It is rags to riches for the beautiful young, Bathsheba Everdene. She's inherited her late Uncle's farm, and has gone from a life of manual labour to one of property and wealth. An impulsive, head strong young woman, she attracts a lot of male attention, before and after her wealth. She has a pick of three suitors (most of whom keep wanting to buy her a piano!!) There's William Boldwood, a handsome, charismatic mature man of wealth. There is the rugged Gabriel Oak, a handsome sheep farmer who's gone from a farm owner to an employee of Bathsheba, and finally there is the charismatic young officer Sergeant Francis Troy. She seems unaware of the effect she has on her potential suitors, causing deep passion in all three. She makes her choice and has to live with having a Master.
The film develops beautifully, the softer easy going beginning is at great contrast to the deeper more serious core. That end kiss, I believed the passion in every second of it, extremely powerful and emotional scene.
It must be not far off twenty years when I read Far from the madding crowd. There have been a few versions, the one I had enjoyed most up to this point being the one with Paloma Baeza in the lead.
I had high expectations for this version, and I was right to, it is a truly beautiful adaptation. It is a beautifully shot film, it literally looks gorgeous. If you appreciate attention to detail, sets, clothes, hair etc then there is plenty to feast your eyes on.
I've been a huge fan of Carey Mulligan since her dream performance as Sally Sparrow in Doctor Who's legendary episode Blink. She is perfect for the role, very attractive, in a way fitting to the time this was set in. She exudes an inner strength and confidence, very well cast.
Michael Sheen to is very well cast as Boldwood, a man awkward in matters of the heart, he put a sensitivity and a sense of sadness into his performance, Sheen scrubs up rather well too. The performance I enjoyed the most though came from Matthias Schoenaerts, he brought Gabriel Oak to life, he is a totally brilliant actor.
Fantastic film. 9/10
