This film adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic 1874 novel of the same name stars Carey Mulligan (An Education, The Great Gatsby) as Bathsheba Everdene, an independent woman who finds herself the target of three very different suitors—Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts, Rundskop), a simple, humble sheep farmer who offers her loyalty; William Boldwood (Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex), a slightly-older, wealthy landowner who offers her security; and Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge, Effie Gray), a soldier and smooth talker who offers her passion.
Bathsheba’s parents died when she young, and so she has become very independent and has grown too accustomed to being on her own. She has always said she won’t be one of those women who gets married and allows herself to be tamed by a man. While working at her aunt’s farm for the winter, she meets sheep farmer Gabriel, who is smitten with her and almost immediately proposes. After she politely declines, Bathsheba receives news that she has inherited a family farm and leaves to manage her new property. But she soon crosses paths with Gabriel once again, who is now looking for a job. Meanwhile, the owner of a neighboring farm, William Boldwood, finds himself falling for Bathsheba and also proposes to her rather quickly. Bathsheba delays her answer and in the meantime meets Sgt. Troy and starts up a whirlwind passionate romance. However, the other two would-be suitors still have love Bathsheba and still hope to win her heart.
I was not familiar with the source material before watching this film, and at times I felt like I was getting a Cliff’s Notes version of the story. It seemed like this adaptation could have used a longer format—at least another hour, or even a miniseries. The various marriage proposals seemed to come out of left field, just minutes after these characters met Bathsheba on screen. While the chemistry between Bathsheba and each of her various suitors is eventually established, it always seemed to occur well after the proposals.
Other plot points throughout the film also seemed to get this shorthand approach, like the producers had a list of items from the book they were checking off. These scenes last less than a minute, and while those who have read the source material would probably understand them and fill in the gaps, for someone like me it just felt like the main narrative would take an abrupt turn or go on a short tangent with little to no explanation or reason. In the bonus features, the film’s producers say that they focused this adaption on the relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel, which may be why I felt this way—I found most of these information gaps were in the storylines with Boldwood and Troy.
That said, the performances in the film are great. Mulligan is excellent as the headstrong Bathsheba, and is able to convey all of the various sides of this character—the tough mistress of the farm as well as the woman who allows herself to find love. The three actors playing her would-be suitors also do a convincing job portraying their love for her character, making the predicament she is in very understandable.
Far From the Madding Crowd is a beautiful looking film with its amazing costumes and picturesque locations. There are some truly stunning shots in this film—my favorite being the scenes with Bathsheba and Troy in the woods. The video presentation on the Blu-ray successfully captures all of this beauty with a vibrant, colorful picture that feels like you’re watching a moving postcard. The audio track delivers strong dialogue and a delightful soundtrack.
The Blu-ray provides a pretty solid selection of bonus material including 17 minutes of deleted scenes and 35 minutes of featurettes that provide an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:58:40)
-
Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Thai, Vietnamese
- Digital HD Copy redeemable via iTunes, Flixster (UltraViolet), Google Play or Vudu (UltraViolet)
Digital Copy (Redemption Deadline 8/4/2018):
Extras:
- Deleted Scenes + Extended Ending (17:54)
A nice collection of 9 deleted scenes that help fill in some of the gaps in the film’s story. Play All or select from “Smokey Caravan”, “Fanny and Troy at Barracks”, “Valentine Inquiry”, “Boldwood Learns of Elopement”, “Troy and Bathsheba in the Morning”, “Tears of Regret”, “Boldwood’s Ring”, “Troy’s Funeral” and “The Wedding (Alternate Ending)”. - Promotional Featurettes
A collection of short promotional pieces that include movie and behind-the-scenes clips as well as interviews with the cast and creators of the film. Some of the latter featurettes get a bit repetitive, reusing some of the same interview footage. Those interviewed include writer David Nicholls, director Thomas Vinterberg, producers Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald, assistant costume designer Françoise Fourcade, make-up designer Sian Grigg, production designer Kave Quinn, location manager Alex Gladstone, assistant location manager Damon Crane, and stars Carey Mulligan (“Bathsheba Everdene”), Matthias Schoenaerts (“Gabriel Oak”), Juno Temple (“Fanny Robin”), Michael Sheen (“William Boldwood) and Tom Sturridge (“Sergeant Troy”).- Bathsheba Everdene (3:17)
A discussion about the “too independent” woman at the heart of the story and the actress who plays her. - The Suitors (3:56)
A look at Bathsheba’s three would-be suitors—Oak, Troy and Boldwood—and the actors who play them. - Adapting Far From the Madding Crowd (4:32)
The challenges of making a faithful adaptation of the novel while also setting it apart from the classic 1967 film, by setting the focus on the relationship between Oak and Bathsheba. - The Look of Far From the Madding Crowd (5:08)
A discussion on the costumes, hair, make-up and overall look of the film. - Gabriel Oak (2:22)
A look at Bathsheba’s first suitor and their relationship, as well as the actor who plays him. - William Boldwood (2:34)
A look at Bathsheba’s second suitor and their relationship, as well as the actor who plays him. - Sergeant Troy (2:26)
A look at Bathsheba’s third suitor and their relationship, as well as the actor who plays him. - The Locations of Far From the Madding Crowd (5:03)
Finding and shooting on location in Dorset. - Thomas Vinterberg (4:07)
The challenges and benefits of bringing in a foreign director who was unfamiliar with the story and previous film adaptations. - Gallery (2:30)
Use the remote control to manually advance through the gallery of 29 behind-the-scenes photos, or allow the it to auto-advance between photos every 5 seconds. - Theatrical Trailer (1:38)
- Sneak Peek (14:22)
Play All or select from trailers for Discover Digital HD, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Cake, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Wild, The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary, Desert Dancer and Best of TV.
Final Thoughts:
My Rating Film:Video:Audio:Extras:Recommended Far From the Madding Crowd is a stunningly beautiful film with some great performances. It provides an interesting story about an independent woman who allows herself to find love, and must to choose among three suitors, each of whom provides her with something completely different. As someone who hasn’t read the source material, I found that the shorthandedness of some of the storytelling made the film a bit confusing at times, but not so much that I couldn’t enjoy it. I think those who have read the book will thoroughly enjoy this adaptation. The Blu-ray contains a nice selection of bonus material as well as digital copy of the film.
- Bathsheba Everdene (3:17)
