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Far From The Madding Crowd (1967) Certificate U

Far From The Madding Crowd
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Rated 3.5 stars
Average rating
(71%)
 
Starring: Julie Christie | Alan Bates | Terence Stamp | Peter Finch
Director: John Schlesinger
Studio: OPTIMUM RELEASING
Run time: 155 mins
Genres: Drama
Languages: English
Released: September 13, 2004

In rural Victorian England, circa 1865, a headstrong young woman inherits her dead uncle's farm in Wessex. Soon after her arrival, three very different men begin to pursue her: a failed sheep farmer; a wealthy landowner; and the one she falls in love with, a reckless military sergeant whose reputation precedes him. With stunning cinematography from Nicholas Roeg, John Schlesinger's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's downbeat classic novel stars Julie Christie as the unsatisfied country girl Bathsheba, her three handsome suitors are played by Terence Stamp, Alan Bates and Peter Finch.

Rating of 1 stars out of 5
Halliwell's Film Guide

Good-looking but slackly handled version of a melodramatic and depressing novel.

Highest rated reviews

6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
Excellent

A Customer from Buckinghamshire, 11th January, 2005

It is a long time since I saw this film and had forgotten how good it is. Not too much has dated [apart from the dodgy hair styles and wigs] and remains a powerful story. The casting of Julie Christie as Bathsheba is a tad far fetched as she must be at least 10 years older than her characture, but the other parts played by Terence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates are brilliant. The film captures Hardys love of the area and shows farming in all its wet and windy reality - no wonder Troy was so attractive ... anything to get away from all that mud! 4 generations of family all really enjoyed this film over Christmas; no wonder - it has a strong story, wonderful photography, some weepy romance, men behaving very badly and a satisfactory conclusion. It's a classic.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 3.0 stars
Reasonable interpretation of the book

Big Ad from Deepest Worcestershire, 6th July, 2006

The acting is poor in view of the cast and the bizarre pronouciation of 'Bathsheba'. It's not a bad film though and certainly better than any modern BBC interpretation could be! The cinematography is beautiful - shot in Wiltshire & Dorset - Hardy Country! Well worth watching whether you've read the book or not. It's a tale of how bad both men and women can be. The ending for Bathsheba is, perhaps better than she deserves, though I won't spoil it for you. Her pain, though, she brings upon herself and others suffer from her actions. She in turn suffers from making a very bad choice. Watch this!

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2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 1.0 stars
Awful Memories

jonnyboy88 from from New Malden, 26th September, 2008

I had to study FFMC for GCSE, frankly I found the book so dull it put me off ever reading Thomas Hardy again. The film was just as bad, although the two debonair's for Bathsheba heart with their 'sword' fight was amusing. Especially when our english teacher pointed out it referred to a part of their anatomy.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
Outstanding

Ken Hill from Birmingham, 13th February, 2005

This movie immerses you in a world very different from ours, the life of rural England before technology had connected it with urban sophistication. If you want nonstop action and at least three 'funny' quips per minute, pass it by. If you have the patience to let a timeless story unfold at its own pace, however, you will find this one rewarding. 10 - 10

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Most recent reviews

Rated 1.0 stars
Didn't get it, myself

A Customer from Oakham, 21st January, 2010

I had high expectations of this film, and I think as a result I was disappointed. I hadn't read the book previously, and wonder if I had whether it would have enhanced the experience. The late 60's cinematography, often lamented by other reviewers, made it stilted in my opinion, the story didn't flow, although it did have an earthy passion about it. Landscapes and scenery were spectacular, Julie Christie likewise, however it didn't engage me. Classic, it may be, but maybe it's a case of 'Emperor's New Clothes'?

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Rated 0.0 stars
Far From The Madding Crowd

A Customer from Edinburgh, 2nd January, 2010

Utter tripe throughout; dont waste 2.5 hours of your life on this. Acting is appauling, casting is just wrong. Top 100 Films of all time....someone please tell me why.

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Rated 3.0 stars
Far from the Madding Crowd

Whitesails from , 1st January, 2010

Very watch able and faithful to the book. The acting is pretty good and there are some interesting surreal scenes.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
Stunning Performances

A Customer from Baldock, England, 1st May, 2009

Having seen this at the cinema when it was released, I feared it might look a little dated by now. No cause - it is just as terrific as when first I saw it! The performances of the principals are without exception first class, from the wilful Bathsheba (Christie) & the dashing Troy (Stamp), to the doggedly reliable Oakes (Bates) & the obsessively captivated Squire (Finch). John Schlesinger's direction is sure, as ever, & the cinematography - beautiful locations in Hardy's Wessex - is breathtaking. It probably benefits from the distance between my last reading of the book & this viewing of the adaptation, but I did not feel the film detracted from my enjoyment of the novel (if one can ever 'enjoy' a downbeat Hardy!), nor vice versa. Worth the watch.

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