I watched "Far from the Madding Crowd" last weekend and loved it. The underlying theme is a common one of life. The protagonist - a very independent girl for 1874 - has three suitors. Two of the three really care for her and support her in life. The third - the reckless sergeant - cares for little other than himself and his red uniform and yet she falls for him. Completely to her detriment as she observes with hind sight that she has ended up doing the one thing she vowed never to do.
So why do we become so blinded by (physical) attraction that we miss the essence of the persons around us and what they really mean to us?