Far from the Madding Crowd

Julie Christie is a natural here as the emotionally controlling “Bathsheba” who will settle for nothing short of absolute devotion from any man who seeks her favour. On that front, she has attracted three gentleman who would happily make her their wife. The first, perhaps the most decent of the trio, is “Gabriel” (Alan Bates) who owns an adjacent farm and has a practical, unromantic, head on his shoulders. Then there is local squire “Boldwood” (Peter Finch) whose name belies his true character - one that could hardly be said to be bold in here eyes. Then there’s the dashingly enigmatic soldier “Troy” (Terence Stamp) who is about as unstable as the others are uninteresting to her. Which will she choose? Will it be a wise choice? Will she rue the day and what will the other suitors make of her choice? This is Thomas Hardy at his best with a story of wilfulness, fickleness, jealousy, stupidity and greed - it’s a cinematic equivalent of a new set of deadly sins that show up the flaws in not just her immaturely demanding character but also in those of her would-be spouses. It’s darkly amusing at times too, squeezing a little humour out of a series of scenarios that illustrate just how tough life could be in 19th century England for a woman, even a wealthy one, and the overall design of this production is classy and authentic as it paints it’s picture vividly. There’s load of chemistry on display here, a touch of toxicity - especially from the on-form Stamp, and there’s even a slight hint of affection as it goes to show that Paris was not the only one who struggled to make a tough decision.