Based on Thomas Hardy's novel, this version is a bit long with beautiful cinematography and locale, but doesn't quite pull together. Not one of Schlesinger's very best. Julie Christie is beautiful, Terence Stamp is dashing, Alan Bates is reliable, and Peter Finch is overwrought. The script was too disjointed for the sweep of this piece.
A 6 out of 10 for a good effort, but I can believe it flopped. Schlesinger made better films with Midnight Cowboy, Darling, A Kind of Loving, and Billy Liar, but this beats Marathon Man and Honky Tonk Freeway. The casting was impeccable. Best performance = Terence Stamp. A nice try, but fails to hit the mark.
A 6 out of 10 for a good effort, but I can believe it flopped. Schlesinger made better films with Midnight Cowboy, Darling, A Kind of Loving, and Billy Liar, but this beats Marathon Man and Honky Tonk Freeway. The casting was impeccable. Best performance = Terence Stamp. A nice try, but fails to hit the mark.