January 12, 2016 -- This is the second adaptation of the Thomas Harding novel, “Far From the Madding Crowd” that I have seen, but it has been many years since I saw the 1967 film with Julie Christie, Peter Finch and Alan Bates. I think I like this new one better.

Carey Mulligan (“Suffragette”) stars as the plucky Bathsheba Everdene (the girl that Katniss Everdeen of “The Hunger Games” was named after). Bathsheba is more like a modern woman than you would expect from a character who first appeared in 1874. A handsome young sheep farmer, Gabriel Oak (played by Matthias Schoenaerts of “Rust and Bone”) struck by her beauty, proposes marriage to her, but she turns him down, saying she doesn't want to be owned by any man.

In a reversal of fortune, Gabriel loses his farm in an accident, and Bathsheba inherits an estate. She ends up hiring Gabriel, a very capable man, to run the farm. Gabriel still loves Bathsheba, but feels he cannot marry her because she is now in the upper class and his status in life is below hers.

A handsome young man, Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge of “On the Road”) comes along and sweeps Bathsheba off her feet. Gabriel warns Bathsheba not to marry him because of his immoral character, but she does anyway, and soon regrets her decision. She also has a third suitor in the wings that she also turned down, a wealthy bachelor on a neighboring estate, William Boldwood (Michael Sheen of “Midnight in Paris”).

With three men hovering around Bathsheba like drones around a queen bee, there is bound to be some tension, and eventually a gun goes off and one of the three lies dead on the ground and another ends up in prison for the deed. This is the sort of thing that can get very dark and depressing, depending on how you play it. This film plays everything on a lighter note, which is just fine, since the basic plot is a bit silly, and it takes just the tiniest nudge to push it into humor.

Bathsheba and Gabriel engage in some witty banter, and even the very serious and dignified Mr. Boldwood drops a joke in this story. These are very engaging characters, who all like and respect each other. Troy is the deadly serious character. His life is one tragedy after another, along with the love of his life, Fanny Robbin (Juno Temple of “Maleficent”). These two star-crossed lovers become a threat to Bathsheba and Gabriel.

I found this adaptation to be entertaining and compelling. I liked the fact that it took a lighter, more humorous approach to the story. The ending is very nice, too. Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts give great performances in this film. The screenplay by David Nicholls (“Great Expectations”) and the cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen (“The Hunt”) are both excellent. This film rates a B.

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