The Mayor of Casterbridge

Thomas Hardy is an indisputable literary genius. Why I never thought to read the Mayor of Casterbridge is beyond me. I imagine I always found his lead heroines more intriguing than his title heroes (Tess, Eustacia from the Return of the Native, Bathsheba from Far From the Madding Crowd, etc.). I saw this A&E production tonight and found that, despite the ads that ran too often and too many, this story is not only captivating but heartbreaking, as we've come to expect from Hardy.

This film involves a complex plot only Hardy could provide. The title character is a well-respected, wealthy mayor of a prosperous town and the owner of a granary. When Michael Henchard's past mistakes and associations return to haunt him years later, he, his long-lost wife and daughter, his one-time lover and a young man who finds himself involved with all become intertwined in a tragic, moving, but somehow uplifting story.

Stellar acting make this film work, even if it does seem rushed at times, and the story sometimes seems crammed in its time frame. While Ciaran Hinds in the lead sort of bugs and scares me, in the end, my mom and I both found ourselved in tears at his plight and the ending. Thomas Hardy's stories often seem hopeless and Godless, but nevertheless lead to careful examination of human nature and society.

A thought-provoking, tragic (traditional of Hardyist stories), emotionally intense ride, The Mayor of Casterbridge is one of those rare gems of television.

8/10.

Thomas Hardy's study of human nature and all its failings are amply explored in this story of Michael Henchard who sees life from the top and from the bottom and finally ends up as a broken man despising himself completely. It is a classic look at how good and evil co-exist in some people to a remarkable degree.

Surprise surprise, yet another world-class performance from Mr Ciaran Hinds. When is this guy going to be on 20 million a movie? Come on directors, give this guy the break he so richly deserves. Solid performances all round and compulsive viewing. Credits also for the set pieces etc and direction and pace.

THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE was the first classic novel I ever read, and was, I believe, the reason for my adoration of them. So, it was with some trepidation that I approached this film, knowing how badly destroyed some book to movie plots can get, and having grown up only knowing miniseries as something not so great.

I was thankfully very wrong. The movie was written just as though the novel were played out before your eyes. The characters were perfectly cast, the most minute detail noted (note how Susan Henchard looks pretty at certain angles, and plain the rest of the time). There were no major diversions from the plot, and only a few small details left out.

Over all, this did justice to a great novel, and while it is not for everyone, it is a must see for any Hardy fan.

I haven't been familiar with Thomas Hardy's work for long, in fact my first exposure was Jude the Obscure for GCSEs only four years ago. Since then he has struck me as a truly wonderful author, I find his characters complex and his writing highly thoughtful and atmospheric. The Mayor of Casterbridge does show Hardy fully deserving of this reputation, the story is bleak but beautiful and fascinating also. And this is a fantastic version of it, not quite as good as the 1978 series but just as great. The costumes and settings are evocative and stunning to look at and the photography is very skillful. What also stuck out was the atmosphere, perfectly capturing the story's bleakness but also managing to be genuinely authentic. The music is both beautiful and haunting and never overbearing, the story held my attention for the whole duration and was very moving and the writing is literate and thoughtful, sticking faithfully to the basic spirit of the prose. Ciaran Hinds, whether you dislike or feel pity for Henchard, which is numerous times on both counts, is nevertheless the complete embodiment of this complex role, much like Alan Bates before him. Of the solid support cast, Juliet Aubrey's sympathetic Susan and James Purefoy's startling Farfrae stood out in particular. Jodhi May also convinces in Elizabeth-Jane's despair. Overall, this is a fantastic adaptation and version of a fine book. 10/10 Bethany Cox