Title: Far from the Madding Crowd
Year: 2015
Duration: 1h59′
Genre: period drama, romance
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Micheal Sheen, Tom Sturridge
Spoiler alert: No major spoiler except a light hint at the last paragraph. However, the storyline was somehow predictable (but this is not a reason for not watching this film 😉 )
Come all you fair and tender girls,
That flourish in your prime,
Beware, beware, keep your garden fair,
Let no man steal your thyme,
Let no man steal your thyme.
Dreamy like a fairytale, smooth like a lullaby, sometimes hurtful like all initiatory journeys of maturing, Far from the Madding Crowd laid out a gorgeous rural England in the 1870s, its land, its people were rendered beautifully on screen. We follow the story of Bathsheba Everdene, a young woman, strong and determined, who runs her own farm inherited from the uncle; a woman who seems to be ahead of her time; a woman who is too independent to accept being a man’s property. And there we have three man, three suitors, who fall for her charm and who will somehow challenge Bathsheba’s own principles and reveal parts of her personality unknown to herself so far. Far from the Madding Crowd is a story of reckless passion, loyalty, and the search for life stability and security, embodied by these three man who all want to win Bathsheba’s hand.
Thomas Hardy has built in the original novel an inspiring female character: Bathsheba is a strong, intelligent girl who is willing to run a vast farm that she inherits. Despite being very young, she doesn’t hesitate to make and assume tough decisions right after taking her role of farm’s mistress, to haggle over her merchandise in the market while being the only woman, and to go down the swamp to help her people handling sheep. However, her immaturity in romantic relationship and her puerility drove her into making unthoughtful decisions. I love the way Carey Mulligan brought up the contrast between Bathsheba’s somehow fragile, sweet appearance and her energetic, determined personality.
Frank Troy, a good-looking sergeant who successfully seduced Bathsheba by pouring flattery in her ears was obviously the bad guy. But I don’t think he is totally odious. The fact that his story with Fanny, the woman he loved, didn’t come to a happy end somehow destroyed him (and he was loving her till the very end). Troy is the one who woke up Bathsheba’s desire, brought a touch of fun and novelty in her life. Bathsheba, conscious that she didn’t really love Troy, decided to marry him out of jealousy upon hearing that he was in love with a more beautiful woman, and became to be drowned in the consequences of her act. The rendez-vous scene between Bathsheba and Frank Troy in the woods was breathtakingly beautiful – seemed as if it was from a far away fairyland. The passion Bathsheba shared with Troy was, unsurprisingly, as ephemeral as a fairytale.
William Boldwood, the rich and melancholic neighbor, represents the tradition and the stability. He is a very decent and polite man, and his willing of offering Bathsheba a protected and secured life is totally respectable. Bathsheba, who has become more experienced after her failures, had to think very hard about his proposal. Unfortunately, his love for her turned into an obsession… I love how Micheal Sheen portrayed convincingly a middle-age, conventional man, always carrying with him a subtle sadness in his smile, in his eyes, and in his voice.
Gabriel Oak, the very first to ask Bathsheba’s hand, is undoubtedly the man with whom the viewers sympathized the most. Viewers and readers love him for his loyalty, his goodness, and his patience. I’m not the exception, but what I love most in Gabriel Oak’s character is his ability to stay lucid and self-confident instead of being blinded by his love for Bathsheba (and nobody would doubt how much he love her). He knows his true values (he dared to request Bathsheba to go see him in person and ask him to come back), he is honest (he never hesitate to tell Bathsheba what he truly thinks even if doesn’t please her) and action-driven (he came alone in the storm to prevent damages after being ignored by all other people enjoying Bathsheba’s wedding party). It’s hard to imagine somebody else than Matthias Schoenaerts to take this role. He brought out masculinity, physical strength, and at the same time, subtlety, depth and tenderness, all quite too easily and naturally. (Well, it was also him who brought me to Far from the Madding Crowd, as I totally crushed on him playing Bruno von Falk in Suite française.)
The story of Far from the Madding Crowd would not be as sublime as it was on screen without folkloric musics, beautifully designed costumes of Victorian era, and stunning, enchanting landscapes that added up to the film’s charm. It is not difficult to guess who eventually won the heart of Bathsheba, since the storyline was based on a famous classic novel and multiple hints were figured on the poster. But still, wait until the end, until you are at the middle of the vast field and under the blue sky, with these two familiar silhouettes finally speaking out their feelings and deciding to stay side by side one another from this moment on.
SEEDS OF FEELINGS 