Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)

Bathsheba Everdene, a willful, flirtatious, young woman, unexpectedly inherits a large farm and is romantically pursued by three very different men.

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Thomas Hardy (from the novel by), Frederic Raphael (screenplay)

Stars:

Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julie Christie	...	Bathsheba
Terence Stamp	...	Sergeant Troy
Peter Finch	...	William Boldwood
Alan Bates	...	Gabriel Oak
Fiona Walker	...	Liddy
Prunella Ransome	...	Fanny
Alison Leggatt	...	Mrs. Hurst
Paul Dawkins	...	Henery Fray
Julian Somers	...	Jan Coggan
John Barrett	...	Joseph Poorgrass
Freddie Jones	...	Cainy Ball
Andrew Robertson	...	Andrew Randle
Brian Rawlinson	...	Matthew Moon
Vincent Harding	...	Mark Clark
Victor Stone	...	Billy Smallbury

Storyline

Based on Thomas Hardy's nineteenth century novel, Bathsheba Everdene is a willful, passionate girl who is never satisfied with anything less than a man's complete and helpless adoration, and she captures the lives and loves of three very different men: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer, who is captivated by her beauty and proposes marriage; William Boldwood, a prosperous man in his early forties, and a confirmed bachelor; and Sergeant Frank Troy, a handsome, reckless swordsman given to sudden fits of violence.

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Plot Keywords:

unrequited love | period drama | 19th century | love | sergeant | 

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Taglines:

All the violent beauty of Thomas Hardy's immortal love story!

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the film was originally released by MGM, by 2020, the film was now retro-fitted with the StudioCanal cloud logo, before the original MGM roaring lion logo, suggesting that the Rights have now moved to the StudioCanal library.

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Goofs

At the wedding party at the end of the film one of the band members is playing a sousaphone, which wasn't invented until around 1893.

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Quotes

Sgt. Francis 'Frank' Troy: [to Bathsheba] This woman is more to me dear than you ever were... or are... or could be.

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Alternate Versions

For the UK version, a cockfight had to be deleted to comply with that country's laws on animal cruelty on film, as stated in the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.

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Connections

Version of Far from the Madding Crowd (1998)

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Soundtracks

""Seeds of Love"" (uncredited)
Words written by Mrs. Fleetwood Habergam around 1689
Maybe sung to a traditional tune by Sir George Macfarren, Come open the door sweet Betty
Sung by Joseph Poorgrass and friends at outdoor feast at request of Bathsheba

User Reviews

Underrated

In this sprawling adaptation of the Hardy novel, a beautiful woman in 19th century English countryside must select a suitor among three men. It has become fashionable to bash this film but it is quite an impressive production. Although she may not be exactly what Hardy had in mind, Christie is radiant as the heroine. The men pursuing her are well played by Finch as a rich landowner, Stamp as a cad, and especially Bates as a poor sheep farmer. Schlesinger's direction is leisurely and meticulous but he sustains interest despite the nearly three-hour length. The cinematography by Roeg is breathtaking and Bennett's score adds a haunting quality to the film.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Far from the Madding Crowd

Filming Locations:

Abbotsbury, Dorset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Vic Films Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

168 min 170 min (uncut) 157 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1