[rating=8.00]
Far From the Madding Crowd is an adaptation you never asked for of a book you’ve never read, but under no circumstances should you let that dissuade you from seeing this magnificent, romantic drama.
There’s no doubt that there’s a vast swath of you out there who’re quick to turn your nose up at Victorian literature and the cinematic adaptations they inspire. Indeed, I am one of those people, so I understand the arguments you might have against seeing this film. “It’s overwrought. It’s mind-numbingly droll. How many stories do we need about 1800’s British women who don’t know whom to marry, anyway?” While it’s true that the Thomas Hardy novel upon which this film is based suffers from all of these potential problems, in the hands of this cast and this director, Far From the Madding Crowd becomes the kind of effort that is hard to take your eyes from.
Carrie Mulligan stars as Hardy’s quintessential feminist heroine Bathsheba Everdene, hard-headed, of course, and independent. An adult orphan, living in North England and enjoying the life of a single woman. She catches the eye of area sheep rancher Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) who quickly asks for her hand in marriage, an offer which is just as quickly rejected. Sometime later, their fortunes turned, Mr. Oak finds himself working for Ms. Everdene, and must endure the pains of love as other suitors attempt to woo her such as the awkward and rich William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) and the dashingly brash soldier Sargeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge).
It’s the kind of will they-won’t they love rhombus that could only really exist within the confines of Victorian literature—there’s the man we want her to marry, the man she probably should marry, and the asshole who swoops in and steals her heart because, of course, women in Victorian literature—even in tomes advancing such radical ideas as female autonomy—can never really make the right decision in regards to whom they should marry, can they?
Writer David Nicholls does a fine job at distilling Hardy’s novel to its core elements, capturing the love story and drama with a succinctness that’s to be admired. Though there’s an argument to be made that the feminist ideals of Hardy’s novel are largely pushed aside in his script, the narrative remains largely intact. Certain absences detail may leave some viewers confused—the decision to marry Sargeant Troy, for example, comes awfully quick—but overall the story and the point of Hardy’s novel remain well-handled for modern sensibilities.
This is in no small part due to director Thomas Vinterberg’s remarkable eye. Imagery and symbolism are a large part of what makes Hardy’s novel poignant to this day; Vinterberg brings the subtleties and subtexts of the work to life in all of their poetic beauty and grace. Nicholls and Vinterberg are a stunning team, in this regard, collaboratively injecting life to a work known largely only to English majors.
Mulligan absolutely shines in her best roll since Drive. Bathsheba, by her nature, is the sort of character whose emotional state is palpable even when she attempts to deny it. She is nuanced and layered—saying one thing, meaning another, and feeling yet another. This is captured beautifully by Mulligan who wholly inhabits the role of Bathsheba Everdene.
This isn’t the first time Far From the Madding Crowd has made its way to the big screen. The 1967 version starring Julie Christie leaves some pretty big shoes to fill and while I can’t rightly say that this new version is better, it certainly is more accessible and easier to digest that its predecessor. Coming in right at about two hours, there’s little to no fat in this latest incarnation. This deft condensing of the plot keeps the audience engaged without ever feeling tedious.
Think of it as a date movie for an older, more discerning crowd. Fellas, this is a movie heavy on romantic intrigue so keep it in mind while deciding what movie to bring the misses to this weekend. Far From the Madding Crowd is a surprisingly delightful film that will leave you and your date leaving the theaters, fingers entwined.
Far From the Madding Crowd is in theaters now.
