Madding Crowd: A textbook 'brood'
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Nathaniel Parker
celluloidcity — 22 years ago(January 05, 2004 03:45 PM)
Just want to say Mr Parker as Gabriel Oak in Far From the Madding Crowd was utterley fantastic. Dark, broody and mysterious but always pining for Bethsheba, this guys knows how to act!
I felt such sympathy for his character, and it is a true testament to this guy, that with almost no lines (or closeups for that matter) that he appeared so passionately hooked under her spell.
His shepard was beautifully bearded, and so kind to the sheep!!! Kudos to Mr Parker. Great actor. -
unlikelyheroine — 20 years ago(July 11, 2005 11:20 AM)
I was an extra on "Far From the Madding Crowd", which filmed back in the summer of 1997. I can tell you that all the female extras were of a flutter when they saw Nathaniel Parker - he is incredibly handsome (much better looking in real life than on TV) and dashing and charming!
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joyjjoslyn — 20 years ago(September 11, 2005 02:28 PM)
Hi, Elisa. I'm an animal lover, too, with one very fine catthe last in a long line of special friends who has enriched my life.
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I'm moving right now and don't have much time to chat.
I had to laugh a couple of posts back when the lucky person who was an extra on FFMC said Nat was much better looking in person. Really now, I don't think the human heart could stand that, do you?
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celluloidcity — 20 years ago(September 11, 2005 06:11 PM)
Being up and close to that man? Wow, I'm jealous! Actually its interesting, cause Jonathon Firth's character is supposed to be so charismatic, and the kind of guy that turns Bathsheba's head with his dashing bravado. But Nathaniel as Gabriel Oh My God Hold me back. Its not just that he's a total dark brooding spunk, its the quality of his character. He's so gentle and patient with Bathsheba, even when you want to strangle her cause she's so flightly. That bit when he firsts asks her, "when i look up there you will be" So romantic. I'm an Aussie, and I think the countryside is just beautfiul. Would love to visit.
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joyjjoslyn — 20 years ago(September 11, 2005 09:33 PM)
The first time I watched it, I thought the look on her face at theb68 end meant she was sorry she married him. Then the second time I watched, it seemed she may just have seemed older and more mature.you know, doing the right thing instead of being flighty. Can't say for sure, though. Do you think she maybe married him because it was the right thing to do for the farm and all the people working on it? But surely that wasn't the only reason, because all the way through she kept asking his advice about everything and getting mad when he would tell her the truth, etc. She seemed absolutely attached to him from the very beginning. That last look was enigmatic, for sure.
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amysweeps — 12 years ago(October 01, 2013 05:28 PM)
I always thought that's what she was thinking, too (that she was unhappy to be with the best man on the planet). 5b4 I just watched the movie again for the hundredth time today, though, and she looks SO happy right before THE LOOK. She's holding Gabriel's waist, leaning into him and smiling from ear to ear. So I'll prefer to think that that look is just her reflecting on all the mistakes she made getting to the point of marrying Oak. Troy is Dead. Boldwood is jailed. She's got to be thinking, "I should've just married you in the first place, and I could've avoided so much heartache and tragedy."
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celluloidcity — 20 years ago(September 12, 2005 04:03 AM)
What a picture! Those eyes aaahhh drowning in own drool
Yep, I know what you mean about Bathshebas look. But perhaps i might go out on a limb here and say that the actress who played her did not give a very convincing performance. I never really understood why, for being such a supposedly smart and forthright girl, does she play so many games with Gabriel and Oakwood. Her face is never completely readable, like you understand her motives. I thought Nathaniel played very well opposite her but she didn't give much back. If you compare her to Julie Christie, well, there you go. But, I guess the look could come down to the fact, as you mentioned elisajones4 that maybe she regrets not marrying him sooner, and all the pain that she put herself and him through? That's kinda what i thought. That she realised "What an idiot I've been, and mainly how much time I've wasted when this man was in front of me all the time!"
Well, if only all of us had a Gabriel longing after us. sigh lol. -
unlikelyheroine — 20 years ago(October 14, 2005 12:21 PM)
Hi, I was the poster who posted about being an extra on Far From the Madding Crowd (back in those days I had long hair and looked peasant-y
) I filmed about four or five days I think on FFTMC in various scenes, mostly in the workhouse and at the summer carnival. Jonathan Firth was a bit rude to the extras, I can tell you (he was talking to one of the female actresses in one of the trailers. A group of us extras were outside chatting and he got up and5b4 grumpily slammed the window of the trailer shut and glared at us!), but at one point Nathaniel Parker smiled at a group of us workhouse girls as he was striding past in his outfit & boots (looking dashing) and all the women around me were nearly swooning! Most of them didn't know who he was but were charmed by him anyway! Someone recognised him from a role on TV and said who he was - I will have a look through his credits here to see if I can remember which one it was that he was known for at the time
In real life he has a very definite presence!
EDITED: Ah, I think it was "A Village Affair" that people knew him from, this was repeated a couple of times on ITV.