My Review: Far From the Madding Crowd
Matthias Schoenaerts and Carey Mulligan in Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)
Sometimes I watch a movie that inspires me again to want to create movies. I recently watched a movie that specifically made me want to make period drama films. Sometimes I wonder if I ever need to find an epic novel that’s already been written from a time period I love and make that into a movie. In Thomas Vinterberg’s take on Far From The Madding Crowd, originally an 1874 novel by Thomas Hardy, I was awestruck yet again by the simplicity and beauty of farm country living and a beautiful love story intertwined that left me reeling and fantasizing about directing my own period drama.
Why exactly do I love period drama so much? What is it about them that makes all other movies feel pointless in comparison? I believe it’s the timelessness and beauty of a simpler time in this movie. The horseback riding and beautiful costumes leave me swooning and longing to explore making my own film with the same elements. I’ve already dabbled in making my own short films that were set in the 1800s with very small budgets. And I can’t really imagine having a massive budget to really do it right, but it would be a life goal. I still have to make that future leap.
The characters in Far From The Madding Crowd were so well-cast. Bathsheba Everdene, played by Carey Mulligan, with her youthful, passionate ease, she commanded the audience to love and sympathize with her throughout the film. Gabriel Oak, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, the hardworking, gorgeous man with quiet demeanor, made audiences want Bathsheba to choose her from the beginning as her forever husband. William Boldwood, played by Michael Sheen, was very Mr. Darcy-ish and mysterious, letting the audience root for him as well as an option for Ms. Everdene because of his sensitivity and kindness. And as charming as Tom Sturridge was in the character of Sargeant Troy, his performance definitely led the audience to feel uneasy and also charmed by his bad boy nature. All the actors were delightful to watch as they explore their own character flaws and strengths.
The movie ends in a glorious way that includes a beautiful horseback riding scene, but I really wish there was a wedding at the end of this movie. I felt like the audience deserved to see the event that we all longed to see. Even though the final scene of the movie was so beautiful to watch I still wanted it to keep going, and my imagination ran wild with what happens next— which I really think is the best compliment you can give a director because he really left us wanting more and made me want to read the book. For all the hopeless romantics out there, this is your movie. It checked all the boxes for me: beautiful horseback riding, well-developed character storylines, and beautiful performances. If you’re looking for a Friday night feel-good movie, Far From the Madding Crowd is your movie.