Far from the Madding Crowd (2015 film)

This article is about the 2015 film. For other films, see Far from the Madding Crowd (disambiguation).

Far from the Madding Crowd
Official British poster
Directed by	Thomas Vinterberg
Produced by	Andrew Macdonald Allon Reich
Written by	David Nicholls
Based on	Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Starring	Carey Mulligan Matthias Schoenaerts Michael Sheen Tom Sturridge Juno Temple
Music by	Craig Armstrong
Cinematography	Charlotte Bruus Christensen
Edited by	Claire Simpson
Production company	BBC Films DNA Films
Distributed by	Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates	17 April 2015 (2015-04-17) (Istanbul Film Festival) 1 May 2015 (2015-05-01) (United Kingdom, United States)
Running time	119 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	$30.2 million

Far from the Madding Crowd is a 2015 British romantic drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge and Juno Temple. It is an adaptation of the 1874 novel of the same name by Thomas Hardy, the fourth time this novel has been filmed.

Plot

In 1870 Victorian Britain, Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is working on her aunt's farm in Dorset. Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a new neighbour, sees Bathsheba riding her horse and falls in love with her. He proposes, but the headstrong Bathsheba declines, saying she's too independent and he would grow to despise her.

Gabriel has used his life savings to invest in a sheep farm, but he loses everything one night when a new sheepdog chases his entire flock off a cliff. After settling all his debts he is left penniless and leaves the farm in search of work. In contrast, Bathsheba's fortune has changed as her uncle has left his farm to her in his will and she leaves for her newly inherited farm at once.

While Gabriel is at a fair trying to find employment, local army men attempt to recruit him and other townsmen. A young girl, Fannie Robin, notices him and shares that one of the army men, Sergeant Frank Troy, is her sweetheart. She tips off Gabriel that a farm in Weatherbury may offer him a job. Upon his arrival Gabriel finds the barn on fire and saves it from destruction, and at dawn the next day he is introduced to the farm's new mistress: Bathsheba. She hires him as a sheepherder. In the meantime, Troy is left devastated when Fanny jilts him at the altar; he does not realize she has gone to the wrong church.

In town, Bathsheba proves to be a shrewd trader when selling her seed. She immediately is drawn to and notices her neighbor William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. After Bathsheba sends Boldwood a Valentine as a joke and he sees her hard work, he begins to consider her for marriage. He proposes, telling her all he could offer her, but Bathsheba says she does not feel the same. Gabriel admonishes Bathsheba for being foolish and unkind by playing with his affections; hurt by his criticism, she fires him, but is forced to send after him and beg him to return when the sheep eat the wrong plants and are dying of bloat. After her personal appeal, he comes back and saves some of the sheep, and stays on the farm.

One night while walking around her land, Bathsheba meets Troy, who is mesmerized by her beauty. Uncomfortable, she tells him he shouldn't be there, but the next day he returns to help with the harvest. Despite Bathsheba being told Troy is of a noble family, she asks him to leave again, but he flirts with her and flatters her, and requests her to have a secret meeting with him. She eventually decides to meet him in the woods and he shows off his swordplay, telling her not to flinch as he swings his sword around her head and body. He finally embraces her in a passionate kiss and Bathsheba is left startled and in a daze. Gabriel warns her that Frank is dangerous and dishonourable, but she nevertheless elopes with him, and they share a night together.

Returning to the farm the newly married couple celebrate with all the workers. Gabriel senses there is a looming storm and warns Bathsheba, but the belligerent and drunk Frank interrupts while Gabriel is requesting assistance to save the harvest from the storm. Gabriel attempts to cover the harvest by himself and Bathsheba, ashamed of Frank's drunken antics and seeing the impending rain, comes out to help. Chastened, she tells Gabriel she was a fool to fall prey to Frank's flattery.

One day in town, Frank sees Fanny begging. She tells him she had gone to the wrong church, and that she is pregnant with his baby. He promises her he will find a home for them, but in the meantime she should stay in the workhouse. Frank, a degenerate gambler, asks Bathsheba for £20 and she refuses, saying it is for farm expenses.

Fanny and her baby die in childbirth; their coffin is delivered to the farmhouse as it was her last known address. Bathsheba recognizes the name as one of her uncle's loyal servants and says the coffin should be brought inside for mourning. The words "Fanny Robin and child" are written on the coffin, but Gabriel quietly erases "and child" from the slate while bringing it in. Noticing the words were blotted out, Bathsheba opens the coffin and sees there is indeed a dead baby inside. Frank, upon seeing Fanny and his dead baby, kisses Fanny's lips in the coffin. Bathsheba protests that she is still his wife, but he coldly responds that even in death Fanny means more to him than Bathsheba ever had or ever could, and in grief Frank goes to the beach, where he strips off his uniform and swims far into the ocean. The constable informs Bathsheba that Frank has apparently drowned as his clothes are found near the sea with no trace of him.

Left with Frank's debts, Bathsheba worries she may lose the farm. Mr. Boldwood offers to buy it and merge them together, offering Gabriel the job as bailiff, and again proposes. Bathsheba agrees to consider his offer. On the eve of the Christmas party he plans to throw, Boldwood shares with Gabriel that he knows of the affection between him and Bathsheba, but adds he appreciates that he has been such a gentleman in the entire matter, and shows him the engagement ring he plans to present her with.

At the party, Boldwood graciously invites Gabriel and Bathsheba to dance. Frank shows up outside, however, having faked his death, and demands money from Bathsheba, saying it is not fair that he gave up his profession as a soldier for her and that she has money and a house. She insists she has no money, to which he demands she sell the farm and come home with him. When she refuses, he grabs her roughly and screams that she is still his wife. Enraged, Boldwood emerges from the house and kills Frank with a blast from his shotgun, for which he is promptly imprisoned.

After these events, Gabriel announces he is emigrating to America. As he leaves early in the morning on foot Bathsheba stays at the farm battling her feelings. Finally, she chases after him on horseback and begs him to come back, telling him that she needs him. Gabriel asks her if she would agree were he to propose again. Bathsheba smiles and tells him to ask once more. Gabriel kisses her passionately in response, and they walk back hand in hand, leading the horse back to the farm.

Cast

• Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene
• Matthias Schoenaerts as Gabriel Oak
• Michael Sheen as William Boldwood
• Tom Sturridge as Sergeant Frank Troy
• Juno Temple as Fanny Robin
• Jessica Barden as Liddy
• Sam Phillips as Sergeant Doggett
• Tilly Vosburgh as Mrs. Hurst
• Rowan Hedley as Maryann Money
• Chris Gallarus as Billy Smallbury
• Connor Webb as Merchant
• Penny-Jane Swift as Mrs. Coggan
• Rosie Masson as Soberness Miller
• Alex Channon as Temperance Miller
• Shaun Ward as Farmer
• Roderick Swift as Everdene farmer
• Don J. Whistance as Constable
• Jamie Lee-Hill as Laban Tall

Production

David Nicholls became attached to the film in 2008. In April 2013, it was reported that Matthias Schoenaerts had been offered the role of Gabriel Oak alongside Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene. Their casting was official in May 2013 with the participation of director Thomas Vinterberg.

Principal photography started on 16 September 2013. The film was shot in Dorset (Sherborne, Mapperton, and Beaminster), Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London.

Mulligan claimed, in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, that she hand-picked Schoenaerts to play Gabriel Oak after she saw him in the French film Rust and Bone.

Thomas Vinterberg invented the scene in which Sergeant Troy clutches Bathsheba's crotch after the sword tricks because he wanted it to get more drastically sexual. The British crew called it 'the Danish handshake'. Vinterberg suggested that he would have gone much further if it had been a Danish film.

Release

The film was released on 1 May 2015.

The first teaser trailer debuted on 23 November 2014. It features the song "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" performed by Carey Mulligan and Michael Sheen. A teaser poster was also revealed to mark the 140th anniversary of the novel of the same name.

Reception

Box office

As of May 31, 2015, Far from the Madding Crowd has grossed $12.2 million in North America and $17.9 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $30.2 million.

Critical response

Far from the Madding Crowd has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 86%, based on 159 reviews, with the site's critical consensus reading, "Far from the Madding Crowd invites tough comparisons to Thomas Hardy's classic novel – and its previous adaptation – but stands on its own thanks to strong direction and a talented cast." Metacritic gave the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Carey Mulligan's performance was critically praised and some considered it better than the 1967 adaptation starring Julie Christie. Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, in his three out of four star review, said "Vinterberg may rush the final act, but he brings out the wild side in Mulligan, who can hold a close-up like nobody's business. She's a live wire in a movie that knows how to stir up a classic for the here and now."

External links

• Far from the Madding Crowd at IMDb
• Far from the Madding Crowd at Rotten Tomatoes