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Editorial Review:
[Non-U.S. format (PAL) region 2 U.K. DVD - This will not play on many U.S./Canada DVD players (or those from most other countries outside of Europe). You would need a "multi-region" or "region-free" PAL compatible DVD player or computer.] SYNOPSIS: Nicholas Renton's Far From The Madding Crowd [1998] is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel of the same name. It is a rollicking tale of love, betrayal and the triumph of goodness, blended together to create an extremely entertaining film.

Far from the Madding Crowd [Region 2] Reviews:
Earthy & Rustic
2009-06-24 - The 1967 version of Far From The Madding Crowd will always be my favorite, but this 1998 Masterpiece Theatre two-parter is a very compelling presentation in its own right. Beautifully photographed, capturing the rustic glory of the Dorset countryside and a very earthy portrayal of the novel's characters, I am very surprised that it has never been released on region 1 DVD. Surely there is enough acclaim and fans of this film to issue it in North America, especially now that John Schlesinger's epic of Thomas Hardy's novel was recently released in region 1 and it received a vast restoration of sound and scope compared to the region 2 print.

I must give particular praise to Natasha Little's portrayal of the sweet and wronged Fanny Robin, cast aside by Jonathan Firth's rakish Sergant Troy for Paloma Baeza's Bathsheba Everdene. You really feel for Fanny when she has been tricked into going to the wrong church on the morning that she and Troy were to be married. The scenes of the girl's hardships while she is with child makes me wonder if that was some foreshadowing for Hardy's later creation of Tess Durbeyfield. Baeza does a respectable turn as Bathsheba, and although she is very pretty I don't think she captured the striking beauty that Hardy's herione is described as possessing. Still, she played the role well and she established wonderful chemistry with Nathaniel Parker's Gabriel Oak. Parker is excellent, capturing Oak's essence, but for some reason I found him too old for the part (although Alan Bates was surely around the same age when he portrayed the character, but then, Julie Christie was older than Baeza when she portrayed Bathsheba). Nigel Terry as Boldwood more than matches Peter Finch's portrayal, while I don't find Firth as handsome as Terence Stamp, I feel Firth captured a bit more of Troy's rakishness and showed more dimension in the part. What I find frustrating about both film adaptations of FFTMC is that we never get to see Bathsheba and Oak kiss.
You know all along that Gabriel is the right man for Bathsheba, so you expect some kind of payoff (them getting married notwithstanding), but I guess it may be better to imagine rather than to be shown.

One thing I definately missed in this Masterpiece Theatre presentation is the wonderfully fitting music score that so defined the 1967 movie. Not that the score for the 1998 FFTMC is not good, I just felt it was lacking something. Oh well. Either way this is still a memorable version of Hardy's novel and very much deserving of proper DVD distribution. Please release it in region 1 DVD format!

Why isn't this in DVD for region 1????
2009-06-03 - I thought this movie was wonderful. The tension and twists and turns made it unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable. The only down side to me enjoying it more is that it cannot be found in DVD for region 1!!!!!

Good Part One, Bad Part Two, Overlong
2009-01-16 - I watched this version of Far from the Madding Crowd in two segments. Part One was fairly well scripted. Any changes (such as Fanny deliberately running away from Frank) were minor and made sense. Even better, the relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel was developed. However, well before the first tape was finished, I was waiting for it to end. The makers seemed to feel obligated to keep in every single incident in the book. In a novel, this isn't a problem, for you can just set down a book and come back to it when you're ready. With a movie, this is much harder. Filmmakers MUST realize they can make cuts in and shape a script!

Part Two was much worse. Without fixing the length problem of Part One, it almost seemed as if they fired the intelligent scriptwriter and hired one who didn't know what they were doing. Bathsheba appears to love Gabriel, not Frank, so why does she choose Frank over Gabriel after Gabriel has made a declaration of love? Why couldn't have Fanny just died on the spot when Frank finds her again and she confesses why she left him? What was the point of keeping her alive any longer? Not to mention having Frank yell at Bathsheba for no reason... The point, it seemed, was to have a sensational coffin scene with Fanny and a naked baby - and Bathsheba, as no proper Victorian woman would have done, asks Frank outright if he is the father. (The 1967 Far from the Madding Crowd gave Fanny a blue baby that looked like it was made out of papier-mache in the coffin scene - WHY must there always be sensationalism added to these old stories?) Also, in the novel, Frank never talks about firing Gabriel. He did in an original draft of the novel, but if Thomas Hardy could omit that, why couldn't the filmmakers?

Also, what on earth was the point of adding in all kinds of crude content in this version? This adaptation has two servants in suggestive positions in the barn, Frank attempts to seduce Bathsheba before their marriage, and the couple is later shown naked in bed (though their privates are covered). Such added content is appropriate in a story like Tess of the D'Urbervilles or Jude the Obscure, but why on earth should it be included in Far from the Madding Crowd? The '60s version was much more appropriate.

Finally, although the acting was good in this version (Mr. Boldwood behaved much more like a madman, and Gabriel is in it much more), I missed the charisma and star power of the actors in the 1967 film. Plus, Bathsheba, although fairly attractive, wasn't nearly beautiful enough. So this production was overlong, unengaging, had unnecessary bedroom content, and a confusing and convoluted second half. Stick with the '60s version. It has its faults, major and minor, but it's a much more enjoyable watch.

Still Waiting!!!!!!
2008-08-16 - Far From the Madding Crowd: Masterpiece Theatre Still waiting for a DVD version that can be viewed here in the U.S. Will it ever come to pass? I think there is a big fan base here who would love to have this on DVD. PLEASE!!!!!

Make a DVD for USA viewers please!!
2007-05-19 - I have this on VHS, but no longer have a working VHS player. Please put this on DVD for USA region, as this is an excellent verion.