Lovely scenery, and gorgeous shots. I even noticed the very positive interaction with animals since I listened to a radio programme about Hardy and animals.
Of course my faves were Bathsheba and Gabriel Oakes. And I guess the attitudes were very much of the nineteenth century, when the book was written, and Bathsheba, in spite of being such a strong character, makes a big mistake when she seeks a man who can tame her.
My one niggle was that Sargeant Troy could have been more appealing before showing his darker side.
Yes, yes, he was on the rebound, thinking he'd been dumped by his fomer fiancée, Fanny Robin, but still, but still . . .
Though, of course, Bathsheba could have been pretty overwhelmed by the kiss if she had absolutely no experience.
And in the end it's comforting to see a film based on a Hardy novel which doesn't end in bleak tragedy like Tess of the D'Urebvilles, and Jude the Obscure.
