Movies - Tess

	Movies - Tess

Tess is a 1979 romance and drama film based on the novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and directed by Roman Polański. It tells the story of a young peasant woman who is seduced by her wealthy aristocratic cousin, whose right to the family title may not be as strong as he claims. The film was adapted by Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn, and Roman Polanski.

Plot summary

In the Victorian period, a rural clergyman in England tells Durbeyfield, a simple farmer, that he is descended from the illustrious d'Urberville family, now extinct; or maybe not. Dureyfield sends his daughter Tess to check on a family named d'Urberville living in a manor house less than a day's carriage ride away. Alec d'Urberville is delighted to meet his beautiful cousin, and he seduces her with strawberries and roses. But Alec is no relation to Tess; he has gotten his illustrious name and coat of arms by purchasing them. Tess is soon pregnant but the baby dies and Alec forsakes her. Tess too takes up the game of illusion when she finds, loses, and finds again her true love Angel Clare. Leading her on a life of wandering, murder, and execution. Tess murders Alec to run away with Angel but is later executed.

Main cast

Nastassja Kinski
- Tess Durbeyfield
Peter Firth
- Angel Clare
Leigh Lawson
- Alec d'Urberville
John Collin - Mr. d'Urberville
Rosemary Martin
- Mrs. d'Urberville
Carolyn Pickles - Miriam

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards
*Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
*Best Cinematography
*Best Costume Design

Academy Award nominations
*Best Director
*Best Music, Original Score
*Best Picture

Trivia

When Roman Polański last saw his wife Sharon Tate
alive (before she was murdered by Charles Manson's gang), she had given her husband a copy of the book Tess of the d'Urbervilles, convinced that Polański would someday make a great film based on it. The dedication at the film's beginning reads simply: "For Sharon".
Although the film is set in England, it was filmed in France. This is because director Roman Polański was wanted for statutory rape charges in the United States, and he could have been extradited from the United Kingdom.
The melody that Angel Clare, a Victorian period Englishman, plays on the recorder is a popular Polish folk song, "Laura i Filon".

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Movies - Tess

Plot summary

Main cast

Awards and nominations

Trivia

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