Product Details

• Actors: Paloma Baeza, Nigel Terry, Nathaniel Parker, Jonathan Firth, Victoria Alcock
• Directors: Nicholas Renton
• Writers: Philomena McDonagh, Thomas Hardy
• Producers: Antony Root, Catriona McKenzie, Gub Neal, Hilary Bevan Jones, Rebecca Eaton
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• VHS Release Date: July 14, 1998
• Run Time: 208 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305029482
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,959 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine, authentic version of Madding Crowd, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Far From the Madding Crowd [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This latest dramatization of Far From the Madding Crowd (my favorite Thomas Hardy novel) is true to the novel's characters and to its romantic countryside mood. Nathaniel Parker as Gabriel is an example of perfect casting - expressive, gentle and stalwart; and the others are wonderful too. Paloma Baeza seems at first a bit too thoughtful to resemble impetuous Bathsheba but she really acts and looks like a 19th century woman. Jonathan Firth's dashing Troy is the picture of reckless disregard. This version, in my opinion, is MUCH better than the 1960s Julie Christie version, which resembles more a 1960s translation of Hardy than Hardy himself. (And Christie looked nothing like Hardy's dark-haired independent heroine; she was wrong, wrong.) This PBS version is very right, very authentic. A classy, romantic production; I'm glad they filmed it again.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best from Mobil Masterpiece Theatre!, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Far From the Madding Crowd [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Full of beautiful scenery and colorful characters from the lead actors to the supporting cast. I watched it three times on my local PBS station and fell in love with the movie more each time. Nathaniel Parker as the faithful and patient Gabriel Oak turned me into a fan. If you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility this is your kind of movie.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best version on film, April 23, 2003

By 

Manya "manya7" (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far From the Madding Crowd: Masterpiece Theatre [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have watched this version several times and must commend it for being more faithful to Hardy and to the spirit of the novel. The use of mostly unknown actors adds to the authenticity of the film, as does the sometimes incomprehensible dialect (that's one reason why one viewing may not do it justice).

The 1967 version with big name actors had its merits, but none of the flavor of the English countryside and its cycle of seasons. Nathaniel Parker is the ultimate Gabriel Oak: wise, trustworthy and patient to a fault. Paloma Baeze is perfect as the willful Bathsheba, Nigel Terry is excellent as an aging suitor descending into madness. Lastly, the music is a wonderful blend of English folk songs and haunting melody.

A superb effort and another reason to watch BBC TV,as if you needed one more.