeing as it featured the always very watchable Carey Mulligan and a screenplay by David Nicholls (One Day).

It may not please everyone but I think the director has managed to create a strong love story that allows the central character to develop throughout the two hour run. Mulligan captures every aspect of the character well and despite her making lots of bad choices we still stick by her.

Michael Sheen does well in his role and there are plenty of twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.

In this age of franchises and big blockbuster superhero nonsense it is refreshing that this film manages to tell a good story with a wonderful cast and hopefully will be enjoyed by many.

Based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel (which I much shamefully admit I have never read), Far From the Madding Crowd tells the tale of Bathsheba Everdene's rags-to-riches rise to become a farm-owner in rural Dorset in the 1870's, the title coming from the fact that Dorset is a long way from the hustle and bustle of London "200 miles away" as the opening title incorrectly declares - the longest direct driving route I could find was 155 miles!

Bathsheba is a magnet to men with her feisty and independent behaviour, and the film documents the "love square" between her and three men in her life: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), the hunk of a farm manager; William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), the wealthy neighbouring landowner; and Sergeant Troy (Tom Sturridge), a dashing Han-Solo style rogue, flash-as-you-like in his scarlet army uniform.

In reviewing this film I need to declare a couple of loves.

Firstly, Dorset. Of all the English counties, this has to be one of the most glorious. Green rolling hills, dramatic coastline such as that at Golden Cap (featured in the film), quaint villages and – most importantly in this context – gorgeously photogenic. Hopefully, this might tempt more visitors to stop there rather than 'driving on through' to Devon and Cornwall for their holidays.

Secondly, and with apologies to the wife, Carey Mulligan. To be clear, this is not a sordid sexually-motivated affair (although there was THAT shower-scene in "Shame") but a deep love of her acting talents and screen presence. This is a love affair long in the making, beginning ten years ago with her startling presence in Bleak House at the age of 20 (looking much, much younger); her stunning minx-like Dr Who performance as Sally Sparrow in "Blink"; and on through her breakout movie performance in "An Education" in 2009.

Where Mulligan excels is in roles where she can play a strong, confident and independent woman, so the role of Bathsheba is perfect for her. She is utterly believable as the 1870's landowner holding her own against the men-folk, and even pulling off the somewhat out-of-character plot twist half-way through the film.

The supporting cast is also excellent. The ever-reliable Sheen ("The Queen"; "Frost/Nixon") delivers a heart-breaking performance as the love-lorn Boldwood; Schoenaerts (recently in "Suite Française") is manly enough with a scythe to no doubt set female hearts a flutter; and Sturridge is deliciously unpleasant in his powerful role.

Above all, this is just a crackingly good story, through David ("One Day") Nicholls's tight screenplay. If you decide to avoid this film because it is "old stuff", think again. The roller-coaster ride of the plot gives UK and US 'soaps' a good run for their money in the drama stakes, and the denouement is both surprising and satisfying.

Direction is by the relatively unknown (to me at least) Thomas Vinterberg ("The Hunt"), but big kudos needs to go to Vinterburg's collaborator Charlotte Bruus Christensen for the stunning cinematography: some of the scenes (notably the harvesting scene towards the end of the movie) are bucolically gorgeous.

Also worth noting is the soundtrack by the brilliant but sparingly used Craig Armstrong ("Love Actually", "The Great Gatsby") which is luscious and suits the film to a tee. The woodland rendezvous scene makes your hair stand on end and this is largely down to the music combined with Claire Simpson's excellent editing.

I struggle to find aspects to criticise. I was gripped, and suitably shocked at the right moments, which is just what you want for a good night out at the movies. Having already praised the cinematography, one gripe I would have is with the lens flare at the end of the film (natural this time, rather than of the JJ Abrams variety) which was annoyingly distracting to me in the closing scene: but I recognise this is a personal complaint that I might be alone in.

Just a word of warning as well for animal lovers: that despite it being a UK 12A certificate, there are some pretty torrid scenes with sheep and a dog that might upset sensitive viewers - perhaps it should have been given a "Ewe" certificate (that joke will only work for UK readers!).

In summary, this is a treat for a more elderly audience, but should be a must see for audiences of all ages as a rollicking good tale, well told and beautifully shot.

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More accurately should be titled and presented as "Femme Fatale". Adaptation from literature to film allows for alternative interpretation; a differing emphasis on events and motivations; additions and deletions to make it a more contemporary, all this because film does not convey to an audience the same story as text from which it came. They are two different beasts. With that thought it's apparent that Everdene uses people to her own end. She will step on whomever if they are a hindrance to her self (ishness) means, whether Troy, Oak, Boldwood or any others. We see it repeatedly though out the film with her allegiance changing with the tide of fortune. Not to downplay or excuse the dogged pursuit by males, but more so then that they are just a product of their times.

The final whitewashing of this script's plot is the moral omittance of her not speaking up for Boldwood. Rescued from a threatening situation it is her testimony that could save a life, but as before she walks away. This script has her succeeding, but the film leaves little sense of the destruction she left in her path.

The book is a masterpiece, it's perhaps Hardy's most accessible book and one of his best, his way of words and vivid descriptions as well as the beautifully realised characters demonstrate that. Some may question whether he was on Bathsheba's side or not, not so to me.

Of the three versions seen of 'Far From the Madding Crowd', this 2015 film is my least favourite. This is not meant in a bad way, that it's still good with a lot to admire says a lot about how excellent the 1967 film (which holds up even better than when first reviewed five years ago, when much younger and with a less diverse taste in film and when less perceptive and more headstrong in how opinions were expressed) and the 1998 TV adaptation are. Those who love the book will find various aspects underwhelming, but taken as a film judged on its own two feet it's a worthy effort with many great things. Which is what makes it disappointing that it wasn't even better.

'Far From the Madding Crowd' (2015) is not perfect. It does feel too safe and more of a conventional period piece when there is much more to the story than that. The structure, basic details and the essence of most of the characters (excepting Troy) are all there and the romantic elements (more heavily emphasised here) is done incredibly well, but the depth is missing.

You can tell from seeing the previous adaptations regardless of whether you've read the book or not that the characters are not as complex, as said Troy is far more interesting than his treatment here. As is some of the rural colour like the lack of refinement for the locals and how they loved to gossip, near-jettisoned in favour of emphasising the romance more. 'Far From the Madding Crowd' is also a quite bold and at times idiosyncratic story, the previous two adaptations captured the boldness and wit more. The wit comes through in this adaptation certainly, the boldness doesn't.

Just as problematic is the writing and performance for Troy. As said more than once already, Troy is much more interesting in the source material than here and with more complexity. One, as said above, doesn't even need to have read 'Far From the Madding Crowd' to know if having viewed either of the previous two adaptations that Troy is more villainous than usual and is rather one-dimensional. Tom Sturridge didn't do it for me, the way the character is written does work against him but he never looked comfortable in the role and fails to bring out the rakishness, solider-like demeanour and charm (regarding the latter one does need to see what Bathsheba sees in him, that is a failing here). Occasionally the film is a tad rushed, especially in the stripped character development of the underdeveloped characters that are not the four leading ones.

However, 'Far From the Madding Crowd' looks ravishing. Especially in the cinematography that is even more radiant than Carey Mulligan's Bathsheba (the late harvest scene is indeed just one of the highlights), while the scenery and costumes are beautifully detailed and evocative in their meticulousness. While spare, a wise decision, Craig Armstrong's music score is every bit as good as the scores for the previous two adaptations, with every scene that it appears in beautifully scored and sensitively used. The rendezvous in the woodland is a masterful marriage of visuals, editing (also very much stunning in the film) music, acting and amorous atmosphere.

Even when adaptation-wise the film feels too on the safe side, the script still manages to be very literate and the wit and tragedy of the story come over amusingly and poignantly. The story is, despite the lack of depth, still compelling and the heavier emphasis on the romantic element registers so strongly that it makes one swoon. The romantic tension is done very well too. Won't talk about the feminist slant that has been mentioned at the risk of it causing controversy in later reviews, other than that perhaps it wasn't really needed.

Most of the characters come off well still. Bathsheba is particularly well-realised, one gets the sense of her being an ahead of her time unconventional character and because it's a long way from irrelevant today one can still relate. Thomas Vinterberg directs with a lot of spirit and, other than Sturridge, gets great performances from his heart.

Carey Mulligan is one of the standout components of 'Far From the Madding Crowd'. Her wonderful, hugely compelling performance captures Bathsheba's fiery free-spirit, affecting nuances faintly modern nature, beauty and eagerness, even when Bathsheba is prouder than one would expect and not as vain. Matthias Schoenaerts is a sensitive, integral and remarkably dignified Gabriel Oak, with brooding eyes and an expressive understated face. Another standout is Michael Sheen's Boldwood, Sheen devastates and Sheen brings many colours to the character that allows one to feel sorry for him.

In summary, admirable, gorgeously mounted, spirited, romantically swooning and very well acted, but too safe. 7/10 Bethany Cox