Dennis Potter's powerful adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel. Alan Bates plays Michael Henchard, the rich and respectable man who auctions his wife and child at a West Country fair. Twenty years later, and now Mayor, his past comes back to haunt him. This adaptation was screened in over 30 countries.
"The Mayor Of Casterbridge" -
DavidLeanFan on 7th July 2009
Dennis Potter's brilliant adaptation of the Hardy Classic remains true to the fatalism and description in the book.
Alan Bates (Far From the Madding Crowd) stars a... more >
Dennis Potter's brilliant adaptation of the Hardy Classic remains true to the fatalism and description in the book.
Alan Bates (Far From the Madding Crowd) stars alongside Anna Massey as Michael Henchyard. The man who drunkenly sells his wife at a fair, and becomes the Mayor of Casterbridge. The undulating Dorset hills, ever bleak and unyielding, provide the perfect backdrop to the stark and nostalgic story.
Frustrating misunderstandings taint the possibly happy ending to the tidal wave of history and finally cost Henchyard and his ill fated wife their lives.
Filmed on location in Dorset, and with a suitably traditional yet nostalgic musical score, the film successfully captures the essence of Hardy's story and remains heartbreakingly cruel and frustrating to the last.
Bates performance as Henchyard is almost perfect, capturing his every idiosyncrasy, most notably cruelty and regret.
Both the drama of the film and story are remembered and honoured today. The prop of Henchyards headstone stands in the garden of a pub near Corfe Castle, Dorset
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