Far from the Madding Crowd. Rated M (mature themes and
sex scene). 118 minutes. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Screenplay by David
Nicholls. Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy.
The reliable old adage
‘they just don’t make them like they used to’ could be effortlessly applied to
this gorgeous cinematic adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s 1874 literary masterpiece.
Stunningly
photographed by cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen, the rural English locations
are both beautiful to look at, and in perfect service to the heart and soul of this
classic story about the feisty and extremely capable Bathsheba Everdene (Carey
Mulligan) and her three very different suitors, each of whom wants her as his
wife.
Gabriel Oak
(Matthias Schoenaerts) is a shy and reserved young sheep farmer who in one
tragic evening, loses his entire flock and ends up being evicted, penniless,
from his farm. Inadvertently left at the altar by his intended bride Fanny (Juno
Temple), Sergeant Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) carries the weight of the painful legacy
of rejection heavily on his shoulders. William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) is,
like Gabriel, an unassuming but wealthy landowner, whose palatial country estate
is next-door to Bathsheba’s.
While she receives
outstanding support from the leading male cast, Mulligan (The Great Gatsby) is
fantastic in the demanding role of Hardy’s extraordinary heroine, after whom
The Hunger Games’ equally determined Katniss Everdeen is named. Beginning as a seriously
not-to-be underestimated young woman fighting for equality and respect, the
consequences of her choices trigger the chain of events that tragically alter
the course of each of their lives.
Vinterberg
masterfully guides Nicholls’ pared-back but compelling adaptation of the novel,
which will introduce a whole new generation to this classic romantic drama –
who will possibly be shocked to discover just how little has changed for women in
the world since 1874.
This review was
commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
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