"Far From The Madding Crowd" (movie critique)

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD
movie poster

The Travelling Toe and friend drove out to the local cinema multiplex and saw "Far From The Madding Crowd".  The movie is based on the literary classic of the same name written by Thomas Hardy.  It is a story of an independent beautiful woman sent in the Victoria era, and how her life takes many twists and turns.

Thomas Hardy

Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is an orphan who lives with her aunt in southwest England.  Close by is a young farmer, Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenerts), who takes a shine to her and finally asks her to marry him.  But Bathsheba turns him down as she wants to remain free and independent.   When Gabriel losses all this sheep through an unfortunate accident, he must sell his farm and becomes destitute.   

Carey Mulligan

Matthias Schoenerts
hero

In the meantime, Bathsheba's uncle has died and left her his estate and money.   The estate she inherits is the home she lived in with her parents before they died.  

Gabriel travels from town to town looking for work.   As he is travelling the countryside, he happens upon a dangerous fire on a farm and joins in helping the farmers and workers put it out.  The owner of the farm arrives to thank the stranger for his assistance and he finds out that the owner of the farm is Bathsheba.  She hires Gabriel to be a shepherd for her estate.  

Bathsheba's neighbor is an older single man who also becomes infuriated with her.  In an act of Valentine fun, Bathsheba sends this neighbor, William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a valentine card which causes him to become even more obsessed with her.   He proposes marriage but she is not sure that he is the man she wants and does not give him a definite answer to his proposal.  Gabriel calls her to task for her thoughtlessness of her treatment of Boldwood and Bathsheba becomes enraged and fires Gabriel.  But Bathsheba immediately finds that she needs Gabriel as her sheep have begun dying from bloat and Gabriel is the best shepherd around and knows how to save the sheep.

Michael Sheen

Also coming on the scene is a young dashing solider, Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge) and he immediately become infatuated with Bathsheba and her wealth.   Gabriel tries to warn her about Troy but she disregards his advice and becomes interested in Frank. Boldwood tries to buy his rival off but Frank makes fun of him and his devotion to Bathsheba and reveals that he and Bathsheba are now married.

Tom Sturridge
(boo, hiss, boo
the villain)

Frank soon shows his true colors and intent by running up gambling debts and not helping with the farm.   Bathsheba begins to realize that Frank does not love her but is still in love with a girl named Fanny.  

OK...this is getting long winded and there is still more of the the story to tell.  So quickly,  Fanny dies with her and Frank's baby and he goes off and is thought to have died as well.   But he is not and when he shows back up at Boldwood's Christmas party, Boldwood can take no more and as Troy is dragging Bathsheba away he shoots and kills Troy.

Bathsheba does do the right thing by ensuring that Troy is buried with Fanny and their child. Boldwood is is given a pardon due to the emotional situation.

The story ends with Gabriel and Bathsheba once again being friends and they are quietly wed to hopefully live happily ever after.

Thomas Hardy is not an easy author to read and enjoy as often his plots are dark and full of emotional turmoil.  This one story does have a happy ending for the two main characters which is unusual for Hardy.

The Travelling Toe rates this movie 1 large toe up and 1 middle toe up with a side of figgy pudding.

figgy pudding

*Note:  According to the dictionary, the word madding means frenzied.






Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only