THE WOODLANDERS
UK, 1997, 95 minutes, Colour.
Emily Woof, Rufus Sewell, Carl Macaninch, Tony Haygarth, Jodhi May, Polly Walker.
Directed by Phil Agland.
Another version of a Thomas Hardy novel, beautiful to look at with its village and woodland settings. A rather brief running time compared with other adaptations, it quietly shows an isolated 19th century community, its customs but, especially, its tensions in relationships because of the changing status of wealth and education at the time. Rufus Sewell is the noble workman hero and Emily Woof the daughter of an ambitious father who makes greedy and fatal decisions for his daughter. The treatment is generally low-key. Thomas Hardy and fatalism.
1.The work of Thomas Hardy? A celebrated 19th century novelist, echoing his times? The films made from his novels?
2.The re-creation of the period, the late 19th century, the isolated town, the cider, the logs, the doctor’s house, the woods? Authentic atmosphere? Score?
3.The title, the visuals, the country and the town, the people seeing themselves as woodlanders?
4.The presentation of a particular way of life, isolated rural England?
5.A focus on relationships, love, devotion, commitment? 19th century arranged marriages, divorce? The role of the law? Experience, honour, destruction?
6.The focus on Grace, the religious significance of her name? Her being away, her relationship to her father, anticipation of her return, Giles being sent to meet her, her education, her change? People seeing that she was above them, possibly looking down on them? Giles and his devotion? Thinking that she was better? Their past love, childhood? Her father talking with her, his explanation of why he wanted her to be better educated, people laughing at him? His ignorance about the Trojan War story? His wanting her to marry above Giles? The decision about Giles? The household, Gran? People invited to the dinner, the dance, the issue of Gran, selling her skull to the doctor? The doctor, upper class, the possibility of his marrying? Grace and the deal with him to give the money back, let Granny off her commitment for her skull for science? Mr Maybury and his interest in the doctor, allowing him to court Grace, the marriage? The issue of not being married in the church, Grace’s reluctance, his agreement? The wedding, the consequences?
7.Marty and her work, the hard work, her father, Giles and her devotion to him, love and care? Her background, frustration, having to cut her hair and sell it? Her response to the doctor’s marriage? Her relationship with Grace? The funeral? Unrequited love?
8.Rufus Sewell as Giles, a woodlander, the cider, his relationship with Marty, hard work, his hopes for marrying Grace? Going to the station to meet her? In the town, their talk, reminiscences about their childhood, arriving at the dinner? The desire to marry her, his being hurt? Working, the separation, his relationship with Maybury? His sense of honour? His having to move house, Mrs Charmond and her arrogance? His not moving his logs out of the road? His being evicted, having nowhere to stay? Grace’s return, the relationship, in the woods, out in the rain, his death?
9.The doctor, his skills, upper class, discussions about the soul and science, Granny’s skull left to science? His class, the proposal, getting permission to court Grace? Disagreement about the church, final consent? The wedding? The honeymoon abroad? The return? His going to treat Mrs Charmond, the visits, the horse, staying? Cause for divorce? The return, the fall from the horse? Maybury, Giles’s illness, the doctor visiting him, Grace’s stern attitude? Giles’s death? Feeling nothing?
10.Grace, the marriage, her true feelings, the pressure from her father? Mrs Charmond, the trip, class? Not meeting the guests? Her being deserted, the divorce? Her father’s attitude? Visiting Giles again, his being in the rain, bringing the doctor? The end?
11.Mr Maybury, his memories of his past, wanting his daughter to be educated, a reverse snob, his interference?
12.Mrs Charmond and her life, going on tour, the confrontation on the road? Evicting Giles? Talk with him? The doctor?
13.Granny, her support of Grace, the issue of the skull, the dinner?
14.Life in the village, its detail, the shops and stalls, meals, the dances?
15.Thomas Hardy’s insight into human nature, the atmosphere of the 19th century, British? Society, relationships, experience, the law?
