The Mayor of Casterbridge
Common sense suggests that no good can come of auctioning off your wife in  a drunken fit, but Thomas Hardy'sclassic novelThe Mayor of  Casterbridgeturns this dark story, set in rural England in the  mid-1800s, into a compelling, compulsive ride. The discarded wife (Juliet  Aubrey) returns after 19 years with her daughter (Jodhi May) in tow,  only to discover that her former husband, Michael Henchard (Ciarán Hinds)  has risen as a merchant and a politician. But though he welcomes her back  and arranges to renew their bond without public shame, Henchard's pride  and fear remain intractable; the struggle for love and happiness collides  with shame and secrets as Hardy's complex tale unfolds. While the1978  miniserieswith Alan Bates is much less abridged and gives a fuller  immersion into the novel and life at the time, the swiftness of this  two-part adaptation makes it more immediately emotionally engaging, and  the superb, compact performances by the entire cast (including Polly  Walker and James Purefoy) give this version a potent punch.--Bret  Fetzer