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Far From The Madding Crowd [VHS] [1967]
 
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Far From The Madding Crowd [VHS] [1967]

VHS ~ Julie Christie
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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4 new from £11.99 16 used from £1.70 2 collectible from £3.29

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
John Schlesinger's solid adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel sees three rival suitors vying for the affections of the beautiful Bathsheba Everdene (Julie Christie decked out in a variety of bonnets and frilly dresses), who has just inherited a farm. The men in her life are stout, whiskered yeoman Gabriel Oak (Alan Bates), an impoverished local farmer; neurotic, repressed squire William Boldwood (Peter Finch); and handsome rascal Sgt Troy (Terrence Stamp), who dresses as if he's Flashman and breaks women's hearts for a hobby.

Thanks to cameraman Nic Roeg and production designer Richard MacDonald (who also worked for Joseph Losey), 19th-century Dorset looks as pretty and as picturesque as a John Constable reproduction on top of a biscuit tin. Not that Schlesinger or screenwriter Frederic Raphael underplay the duress of rural life. We see the hardship of the farm workers' lives as the seasons turn. The film opens with a spectacular sequence in which Gabriel Oak's dog drives his flock of sheep over a cliff, thereby forcing him into penury. Whether hunger or heartbreak, every character here suffers. Bathsheba (like the model Christie plays in Darling) is a free-spirit in a society in which women's rights are severely restricted. --Geoffrey Macnab

Synopsis
Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy which tells of an English heiress courted by three men. She marries the wrong man who proceeds to gamble most of her fortune away.

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Far From The Madding Crowd [VHS] [1967]
42% buy the item featured on this page:
Far From The Madding Crowd [VHS] [1967] 3.4 out of 5 stars (16)
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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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95 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars I would give this 5 stars but for one small problem........., 23 Nov 2004
This review is from: Far From The Madding Crowd [DVD] [1967] (DVD)
Okay, all the good news first: yes, this IS the John Schlesinger-directed version of Thomas Hardy's classic novel, finally getting the long-overdue DVD release it so richly deserves. Everything about this film smacks of class. I cannot fault the perfomances; Julie Christie is gorgeous as always, and Peter Finch, Terence Stamp & Alan Bates will always make the ladies swoon. The production values are all first-class as well with stunning recreation of time and place. The music by Richard Rodney Bennett expertly teases our emotions in all the rights places, and Schlesinger's vivid direction should have won an Oscar.

Now the bad news (VERY BAD): the DVD transfer and presentation is an absolute travesty, up there with Zulu Dawn & the British releases of El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire as the worst to date. Nicolas Roeg's beautiful 2.35:1 Panavision photography (one of the main reasons I bought this) has been severely cropped to 1.78:1 after the opening credits (the back cover of course does not mention this fact, merely stating incorrectly that its "2.35:1 Widescreen"), and there is a lot of print damage that at times makes certain scenes distracting to watch. We are also treated to a tinny-sounding mono soundtrack that does the film no justice whatsoever. There are no extras, which begs the questions where are the documentaries and commentaries etc (Stamp & Christie are still around)?? Your guess is as good as mine.

I hope that the-powers-that-be see fit to re-release this film properly, nicely restored with at least one or two extras, and in its correct Panavision ratio all the way through! Until then, I recommend saving your money and waiting for it to either (a) get a fine re-release or (b) show up on TV instead.

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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Incorrect Aspect Ratio, 7 Oct 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Far From The Madding Crowd [DVD] [1967] (DVD)
This poor rating is for the disc, not the movie. The original aspect ratio of this film is 2.35. The title sequences, beginning and end, are in the correct 2.35. However, the movie itself, for some peculiar reason, is approx. 1.85. One of the reasons to view this brilliant film is for Nicolas Roeg's beautiful camera work. Also, the source print was not the best. There are also some noticable compression artifacts in a couple of places. Avoid until they release it properly.
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77 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Schlesinger must be turning in his grave!, 20 Oct 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Far From The Madding Crowd [DVD] [1967] (DVD)
At last! the long awaited DVD of John Schlesinger's 1967 cinematic masterpiece of Thomas Hardy's FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD. But don't throw your hats up too soon, discerning DVD buffs should avoid this dreadful quality package at all costs. I'm grudgingly prepared to accept the sad absence of ANY extras - even a trailer, but I have to say that this new release insults both it's valuable customers and the film itself, with extremely poor sound and the worst quality transfer I've seen in a long time. And it gets worse - Richard Rodney Bennett's towering emotional score is seriously depleted by a measly MONO soundtrack, and Nick Roeg's beautiful 2.35:1 Panavision photography is horrifyingly blown up to 16:9 full-screen aspect ratio immediately after the opening titles! This invalidates the sleeve-note claim to be the 2.35:1 version, and continues to rob the world from seeing the film on DVD in all it's widescreen glory. It also proves to be the short version, coming in at just under two hours, probably the TV cut, and certainly not the magnificent 3-hour plus version which I believe is available in widescreen on VHS in the US. In stark contrast, the other great Hardy film - Polanski's simultaneously released "TESS" comes in a fantastic value 2-disc restored special edition, packed with delicious extras, so this sub-standard MADDING CROWD fare is all the more difficult to take. John Schlesinger's masterpiece was photographed in Super-70mm Widescreen Panavision by Nicolas Roeg, one of the greatest cinematographers of our time, and performed by a rare ensemble of legendary players from Frederic Raphael's sumptuous screenplay. So will the studio please believe that this is the version we yearn to see again - and nothing less! Perhaps the highly respected US film restorers CRITERION will come to the rescue, and do for MADDING CROWD what they did for the US special edition DVD of Schlesinger's other great masterpiece BILLY LIAR (not to be confused with the lack lustre UK release). Ironically, even this mean offering can't stop the greatness of Hardy and Schlesinger from shining through, but until the arrival of a superior package - quality enthusiasts should leave this version on the shelf.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The real version at last
This new release of Far From The Madding crowd is superb.
Original wide screen with Overture & intermission music.
Good sound & picture quality.
Published 4 months ago by C. Harding

4.0 out of 5 stars Well acted and faithful to the text
One of Thomas Hardy's best-loved novels is sensitively and accurately dramatised in this 1967 classic. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Irish Reader

2.0 out of 5 stars Far From The Madding High Quality We're Used To...
It bemuses me to read some of the opinions expressed on here from those who are willing (inexplixably) to ignore or overlook the poor transfer of this fim onto VHS and DVD... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Stargazer

5.0 out of 5 stars Forty years on ...
The last thing I want to get into is a discussion of the technical elements of film-making here. For the time being, this is the DVD we have, even if the transfer could be better... Read more
Published 22 months ago by cybertwerp

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautful, evocative filmaking..
A beautifully crafted film from a period before cinema's descent into multi-platform merchandising, brand based promotion, demographic manipulation and ruthless commercial... Read more
Published 23 months ago by A. M. Fletcher

1.0 out of 5 stars Nearly 40 Years Ago So What
The reviewer who is indifferent to the picture and sound quality on this DVD is somewhat misguided. Studios that have worked on films like Spartacus, Ben Hur, My Fair Lady have... Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2006 by P. M. D. Schueler

5.0 out of 5 stars Techno Bores
Ignore the techno bores above, with their slide rules and measuring tapes prating on about 2.35:1 formats etc. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2006 by Mr. G. Cooke

2.0 out of 5 stars disappointing video version followed by disappointing DVD
I was eagerly looking forward to receiving this video of my favourite film of all time - having worn out my own recording from tv. But how disappointing! Read more
Published on 21 May 2006 by Mim55

3.0 out of 5 stars Three stars for DVD Five for the film
I agree with all other reviewers of this DVD, but must write something positive so nobody misses seeing it!
OK,the film switches from widescreen after the credits. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2005 by Mr. R. Jordan

4.0 out of 5 stars Niggling criticisms of the DVD
I love this film - it has been one of my favourites ever since I saw it in 70mm shortly after its release.

However I have a couple of issues with the DVD. Read more

Published on 14 Oct 2004 by BDR

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