Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) (English Language)

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Review

119min

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen…more

The latest big-screen adaptation of the classic Thomas Hardy novel set in 19th century rural England, Carey Mulligan stars as Bathsheba Everdene, a fiercely independent farm-running young heiress who is pursued by three very different men for her hand in marriage in this stylish period drama.

This version of ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ is as visually stylish as you might expect from a modern period drama with the beauty of the Dorset countryside well captured for all to see, the heart of the film and story though is the depiction of a headstrong independent young woman uninterested in the proposition of marriage, a rather alien concept for the time which essentially champions the modern feminist movement as we see it today.

Mulligan’s starring role as an early feminist icon may be divine providence, she will also star in the drama ‘Suffragette’ later in the year alongside Meryl Streep, but this film is not entirely a romantic feminist fantasy and you get to see the consequences of Bathsheba’s sometimes selfish actions for the people around her and as well as her resilience in overcoming hardships.

In a more hard-nosed but still vulnerable depiction of Bathsheba than we’ve seen Mulligan delivers a solid performance, as do the 3 male leads as her love interests, particular focus is given to the noble farmer (Matthias Schoenaerts) at the expense of the reckless young soldier (Tom Sturridge) and wealthy mature bachelor (Michael Sheen) in this adaptation.

It’s never easy to capture the breadth of social and dramatic elements that make up a classic novel like ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ , this film version does struggle to capture the more intricate contextual and character elements of the story, ultimately it’s still a rather fanciful romantic drama with all that entails and may not be to everyone’s liking.

The Bottom Line…

Although a stylish, well-crafted and competently acted period drama with a socially conscious centre that echoes today, ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ is at heart a period melodrama that doesn’t quite capture the magic of the classic Thomas Hardy novel.

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