When “a Pastoral Romance” Becomes “a Classic Love Story”: Thomas Vinterberg and David Nicholls’ 2015 Adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd”

Abstract

The article discusses the 2015 adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s 1874 novel Far from the Madding Crowd in the context of earlier adaptations of Hardy’s texts.It focuses on the modifications introduced in the adaptation process, especially those concerning the female protagonist, Bathsheba Everdeen, aimed at making her more “modern” and balancing her independence,unusual for the 19th century, with the adaptors’ urge to make her the heroine of a romantic love story, which in Thomas Vinterberg’s film surprisingly comes to the foreground.