Watching Far From the Madding Crowd...

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

..frankly I'd have said yes to Gabriel Oak when he bought over a lamb in the first 5 minutes. There'd be no film.

Which version?

Kerri Muligan version on bcc2

Although yes Alan Bates and his sideburns would also get my vote

Absolutely.

How far into it are you? G-Oak is just a proper capable man the whole way through.

Oak is a proper bloke.

Nearly finished

Who in the whole wide world would take Troy over Oak? That's what I don't get about this version. More understandable with Terence Stamp in the frame.

I know. Mind you I hate Angel Clare, Oak is in a different league. My mum raised me on Thomas Hardy adaptations from the 1970's, I had a very strange childhood.

I live in Hardy Country, we were going to audition as extras in that film if we hadn't been away for the weekend . Angel Clare is loathsome. Gabriel Oak is my favourite Hardy hero by a long way.

Carey Mulligan is fantastic in that adaption.

Plays Bathsheba as very strong and independent sympathetically. It’s a difficult part to play without the audience getting pissed off that anyone would choose knobhead Troy over Oak, and also accidentally mess about Boltwood.

Yes, agree, she is very sympathetic in that role, not easy to pull off. Though this might be down to that scene in the claret leather riding habit....

I watched it and enjoyed it so much- it may well be the highlight of my Christmas this year!

I had a less than relaxing time watching this since my DH decided to query all of the plot points and some of the production decisions but even he noted that surely most women’s corsets would spontaneously combust at the lamb and Gabriel. ( He normally heads off at the possibility of costume dramas )

My introduction to Hardy was The Mayor of Casterbridge for English A level - it took a while for my Hardy appreciation to recover from that.

Yes, she sure couldn't see the wood/Oak for the trees there could she.

My introduction to Hardy was The Mayor of Casterbridge for English A level - it took a while for my Hardy appreciation to recover from that.
I studied "Far from the Madding Crowd" for O Level - I know what you mean!

Absolutely love that film. Luckily, I already live slap bang in the middle of Hardy country, otherwise I'd have have to have moved here.

Gabriel is a man of few words though, isn't he? Maybe Troy had the gift of the gab.

**..frankly I'd have said yes to Gabriel Oak when he bought over a lamb in the first 5 minutes. There'd be no film.

This

I studied Far From the Madding Crowd as well - have never read any others. Perhaps I should give him another chance??

Platypuspie luckily DH had gone to bed and I was supposed to be following after wrapping a couple of presents. Took me the length of the film to finish this.

Love DH dearly but a little quiet time with this brilliant film was lovely.

I wonder what's on tonight?

Wish I’d rewatched it...was watching the poo on the other side

Sorry but it’s the Julie Christie/Terence Stamp version all the way for me. I adore it. Who would I have chosen? Hmm.. actually as a younger woman I might well have fallen for Troy as he was exciting, and a player, and charismatic - it’s no accident I’ve got two marriages behind me as I’ve never been good at picking men 😂

Are you me Platypus? of course Oak over Troy. But that’s my mature head over my youthful one!

The book is better than the Mulligan version but I remember being really taken with the Paloma Baeza version on ITV in the 90s.

I can't remember who played Oak but he was certainly a looker

ANGEL CLARE IS AN ARSE

Angel Clare was young, naive, idealistic, immature and a product of the times. He realised his mistake but too late.