needs his quiet strength and unselfish devotion, Bathsheba persuades Gabriel to remain in Weatherbury, and they marry. Cast Production The film keeps close to the book. The budget was $3 million, 80% of which was provided by MGM, 20% by Anglo-Amalgamated. The film was shot largely on location in Dorset and Wiltshire. Release The film premiered on 16 October 1967 at the Odeon Marble Arch attended by Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Reception The film is memorable for the subtly erotic scene between Sgt Troy and Bathsheba in which he flaunts his expert skills as a swordsman in a private fencing display in a prehistoric earthwork (actually Maiden Castle). Roger Ebert found the scenes of the rural area and rural life to be "splendid". His strongest criticism is that the film missed the point of the small society of rural life: Thomas Hardy's novel told of a 19th century rural England in which class distinctions and unyielding social codes surrounded his characters. They were far from the madding crowd whether they liked it or not, and got tangled in each other's problems because there was nowhere else to turn. It's not simply that Bathsheba (Julie Christie) was courted by the three men in her life, but that she was courted by ALL three men in her life. The film performed well at the box office in the UK but was a commercial failure in the U.S. Far from the Madding Crowd received mixed to positive reviews from critics; the film holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 28 reviews. Awards Won National Board of Review Award for Best Film National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (Peter Finch) Nominated Academy Award for Best Original Score Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Alan Bates) Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress (Prunella Ransome) BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design References in popular culture Books Going Loco by Lynne Truss, 1999, See also BFI Top 100 British films References Further reading Tibbetts, John C., and James M. Welsh, eds. The Encyclopedia of Novels Into Film (2nd ed. 2005) pp 136–127. External links See screenshots and read more about the film at The Alan Bates Archive. 1967 films 1960s historical romance films 1967 romantic drama films British romantic drama films Films about