FILM REVIEWS, COLLECTION UPDATES, COMMENTS ON CINEMATIC CULTURE

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967)



There are so many things I could praise about this wonderful epic film.

I could compliment the direction of John Schlesinger. Or the screenplay by Fredric Raphael that captures so faithfully the spirit of Thomas Hardy's classic novel. There are, of course, the moving performances of excellent actors like Terence Stamp, Peter Finch, Alan Bates, and Prunella Ransome. And mention must be made of the haunting musical score by Richard Rodney Bennett and the fact that the film makes good use of traditional folk songs.

More importantly, I would have to acknowledge the glorious cinematography of Nicholas Roeg that so perfectly celebrates the countrysides of Wiltshire and Dorset, proving that only the British know how to make films like this.

In the end, however, only one thing is important; that once upon a time an exquisite creature named Julie Christie took her place in front of Roeg's camera, filling the screen with so much uncanny, ethereal beauty that the human heart is practically overwhelmed.

Therein lies the magic of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD.







7 comments:

  1. Far from the Madding Crowd was a movie I haven't seen since it came out. I don't really remember much about it, but I do agree Julie Christie is a terrific actor and has an amazing movie screen presence. This particular review did lack more info about the actual movie, which might've helped me with remembering what the plot was. It did make me curious about the other aspects of the movie--cinematography, music score, etc.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, Jim. This particular commentary was more a tribute to the beauty of Julie Christie than anything else. But I should have said something about the plot.

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  2. Totally agree with you about Julie Christie in the 1960s. Even in a movie like "Fahrenheit 451", where she's not supposed to be glamorous, she can't help but being so.

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  3. Thank you for commenting! Fahrenheit 451 is a favorite of mine, and she is so good in her dual roles.

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  5. HI Mike (this is your friend Jay from YouTube and FB) I saw FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD in a theater when it first came out and I didn't understand it. The scene where Alan Bates punctures holes in the sheep, but not to kill them, really confounded me (this was way, way long before Google search) 😎

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    1. Hi Jay! Thanks for the comment. I must be honest and say that it's been a while since I watched this film, and I don't remember the sheep incident. My memory is getting so bad! You'd think I'd remember a bizarre detail like this, but I'm afraid I don't. My most vivid memory is being dazzled by the presence of Miss Christie. I need to give this another watch. I didn't see it when it first came out. It was only a few years ago, after I'd seen the remake, which is also quite good. Thanks again!

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