You lose a scarf in the woods, or you show up at the wrong church for a wedding, or you send an impetuous valentine to a near stranger and suddenly, several lives have changed. “Far From the Madding Crowd” is all about the capriciousness of fate, and the way it can drastically alter the trajectory of a young woman who thinks she knows exactly what she wants in a place that's meant to be sedate and safe. Bathsheba’s path to happiness, however, is far more circuitous. When Bathsheba tells the staff of the farm she’s recently inherited, “It is my intention to astonish you all”-in a bit of a tweak of that famous line from screenwriter David Nicholls-her conviction is clear. There’s power behind the depth of her voice that provides a fascinating contradiction with her birdlike frame, and a directness to her that’s reminiscent of a young Katharine Hepburn. After strong work in such eclectic films as “ An Education” (which earned her an Oscar nomination), “ Drive,” “ Never Let Me Go” and “ Inside Llewyn Davis,” this might just be the performance of her career.
She’ll seek someone’s advice, but she probably won’t follow it-especially when it comes to the complicated love life she never thought she wanted. Mulligan’s simply does not care what anyone thinks of her, which makes her even more exciting to watch. Christie’s Bathsheba used her girlishness and dazzling looks to assert herself in male-dominated Victorian England. Mulligan plays the part quite differently from Julie Christie, who was luminous but a bit more flirty and playful when she starred as Bathsheba in John Schlesinger’s 1967 adaptation of the novel (which was a bit of a slog at nearly three hours). Whether his film is lush or rolling in the muck, it always has a tactile quality that makes it accessible, which is also true of the performances from his (mostly) well-chosen cast.Ĭarey Mulligan is radiant as the fiercely independent Bathsheba Everdene, a literary heroine who remains so vital, she inspired author Suzanne Collins when she was choosing a last name for the courageous Katniss in the “Hunger Games” series. One of the co-founders of the stripped-down Dogme 95 aesthetic might not sound like the most logical choice to direct Thomas Hardy’s classic, sweeping romance “ Far From the Madding Crowd.”īut Thomas Vinterberg creates a rich aesthetic that combines both vibrant colors and intimate natural light.
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