Subtitling a period piece requires a "transcreation" approach. If the subtitles were purely literal, they might miss the poetic fatalism of Hardy’s work. The 2003 subtitles are successful because they don't over-simplify. When Henchard reaches his tragic end and leaves his "Will" (asking to be forgotten), the text on screen carries the stark, biblical weight of the prose. It forces the audience to sit with his isolation in a way that spoken dialogue—which can be muffled by wind or score—sometimes misses. Conclusion
If you are a fan of Thomas Hardy or Ciarán Hinds, this is considered a "must-see" period drama. However, if you require subtitles for accessibility or to navigate the thick regional accents, you may want to look for a digital streaming version Mayor Of Casterbridge The 2003 Subtitles
: If you recall any details from the review, such as it being on a specific platform, or a particular aspect of the adaptation that was commented on, that could help narrow down the search. The Mayor of Casterbridge: A Tragic Figure (2003)