Review of Far from the Madding Crowd

The book is a masterpiece, it's perhaps Hardy's most accessible book and one of his best, his way of words and vivid descriptions as well as the beautifully realised characters demonstrate that. Between the 1967 film and this, both are very good in their own way but there is a personal preference to this. The 1967 film has the slightly more authentic visuals and the more beautiful music score, but the casting is on the most part superior and more age-appropriate here. The rustic and evergreen scenery are still absolutely beautiful here and the photography compliments that. The costumes blend within the setting to great effect. In the music score there is less emphasis on the woodwind like there was in that of the 1967 film, instead the strings and woodwind have equal amounts to shine and is appropriately wistful. The dialogue shows fidelity to Hardy's writing without it dragging things and is remarkably literate, tragic and with even some wit in the interplay in Bathsheba and Troy. The attempts at the rural dialect comes across very well too. The story is compelling, well-paced and moving, and there are several memorable moments like the fight over Bathsheba, how the characters are dressed, the sheep-stampede, the shearing supper outdoors that echo those in the 1967 film, as well as some original ones like the grim views among the peasantry, the shear-sharpening scene, Oak and Bathsheba catching fire, the singing of The Banks of Allan Water. The acting is very good, the best being the heart-wrenching Gabriel Oak of Nathaniel Parker(Nigel Terry comes off equally effectively for the same reasons as well). Jonathan Firth is a rakish and appropriately crusty Troy, a character that you grow to like and Natasha Little is charming as Fanny. Paloma Baeza is not quite as good as the rest, she is handsome and has great moments of sassiness and fire but there are other moments where she is on the plain and dramatically dreary side. And yes you do miss the kiss in both versions. On the whole, excellent adaptation and the superior version, though the 1967 film while not perfect is also very good. 9/10 Bethany Cox