Year: 2015
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge, and Michael Sheen
Synopsis: Bathsheba Everdene is a young, independent, and headstrong woman courted by three very different men as she faces not only choices but the consequences of her actions.
Synopsis: Bathsheba Everdene is a young, independent, and headstrong woman courted by three very different men as she faces not only choices but the consequences of her actions.
Review
I happened to see a trailer for Far from the Madding Crowd and was intrigued. It was not one of the Thomas Hardy novels I'd read either in high school or college. But the reviews were positive and I thought I'd give it a chance. I'm very glad I did, as I enjoyed the film even more than expected.
AP English was my favorite high school class, and I was an English minor at BYU, so it was quite enjoyable to get in touch with that literary side again. While superhero movies are fun, they don't often deal with matters of consequence: issues faced by normal, non-super people. Far from the Madding Crowd is a love story. But it also deals with matters like bad luck and good fortune, and how we deal with each. It is about the choices we make and the consequences of making them flippantly.
Hardy -- at least in this novel -- carefully chose his characters' names. Protagonist Bathsheba Everdene's three suitors are Sgt. Francis Troy, Mr. Boldwood, and Gabriel Oak. I don't know if it was Hardy's intent, but Sgt. Troy reminds me of the Greek Troy, or more specifically, the Trojan Horse. He's dashing and flashy on the outside, but full of deceit and misery. Mr. Boldwood is a more mature gentleman, safe, secure, and deep-rooted. He is also quite bold in his ardor.
And then there is Gabriel Oak, who is as good as his name implies. "Gabriel" means "God is my strength." While religion isn't prominent in the film, Gabriel is nonetheless a good, upright, honest, and kindhearted man. He is also like an oak: steadfast, sturdy, and strong. He takes all his setbacks in stride, relying on hard work and doing the right thing because it is right. Seriously, he could give Mr. Darcy a run for his money in terms of most eligible literary bachelor.
Bathsheba's circumstances are to a degree similar to the Bible narrative in that she is married to one man and pursued by another. And it gets messy. That is the extent of the the similarities. But the name also has an exotic flare to it, which suits the strong-willed, independent Miss Everdene (and yes, she is apparently the namesake of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games). Unlike the Bible Bathsheba, Bathsheba Everdene is in part to blame for some of her misfortunes and struggles. On more than one occasion, she acts unwisely, with no thought of consequences. With Troy she follows passion rather than reason. With Boldwood she acts flippantly then indecisively, further leading him on.
Despite her faults, Bathsheba is a sympathetic, understandable, and even admirable character. She learns from her follies. And though she is often slow to take counsel or advice, she does eventually take it. The same stubborn, strong-willed spirit that gets her into trouble also makes her an excellent mistress of the farm she inherits. She's not content to sit in her study or let others oversee things. She manages the farm herself, rolls up her sleeves and works alongside her hired hands, and stands up for herself as a woman in a man's world of commerce.
Among other things, it was immensely refreshing to watch a movie with virtually no visual effects (which made for surprisingly short credits). I read that 2/3 of the film is shot outdoors, on location in England. And that is one of the film's greatest strengths. It's not about a bunch of people talking indoors. It's people going about real life and real work in the great outdoors. And it just so happens that those great outdoors are absolutely gorgeous.
The music for the film is also beautiful and well suited. Carey Mulligan and Martin Sheen even sing a duet at one point, a melancholy English folk song called "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme." It works perfectly within the story.
The only criticism I have of the film is that it at times felt condensed. Some scenes felt like they were part of a slightly longer story, and we were getting the abbreviated version. I was left wondering what additional material was in the novel. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It wasn't that anything felt particularly missing or that parts didn't make sense. But it felt like there was more to it and the film didn't have time to go into those details. Such is the nature of cinema.
Sadly, this film was only in limited release. So you may have to wait and hunt it down on Netflix or Redbox. But I highly recommend it. Far from the Madding Crowd is a beautiful and worthwhile film.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Poor Mr. Boldwood. He's a very likable fellow. But he plays David to this Bathsheba and lets his ardor turn to obsession and finally to a fit of insanity and rage. In the end, I felt more pity than anything else for him. Michael Sheen does an excellent job portraying the layered gentleman.
I even felt a little bad for Sgt. Troy. He's not a villain. He's kind of a jerk and a greedy player. But he genuinely loves (and mourns) Fanny. The scene where he is outside swordfighting a post and then chasing chickens tells a lot about the man. He doesn't know how to do anything but be a soldier. What's more, he has realized he's made a mistake and will never find happiness on the path he has chosen.
My two favorite scenes both involve Gabriel. The first is when, after having just fired him, Bathsheba realizes Gabriel is the only one who can save her sheep from sickness. She sends for him, but he makes her swallow her pride and come ask him herself. She had it coming.
The other moment is when Gabriel must (again) swallow his own disappointment. Bathsheba (whom he loves) has just married Troy and on the night of their wedding celebration the farm is threatened by a storm. When Gabriel asks for a few men to help cover and protect the grain harvest, Troy rebuffs him and refuses. Gabriel has every reason in the world to throw his hands up in the air and get drunk like all the other men on the farm. Instead, he goes out alone and starts covering the grain stacks by himself before the rain hits. Seriously, such a good guy.
AP English was my favorite high school class, and I was an English minor at BYU, so it was quite enjoyable to get in touch with that literary side again. While superhero movies are fun, they don't often deal with matters of consequence: issues faced by normal, non-super people. Far from the Madding Crowd is a love story. But it also deals with matters like bad luck and good fortune, and how we deal with each. It is about the choices we make and the consequences of making them flippantly.
Hardy -- at least in this novel -- carefully chose his characters' names. Protagonist Bathsheba Everdene's three suitors are Sgt. Francis Troy, Mr. Boldwood, and Gabriel Oak. I don't know if it was Hardy's intent, but Sgt. Troy reminds me of the Greek Troy, or more specifically, the Trojan Horse. He's dashing and flashy on the outside, but full of deceit and misery. Mr. Boldwood is a more mature gentleman, safe, secure, and deep-rooted. He is also quite bold in his ardor.
And then there is Gabriel Oak, who is as good as his name implies. "Gabriel" means "God is my strength." While religion isn't prominent in the film, Gabriel is nonetheless a good, upright, honest, and kindhearted man. He is also like an oak: steadfast, sturdy, and strong. He takes all his setbacks in stride, relying on hard work and doing the right thing because it is right. Seriously, he could give Mr. Darcy a run for his money in terms of most eligible literary bachelor.
Bathsheba's circumstances are to a degree similar to the Bible narrative in that she is married to one man and pursued by another. And it gets messy. That is the extent of the the similarities. But the name also has an exotic flare to it, which suits the strong-willed, independent Miss Everdene (and yes, she is apparently the namesake of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games). Unlike the Bible Bathsheba, Bathsheba Everdene is in part to blame for some of her misfortunes and struggles. On more than one occasion, she acts unwisely, with no thought of consequences. With Troy she follows passion rather than reason. With Boldwood she acts flippantly then indecisively, further leading him on.
Despite her faults, Bathsheba is a sympathetic, understandable, and even admirable character. She learns from her follies. And though she is often slow to take counsel or advice, she does eventually take it. The same stubborn, strong-willed spirit that gets her into trouble also makes her an excellent mistress of the farm she inherits. She's not content to sit in her study or let others oversee things. She manages the farm herself, rolls up her sleeves and works alongside her hired hands, and stands up for herself as a woman in a man's world of commerce.
Among other things, it was immensely refreshing to watch a movie with virtually no visual effects (which made for surprisingly short credits). I read that 2/3 of the film is shot outdoors, on location in England. And that is one of the film's greatest strengths. It's not about a bunch of people talking indoors. It's people going about real life and real work in the great outdoors. And it just so happens that those great outdoors are absolutely gorgeous.
The music for the film is also beautiful and well suited. Carey Mulligan and Martin Sheen even sing a duet at one point, a melancholy English folk song called "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme." It works perfectly within the story.
The only criticism I have of the film is that it at times felt condensed. Some scenes felt like they were part of a slightly longer story, and we were getting the abbreviated version. I was left wondering what additional material was in the novel. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It wasn't that anything felt particularly missing or that parts didn't make sense. But it felt like there was more to it and the film didn't have time to go into those details. Such is the nature of cinema.
Sadly, this film was only in limited release. So you may have to wait and hunt it down on Netflix or Redbox. But I highly recommend it. Far from the Madding Crowd is a beautiful and worthwhile film.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Poor Mr. Boldwood. He's a very likable fellow. But he plays David to this Bathsheba and lets his ardor turn to obsession and finally to a fit of insanity and rage. In the end, I felt more pity than anything else for him. Michael Sheen does an excellent job portraying the layered gentleman.
I even felt a little bad for Sgt. Troy. He's not a villain. He's kind of a jerk and a greedy player. But he genuinely loves (and mourns) Fanny. The scene where he is outside swordfighting a post and then chasing chickens tells a lot about the man. He doesn't know how to do anything but be a soldier. What's more, he has realized he's made a mistake and will never find happiness on the path he has chosen.
My two favorite scenes both involve Gabriel. The first is when, after having just fired him, Bathsheba realizes Gabriel is the only one who can save her sheep from sickness. She sends for him, but he makes her swallow her pride and come ask him herself. She had it coming.
The other moment is when Gabriel must (again) swallow his own disappointment. Bathsheba (whom he loves) has just married Troy and on the night of their wedding celebration the farm is threatened by a storm. When Gabriel asks for a few men to help cover and protect the grain harvest, Troy rebuffs him and refuses. Gabriel has every reason in the world to throw his hands up in the air and get drunk like all the other men on the farm. Instead, he goes out alone and starts covering the grain stacks by himself before the rain hits. Seriously, such a good guy.
Quotable Quotes
- "Miss Bathsheba Everdeen, I have brought you a lamb." -- Gabriel
- "I intend to astonish you." -- Bathsheba
- "He said you'd say that. His reply is: 'Beggars can't be choosers.'" -- Joseph, relaying Gabriel's message to Bathsheba
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