Far From the Madding Crowd: Masterpiece Theatre

Three men have fallen under the spell of a fickle young woman who doesn't know her own heart but is adept at breaking others. Gabriel Oak is one of her earlier suitors who is readily rejected for marriage but remains in Bathsheba's employ. Mr. Boldwood, an older man, lives in a fantansy world in which he refuses to accept no as her answer to his proposal. Finally,Frank Troy, a soldier comes into her life and she meets more than her match.

Hardy has given us a delightful story where the relationships become more complex and ugly truths about the characters begin to unfold. How long will Bathsheba keep these men on the edge desiring her for their own? A resolution to this question will keep you wondering in this two part series of selfish lust and passion.


Masterpiece Theatre at it's best...   March 31, 2003
Susan E. Neill (Alexandria, VA USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Hardy's Wessex is brought to life in this wonderful adaptation.

Bathsheba Everdine is the beautiful and strong willed mistress of a sheep farm. She raises eyebrows, breaks hearts and makes some bad decisions about love and farming, but has Gabriel Oak to rescue her. Great performances by Paloma Baeza as Bathsheba, Nathaniel Parker as Gabriel and Nigel Terry as Boldwood. There's lots of unconsumated chemistry betw. Baeza and Parker.

Far superior to the 60s Hollywood adaptation.


Too good just to rent!   August 22, 2005
Redhead Forever (Albuquerque, NM United States)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I hardly ever want to see a movie enough times to buy it. But this is an exception. The story, the characters, the portrayals, the cinematography all combine to make a wonderful production. You will fall in love with these English country people, and you see the characters' nobility as well as their flaws. Don't even bother to see the 1967 version. I saw it and hated it, and probably wouldn't have seen this one except I caught it a few minutes in and didn't see the title at first. It's so far above the 1967 one it's almost like 2 different stories! In the 1967 one, you can't see why Bathsheba would have anything to to with any of her suitors, much less become so obsessed with Troy. But in this one, you can see merits in them all. There are some scenes that would be disturbing for children, but for teens and adults, it's a beautiful, beautiful movie. How about a DVD version?


Nice Masterpiece Theater Production   December 14, 2001
Gwen Kramer (Tehachapi, CA United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I should start out by saying that I love the book, and I have seen the 60s version of this story and rather liked it. That said, this is a nice little production. The scenery is beautiful, the costumes are great, the music is lovely and appropriate, the acting is solid.

The plot involves the lovely Bathsheba who is the object of affection (obsession?) for three very different men. Paloma Baeza is Bathsheba, she is a good actress but I found her extremely youthful face a bit distressing at times. She just looked too young to be such a tease. Still, she plays her role well.

The three men in her life are the stalwart shepherd Gabriel, the obsessive older farmer Boldwood and the dashing, heartbreaking Sgt. Troy. Nathaniel Parker (very good in Vanity Fair as Becky's clueless husband) plays Gabriel with perhaps more passion than he displayed in the book but he looks the part and anyone who has not read the book would never know the difference. He fits right in and looks quite handsome in the bargain.

Jonathan Firth (Fred in Middlemarch. Brother to Colin Firth of Pride and Prejudice) plays the thankless role of Troy with great relish. (Troy is not a cool villain, he is the sort you boo and hiss at whenever he is on screen, it takes a good actor to carry him off without seeming too Snideley Whiplash about it) He is the only man of the three who excites Bathsheba and he is the only one who is not truly in love with her.

The supporting cast is good, especially Natasha Little (Becky in Vanity Fair) as Troy's cast-off mistress Fanny.

In conclusion, I liked the 60s version a hair better but only a hair and I highly reccomend anyone interested in this story to try both versions as both are good in their own unique way. This version is more accurate with costumes and such but the 6os one is more suitable for family viewing.

Scenes I liked better in this version:

Gabriel looks for a job
Gabriel and Bathsheba's first argument
Troy's sword exercises
Fanny visits Troy at the barracks window