The barn scene in one that will haunt my dreams from this day forth! Watch it! You won't be disappointed.įifty years ago my teachers strongly recommended to read the 'Mayor of Casterbridge' by Thomas Hardy for a study of English. As for James Purefoy.? What can I say? He delivered a performance above even what I expected.

Definitely not 'light' entertainment, this is one to be watched when you are willing to give yourself over to the story, not to watch out of the corner of your eye while catching up on your e-mail. I do not often get emotional when watching a film, but this was certainly an exception. The impression that the pain this man is feeling is real, is at times so strong that I must confess to the occasional tear.

At times you loathe him, in the next scene he will break your heart. Michael Henchard is a very complex character, delivered masterfully by Ciaran Hinds. What I got instead was a heart-breaking tale, powerfully delivered by an all-round excellent cast. I expected to spend a couple of hours 'enjoying the scenery' as it were, but not much more. Ok, I admit that although I like period dramas, and enjoy Thomas Hardy's novels, the sole reason I rented this film was James Purefoy. Overall, this is a fantastic adaptation and version of a fine book. Jodhi May also convinces in Elizabeth-Jane's despair. Of the solid support cast, Juliet Aubrey's sympathetic Susan and James Purefoy's startling Farfrae stood out in particular. Ciaran Hinds, whether you dislike or feel pity for Henchard, which is numerous times on both counts, is nevertheless the complete embodiment of this complex role, much like Alan Bates before him. The music is both beautiful and haunting and never overbearing, the story held my attention for the whole duration and was very moving and the writing is literate and thoughtful, sticking faithfully to the basic spirit of the prose. What also stuck out was the atmosphere, perfectly capturing the story's bleakness but also managing to be genuinely authentic. The costumes and settings are evocative and stunning to look at and the photography is very skillful. And this is a fantastic version of it, not quite as good as the 1978 series but just as great. The Mayor of Casterbridge does show Hardy fully deserving of this reputation, the story is bleak but beautiful and fascinating also. Since then he has struck me as a truly wonderful author, I find his characters complex and his writing highly thoughtful and atmospheric. I haven't been familiar with Thomas Hardy's work for long, in fact my first exposure was Jude the Obscure for GCSEs only four years ago.

The mayor of casterbridge book review