The 2015 version of Far from the Madding Crowd is the fourth cinematic adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s famous novel.
Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is a free-spirited woman in 1870s Dorset. She inherits her uncle’s farm upon his death. Bathsheba also becomes the object of desire for three men, the rugged shepherd Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), mature bachelor William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), and the roguish army sergeant Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge).
This adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd went all out with the production. It had a £12 million budget which was sizeable for a British production, a cast featuring British stars and emerging talent, and had The Hunt director Thomas Vinterberg and acclaimed novelist David Nicholls performing the directing and writing duties. The major crew members were also highly acclaimed, like cinematography Charlotte Bruus Christensen, award-winning editor Claire Simpson, and the composer Craig Armstrong.
The most surprising aspect of the film was one of the production companies: DNA Films. DNA Films were known at the time for making popular genre fare like Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and Dredd. It was a change of direction for them to make a prestigious period romance.
Considering the talent involved Far from the Madding Crowd was a well-acted, well-directed, and great-looking film: perfect ingredients for a period drama. It was a film that depended on the dynamic of its four leads, and they all were brilliant in their roles.
Mulligan’s Bathsheba was the most interesting of the characters because she was a woman well ahead of her time. She was head-strong, willing to stamp her authority, and shown to be a competent businesswoman. Bathsheba could stand up for herself when men tried to take advantage of her gender and was willing to muck in when required. Bathsheba was such a force that men were drawn to her. Early in the film Gabriel became infatuated by Bathsheba when he saw her riding a horse and was able to lie down whilst riding.
However, Bathsheba had one big flaw because she said that she needed a man who could tame her. Gabriel proposed to Bathsheba early in the film and she rejected him because he was too kind. A lot of the film centres around their relationship because Gabriel ends up working for Bathsheba and despite Bathsheba’s assessment of Gabriel, the shepherd was willing to stand his ground against his employer. Mulligan and Schoenaerts did have great chemistry together. The pair were a match despite their stubbornness.
Sheen played against type with his role as Mr. Boldwood. Sheen has often played villainous roles or been a forceful character. He’s great at playing real-life figures (i.e. Tony Blair, Brian Clough, and Chris Tarrant) but he also can chew the scenery at times. In Far from the Madding Crowd he played a shyer, meeker character. He was the owner of a neighbouring estate and very wealthy but never settled down. Mr. Boldwood offered security, but he lacked any passion.
Sergeant Troy offered passion but it came at the cost of his reckless behaviour. There was sexual tension between Troy and Bathsheba during the sabre scene when he showed how close his blade can to get to Bathsheba without striking her. He seemed like he could be the man who could tame Bathsheba but his drunken behaviour could lead to Bathsheba’s ruin. Troy was loathsome towards Bathsheba after their marriage and to Fanny (Juno Temple), the woman he was with before meeting Bathsheba. However, Troy did have moments of sympathy because he suffered from tragedy.
This version of Far from the Madding Crowd did have some striking scenes. A notable early scene was Gabriel’s sheep escaping from their enclosure and running off the edge of a cliff. It was a shocking image to see the sheep fall to their death and see Gabriel lose his livelihood. Sheep illness plays an important role in Bathsheba and Gabriel’s relationship because Bathsheba had to swallow her pride and ask for the shepherd’s help.
Far from the Madding Crowd did have an episodic quality to it. It moves to different storylines like it was a TV show. This was down to the source material because Far from the Madding Crowd was initially published in a magazine. It’s the same issue that affects a lot of adaptations of Victorian novels. Far from the Madding Crowd ended up having to sprint to the finish.
On a final note, I thought it was amusing this film cast Jessica Barden. One of Barden’s first major film roles was in Tamara Drewe, a 2010 rom-com that was a modern reworking of Far from Madding Crowd. She was one of the best aspects of Tamara Drewe because she played a teenage troublemaker. In Far from the Madding Crowd Barden played Liddy, Bathsheba’s assistant, and she was more of a prim and proper Victorian lady who still had a youthful, mischievous side.
Far from the Madding Crowd was a film that fans of period dramas and Victorian literature will enjoy. Other audience members can appreciate the performances, the main relationships, and striking production values.
