Studied Far From The Madding Crowd for my English Literature exam fifty three years ago. Our enlightened teacher took the class to see the 1967 film starring Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Peter Finch, Alan Bates. To me, the earlier film will always be the best and is worthy of five stars. Okay, I admit I was a 15 year old with a crush on the beautiful Julie Christie, but I've loved the novels of Thomas Hardy ever since - so it wasn't all hormonal. Enjoyed this later version too but the 1967 film is, in my opinion, an impossible act to follow.