Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)

Directed by John Schlesinger. Starring Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Alan Bates, Peter Finch, Fiona Walker, Alison Leggatt, Prunella Ransome, Julian Somers, Paul Dawkins, Freddie Jones.

Long and uneven adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Victorian novel of life in rural England, particularly in how it relates to strong-willed farm owner Bathsheba Everdene (Christie), independently-minded yet fancied by three different suitors: shepherd Bates, neighboring farmer Finch, and cavalry officer Stamp. Emerging from the British New Wave/kitchen sink drama crowd, director Schlesinger doesn’t seem entirely comfortable with the period style, which lacks immersive authenticity in his hands, and he leaves it to his cast and his director of photography (Nicolas Roeg) to generate interest when the storytelling fails him. Roeg’s work is, of course, exceptional, and the supporting players make the most of their “spotlight” moments—Bates and his sheep, Stamp and his sword, etc. However, Christie is a lightweight here, so she only fares well in the tender and frivolous scenes, while the heavier moments cause her to wilt and pout. Beautiful minor-key music by Richard Rodney Bennett.

57/100