The 2015 Version of 'Far from the Madding Crowd' . . .

Last Monday, we saw the new version of 'Far from the Madding Crowd'.  It is the fourth movie made from Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel, including the 1967 film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Julie Christie.  This movie, using a screenplay by David Nicholls based on the novel and directed by Thomas Vinterberg, stars Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Martin Sheen, and Tom Sturridge.

Poster for 'Far from the Madding Crowd' with Carrie Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts dancing.

Miss Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdeen, a proto-feminist farm owner who struggles to maintain her independence in Victorian England.  Bathsheba is courted by three very different suitors -- Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts) a sheep farmer; William Boldwood (Sheen) a well-to-do land owner; and Frank Troy (Sturridge) a dashing army sergeant.

Much of the interest of this film comes from its heroine's determination to fight the patriarchal social conventions of the agricultural community of Wessex (the fictional setting of Hardy's novel).  Her personal management of the farm she inherits from her uncle leads to several nearly catastrophic incidents.  Both Oak and Boldwood come to her rescue at various times, while Troy proves to be her nemesis.

Carey Mulligan does a wonderful job of conveying Bathsheba's feistiness and fearlessness while maintaining her dewy beauty.  Matthias Schoenaerts displays a watchful earthy presence and stoic dignity as Gabriel;  Martin Sheen brings a sense of exasperation and wounded pride to the lonely, middle-aged Boldwood; and Tom Sturridge is properly macho and self-centered as Sergeant Troy.

While the movie is very well-acted and beautifully filmed on locations in Dorset and Oxfordshire, the screenplay is episodic and the editing is choppy.  Not all of us have read Thomas Hardy's novel, so the screen writers and editors are wrong in assuming that we'll be able fill in the gaping holes they leave in this movie.

Banner for 'Far from the Madding Crowd' with Carrie Mulligan and Tom Sturridge in the forest.