Viewed without the accompanying perspective of John Schlesinger’s 1967 version of Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Vinterberg’s new version of the Thomas Hardy novel might seem sufficient in capturing the 19th century period of rural western England. Michael Sheen may also seem a fine enough brooding Mr. Boldwell, as well as Carey Mulligan a well enough complex heroine, Bathsheba Everdene, wearily fighting the customs of the age she lives in.
Taking into account the earlier adaptation, even given as fine a performance as Mulligan delivers, Julie Christie offers a more vibrant character and Peter Finch’s performance as Boldwell, providing much greater depth and dignity, blows away Sheen’s. Schlesinger proves he’s a master filmmaker who gets all his detail perfectly, offering a much more majestic, insightful view of not only the ways of the village people but also the stings fate provides throughout the film’s deliciously extreme plot.
That said, Vinternger has crafted a rather fine film, and with the presence of Matthias Shoenaerts as Oak, has managed to give a much richer account of the relationship between Bathsheba and Oak than that provided by Schlesinger. (His character is admittedly underwritten so it’s not totally his own fault, but how often can the claim be made that Alan Bates was out-acted?) Whereas Vinterberg prefers to use shorthand in revealing the attraction Bathsheba feels for Troy (Tom Sturridge) and to cut key scenes of Troy late in the film, he makes up for it in not falling prey to Schlesinger’s own stillborn treatment of the Bathsheba-Gabriel dynamic. Sturridge also somewhat surpasses Terence Stamp in acting out the cad-like qualities of Troy although it’s pretty close to a wash.
“It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thus, with Bathseha’s words, deftly delivered by Mulligan, we come to view Bathseba as an incipient feminist. She is one whose societal challenges–here symbolized by the three men competing for her hand–may prove much too great. If the enormous pressures surrounding her and, also, her own vulnerabilities, don’t quite allow her to win her war it is comforting to witness her win individual battles.
So if you view the original film version as well as see the new one, you’ll come up with not only a richer experience but might be even more inclined to read this classic novel, a work of art whose supremacy rises above the two film versions–both in ways stellar yet each limited.