Tess
1979
****
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin, Rosemary Martin, Carolyn Pickles, Richard Pearson, David Markham, Pascale de Boysson, Suzanna Hamilton
In late 19th century Wessex, a poor young peasant woman named Tess Durbeyfield discovers that she is descended from nobility. Her father sends her to meet the wealthy d'Urberville family, which ends up having tragic consequences to her life. Roman Polanski's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a captivating old-fashioned historical drama. It tells a moving story of love, fate, social expectations, and the oppression of women in Victorian England. The film doesn't need to be almost three hours long, but it is visually stunning. Nastassja Kinski is surprisingly impressive in the demanding lead role.
