Ever since I saw the trailer for this film back in March, I've been desperately waiting to see it - even reading the book and watching the 98 TV adaption as I couldn't wait to find out what happens. I think that makes me a little biased in my opinion, but considering how much I couldn't wait to see it, I definitely wasn't disappointed.
I really enjoyed watching this film and I already want to see it all over again. It was everything the trailer promised it would be - a beautiful and sumptuous adaption of Hardy's story, with characters you grow to care a lot about and root for, a storyline which keeps your attention and surprises you throughout and a definite feeling of satisfaction at the end. It is very well made and acted and is already a classic for me.
The film looks and feels and sounds stunning and sumptuous and epic. The long sweeping shots of the scenery is beautiful and perfectly captures the countryside Hardy described so vividly in the novel. The music is beautiful too - dramatic and haunting by turns to fit the narrative and cinematography and has a very Celtic, folklore feel to it, which fits perfectly with the feel of the film. These qualities alone makes it well worth a cinema visit as opposed to a DVD/TV watch.
Overall, the story is quite a simple one, a mixture of a love story, coming of age drama and the heroines fight to find her place in a very male dominated world. The film and the heroine Bathsheba do feel very modern and though it's set in the late 19th century, the story definitely resonates to today's society. This gives the film a lovely timeless feel to it and draws you in. Bathsheba is a very humanised heroine, independent and headstrong, clever and confident, but with weaknesses and vices and she does make a lot of understandable mistakes. Yet for all it's predictability in places, there are a lot of elements within this story that definitely take you by surprise. It's a film more about the journey and the choices and mistakes made along the way than the destination.
For a period drama, the pacing is quite fast, yet it doesn't feel rushed. Having only just read the book, I was very much aware of the changes and a lot has been cut out. Yet the different turns the story takes still make sense and it still takes time to flesh out the characters so you do care about them. This is mainly due to the acting, which I cannot fault and there is no weak link for me. The characters work very well together and the sparks fly and the chemistry sizzles in all the right places. A lot is said by the expressions, tones and actions of the actors so I never felt perplexed by their character arc (although perhaps my understanding was greater, having just read the book). Also, a lot of the details are there, but subtly shown, with a very clever use of lighting, close ups vs long sweeping shots and locations, with most of it being set outdoors in great contrast to other much more confined or intimate surroundings.
Whilst the film does cut out a lot from the book and changes some scenes, it is quite a faithful adaption and stays true to the characters and story. There are very few extra scenes and the changes make sense, and mainly there to expediate the plot. The love story and Bathsheba's character arc definitely takes prominence, but this works well within the media of film. In fact, some of the changes and omissions make it preferable to the book for me, in particular the characterisation of Bathsheba. I found some of her choices and subsequent reactions to them make much more sense here in the film.
The only criticism I can really give it is that it could have been a little longer, with perhaps a few more scenes, particularly between Bathsheba and Troy, to flesh out more of the story. A few little scenes of the workers would have been nice too, but I didn't feel this was lacking, either.
It's definitely a very beautiful and sumptuous film and one I know I'll watch time and time again. The story will surprise you and the characters certainly made me care for them. As a film, it's pretty conventional for a period drama, not really groundbreaking or different, but then I don't think it needs to be, so it's not a criticism for me.
The film does exactly what it says on the tin in a wonderful and sumptuous and breathtaking way and it's one of those films that will stick with me for a long, long time.
I really enjoyed watching this film and I already want to see it all over again. It was everything the trailer promised it would be - a beautiful and sumptuous adaption of Hardy's story, with characters you grow to care a lot about and root for, a storyline which keeps your attention and surprises you throughout and a definite feeling of satisfaction at the end. It is very well made and acted and is already a classic for me.
The film looks and feels and sounds stunning and sumptuous and epic. The long sweeping shots of the scenery is beautiful and perfectly captures the countryside Hardy described so vividly in the novel. The music is beautiful too - dramatic and haunting by turns to fit the narrative and cinematography and has a very Celtic, folklore feel to it, which fits perfectly with the feel of the film. These qualities alone makes it well worth a cinema visit as opposed to a DVD/TV watch.
Overall, the story is quite a simple one, a mixture of a love story, coming of age drama and the heroines fight to find her place in a very male dominated world. The film and the heroine Bathsheba do feel very modern and though it's set in the late 19th century, the story definitely resonates to today's society. This gives the film a lovely timeless feel to it and draws you in. Bathsheba is a very humanised heroine, independent and headstrong, clever and confident, but with weaknesses and vices and she does make a lot of understandable mistakes. Yet for all it's predictability in places, there are a lot of elements within this story that definitely take you by surprise. It's a film more about the journey and the choices and mistakes made along the way than the destination.
For a period drama, the pacing is quite fast, yet it doesn't feel rushed. Having only just read the book, I was very much aware of the changes and a lot has been cut out. Yet the different turns the story takes still make sense and it still takes time to flesh out the characters so you do care about them. This is mainly due to the acting, which I cannot fault and there is no weak link for me. The characters work very well together and the sparks fly and the chemistry sizzles in all the right places. A lot is said by the expressions, tones and actions of the actors so I never felt perplexed by their character arc (although perhaps my understanding was greater, having just read the book). Also, a lot of the details are there, but subtly shown, with a very clever use of lighting, close ups vs long sweeping shots and locations, with most of it being set outdoors in great contrast to other much more confined or intimate surroundings.
Whilst the film does cut out a lot from the book and changes some scenes, it is quite a faithful adaption and stays true to the characters and story. There are very few extra scenes and the changes make sense, and mainly there to expediate the plot. The love story and Bathsheba's character arc definitely takes prominence, but this works well within the media of film. In fact, some of the changes and omissions make it preferable to the book for me, in particular the characterisation of Bathsheba. I found some of her choices and subsequent reactions to them make much more sense here in the film.
The only criticism I can really give it is that it could have been a little longer, with perhaps a few more scenes, particularly between Bathsheba and Troy, to flesh out more of the story. A few little scenes of the workers would have been nice too, but I didn't feel this was lacking, either.
It's definitely a very beautiful and sumptuous film and one I know I'll watch time and time again. The story will surprise you and the characters certainly made me care for them. As a film, it's pretty conventional for a period drama, not really groundbreaking or different, but then I don't think it needs to be, so it's not a criticism for me.
The film does exactly what it says on the tin in a wonderful and sumptuous and breathtaking way and it's one of those films that will stick with me for a long, long time.