beckygracehoward Having read the book probably close to 100 times I was prepared to be disappointed in this screen version. However, the cast crew so perfectly captured the spirit of Hardy's novel I was deeply moved. Wonderful cinematography with painstaking attention to detail provided a visual feast. Carey was a believable Victorian woman with an independent heart, which showed that she had really studied the book. It was uplifting to see her as a flawed but sympathetic character, without Hardy's sometimes patronising comments about 'women's frailties' sensed in the background. I am entirely in love with Matthias' Gabriel Oak. Although perfect in itself I would have loved the film to be longer to take in some more of the scenes from the novel.....particularly the one in the Malthouse where you see Oak amongst his friends and where Bathsheba rescues Oak from asphyxiation at the beginning of the novel, as this is very romantic. The only real criticism I would have of the film is the opening gambit about Bathsheba's name, which isn't in the book as Hardy had a very clear reason for choosing her name.

johnwiltshireauthor As a huge Hardy fan, I thought this adaption of one of his most popular (and accessible) novels was pretty much faultless. I've noticed a trend with movies over the last few years to roughen up the nineteenth century, to make the characters more naturalistic and it works exceptionally well here. The characters look entirely at home and realistic in their setting and the film is as much a tribute to a vanished, rural world as it is to love. More so, perhaps. Although the adaptation makes Gabriel and Bathsheba's relationship more romantic than it was in the novel (his iconically unromantic line "whenever I look up..." was left out), it is nevertheless not the main delight of this film for me. This movie wonderfully recreates rural life in Dorset, and created a surge of nostalgia about the vanished rhythms of farming life. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys nineteenth century novels, but also to any romantics out there because, of course, Gabriel and Bathsheba's story is heartrending and delightful at the same time.

Tweekums Bathsheba Everdene, an attractive young woman living in rural Dorset, has caught the eye of local sheep farmer Gabriel Oak. He proposes to her but she declines, she values her independence in an era when married women were effectively the property of their husbands. Soon both their lives undergo major changes; Gabriel loses his farm after his dog chases his sheep over a cliff edge one night and she inherits her uncle's large farm. She needs a shepherd so employs Gabriel; while he is still poor there is no chance of romance but he still loves her and is determined to make a success of his life again. Meanwhile Bathsheba jokingly sends a Valentine's card to wealthy but lonely neighbour William Boldwood; he soon falls in love with her but once again she declines a proposal. Then she meets Sergeant Frank Troy and is swept of her feet. He had previously been due to be married to a girl named Fanny Robin but believes that she stood him up at the altar, no realising she went to the wrong church. She makes a bad choice but will she ultimately find happiness?.Since I haven't read the book I can't comment on how accurate a rendition of that story this is but as story I rather enjoyed it. Carey Mulligan puts in a fine performance as the spirited Bathsheba and Matthias Schoenaerts is solid as Gabriel, Michael Sheen and Tom Sturridge also impress as Boldwood and Troy. There are a few 'tragic moments' but for the most part life looks surprisingly pleasant in Victorian Dorset; the harvest scenes look like jolly fun rather than the backbreaking work I imagine it was in reality… this isn't really a problem though; this is more fun to watch. It isn't obvious who Bathsheba will ultimately end up with, Thomas Hardy isn't renowned for happy endings, but it is pretty clear who we are meant to want her to be with and who we really don't want her to be shackled to. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of costume drama as well as a romance that isn't a rom-com.

kosmasp This could've been straight forward, but it takes time to tell a couple of stories. I'm not sure on what this is based on, nor have I read (about) it, I went in this completely free of that all. So while it was obvious this is a period piece, I didn't exactly know where this was trying to get.It seems like this is a compendium of short stories where we get a couple of things thrown at us. While this is good to fill the running time, I couldn't help but wonder if there was a short cut to the inevitable. But then again, where would the drama be, if it was all that easy, right? The acting is great and the settings and costumes are phenomenal too. If you're into this stuff, you'll absolutely love it