Thomas Vinterberg's last film The Hunt (Jagten) was a nuanced, dark drama about a man whose life was thrown into turmoil thanks to social preconceptions. His latest film Far From the Madding Crowd is his take on the classic Thomas Hardy novel about an independent woman who refuses to abide to the social normalities assigned to her as a female.
Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is an independent woman working on a small farm in Victorian England. She befriends a Shepard, Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) who swiftly proposes to her, but Ms. Everdene is not looking for a husband. After his young sheep dog viciously drives his herd off a cliff and to their deaths, Gabriel is forced to take a job at a once great farm. It turns out that this farm was owned by Bathsheba's uncle, who has left it to her in his will. Ms. Everdene runs the farm with efficiency, ambitious to return it to its former glory. The neighbouring farm is run by Mr. Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a mature bachelor who is eventually also drawn to Ms. Everdene. A young, seemingly-jilted soldier, Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) takes up residence as a farm-hand and becomes the third suitor to Bathsheba. With three men willing to become her husband and conflicting personal values, Ms. Everdene ultimately has to make a choice between the three, or for independence.
I'm not normally drawn to costume dramas, but Far From the Madding Crowd floored me with its strong plot and well-developed characters, Bathsheba in particular. But what makes a strong female lead? Or for that matter, a strong male lead? A rejection of the necessities of masculinity would certainly create a burgeoning male and to that end, Ms. Everdene's dismissal of the social requisite to acquire a man makes her an independent, ultimately well-rounded female character. But these traits are rooted in Hardy's novel and ultimately it takes Carey Mulligan's refined abilities to bring Bathsheba to life. She's determined, yet flawed and whilst her values are central to her development, she acknowledges her personal betrayals when she dares to wear her heart on her sleeve. All of this remains exquisitely detailed through Mulligan's performance.
Similarly, Gabriel - played by the ever talented Matthias Schoenaerts - is not concerned with achieving a status supposedly appropriate to his gender, but still sees Bathsheba as vulnerable and requiring of his protection, despite her constantly proving him wrong. Ultimately for me, he and Mr. Boldwood - played by Michael Sheen as stern yet emotionally vulnerable - tie as suitable companions for Ms. Everdene, but her drive for independence trumps any desire in the audience to see their romantic relationships develop. On the other hand, Sergeant Troy comes off as a supremely unlikable character, driven by the arrogance of youth and little more than an abusive male, despite his past hardships. I understand that the final act is much more developed in the novel, but I doubt that a longer running time for the sake of a fully-fledged denouement would ultimately pay off.
The look of Far From the Madding Crowd is hardly revolutionary filmmaking. Vinterberg once again works with Charlotte Bruus Christensen who shot The Hunt and the visual similarities are noticeable. The rural setting makes for some beautiful scenery, but my only reservation is with some questionable camera movements which distract from the story, namely several dramatic zooms which I'm sure hold artistic meaning but are nonetheless jarring. The overall composition is relatively fast-paced - within about ten minutes we already have sheep diving off cliffs to meet with a brutal bloody end - which would certainly help those who, like me find it difficult to dive into period pieces.
Thomas Vinterberg has formed a distinct adaptation of the original text, which ultimately captures Hardy's memorable characters and social reflections in an enthralling format. Far From the Madding Crowd is not his greatest film, but it's certainly worthy of your viewing.
