Tess
Original movie poster for Tess
Directed by	Roman Polanski
Produced by	Claude Berri
Written by	Gerard Brach John Brownjohn Roman Polanski (screenplay) Based on the novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Starring	Nastassja Kinski Peter Firth Leigh Lawson
Music by	Philippe Sarde
Cinematography	Ghislain Cloquet Geoffrey Unsworth
Editing by	Alastair McIntyre Tom Priestly
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	December 12, 1980 March 1, 1981
Running time	190 min.
Country	United Kingdom/ France
Language	English
Budget	$25,000,000
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Tess is a 1979 English language romantic drama film directed by Roman Polanski, an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It tells the story of a strong-willed 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 screenplay is by Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn, and Roman Polanski. Image File history File links Tess_ver1. ... Roman PolaÅ„ski (born August 18, 1933) is an Academy Award-winning film director, writer, actor, and producer. ... Claude Berri (born July 1, 1934) is a French film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. ... Gérard Brach (b. ... Tess of the dUrbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. ... “Thomas Hardy” redirects here. ... Nastassja Kinski (born Nastassja Aglaia Nakszynski, January 24, 1961) is a prolific German actress, having appeared in more than 60 movies. ... Peter Firth Peter Firth (born October 27, 1953 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK) is a British actor, well known for a variety of starring roles in film and on television from the 1970s to the 2000s. ... Leigh Lawson (born 21 July 1945 in Atherston, Warwickshire, England) is a film and stage actor. ... Philippe Sarde (21 June 1945~present) is a French composer. ... Geoffrey Unsworth (1914-1978) was a British cinematographer who enjoyed a long and varied career in the British film industry, working on nearly 90 feature films spanning more than 40 years. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // Events March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. ... While most films have some aspect of romance between characters (at least as a subplot,) a romance film can be loosely defined as any film in which the central plot (the premise of the story) revolves around the romantic involvement of the storys protagonists. ... Roman PolaÅ„ski (born August 18, 1933) is an Academy Award-winning film director, writer, actor, and producer. ... “Thomas Hardy” redirects here. ... Tess of the dUrbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. ... Gérard Brach (b. ...

Plot summary

The story takes place in rural Dorsetshire, England, during the Victorian period. Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dɔ.sət], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ...

Its events are set in motion innocently enough when a clergyman, Parson Tringham, has a conversation with a simple farmer, John Durbeyfield. Tringham is a local historian; in the course of his research, he has discovered that the "Durbeyfields" are actually descended from the d'Urbervilles, a noble family whose lineage extends to the time of William the Conqueror. It is useless knowledge, really, as the family lost its land and prestige when the male heirs died out. The parson merely thinks Durbeyfield might like to know his origins as a passing historical curiosity. see also Holy Orders The following terms have traditional meanings for the Anglican Church, and possibly beyond: A churchman is in principle a member of a church congregation, in practice someone in holy orders. ... William I of England (c. ... Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-06-08, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ...

Unfortunately, Durbeyfield immediately becomes fixated upon the idea of regaining his lost nobility, and using it to somehow better his family's fortunes. To this end, he sends his daughter Tess to seek employment with a family named d'Urberville living in a nearby manor house. 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. Alec falls in love with Tess, eventually seduces/rapes her, and she leaves, pregnant; back at home, the baby is born sickly and dies. Look up Fixation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... Ightham Mote For the London district, see Manor House, London. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

Some time later, Tess goes to a dairy farm and begins work as a milkmaid. There she meets her true love: an aspiring young missionary from a respectable family, named Angel Clare. Angel believes Tess to be an unspoiled country girl, and completely innocent. They fall in love, but Tess does not guiltily confess her previous relationship with Alec until their wedding night. Disillusioned, Angel rejects her and Tess finds herself alone once again. Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or more properly, an animal husbandry enterprise, raising female cattle, goats, or other lactating animals for long-term production of milk, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy for processing and eventual retail sale. ... A milkmaid is historically a woman, usually young, who milked cows and supplied milk. ... Two Mormon missionaries A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone who proselytizes. ...

Deserted by her husband, Tess meets Alec d'Urberville again. At first, she angrily rebuffs his advances. But after her father's death, the Durbeyfield family falls upon desperately hard times, facing starvation, eviction and homelessness. Tess is forced to resume her torrid relationship with Alec, becoming his mistress in order to support her mother and siblings. This article is about extreme malnutrition. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A homeless person in Paris. ... An affair may refer to a form of nonmonogamy, to infidelity or to adultery. ... Mistress is the feminine form of the word master. ...

Shortly afterward Angel Clare returns from travelling abroad. A disastrous missionary tour in Brazil has ruined his health; humbled, and having had plenty of time to think, he is remorseful at his treatment of Tess. He succeeds in tracking her down -- but leaves heartbroken when he finds her cohabiting with Alec. Tess realizes that a second time, allowing Alec to manipulate and seduce her has ruined her chances at happiness with Angel. She suffers a mental breakdown and murders Alec in a rage. Two Mormon missionaries A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone who proselytizes. ... This article is about a living arrangement. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Running away to find Angel, Tess is able to reconcile with him; for he can finally accept and embrace her as his wife without passing moral judgment on her actions. They consummate their marriage, spending one night of happiness together before Tess is arrested, tried, and executed.

Production

Polański made the film because the last time he saw his wife Sharon Tate alive (before she was murdered by Charles Manson's gang), she had given him a copy of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and said it would make a great film. The dedication at the opening of the film reads simply: "For Sharon". Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was a Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) was the leader of what came to be known as the Manson Family, a commune that is often termed a cult and that began to form around him in the U.S. city of San Francisco in 1967. ...

Although the film is set in England, it was filmed in Quimper, Brittany, France. This is because Polanski was wanted for statutory rape charges in the United States, and he could have been extradited from the United Kingdom. Quimper (Kemper in Breton, Corspotium in Latin) is a commune of Brittany in northwestern France. ... Historical province of Brittany, showing the main areas with their name in Breton language The traditional flag of Brittany (the Gwenn-ha-du), formerly a Breton nationalist symbol but today used as a general civic flag in the region. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Extradition is the official process by which one nation or state requests and obtains from another nation or state the surrender of a suspected or convicted criminal. ...

In October 1978, cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth died of a heart attack during the third week of shooting. Most of the scenes he shot were exteriors in the first half of the film and can be distinguished by their use of fog and slight diffusion.^{[citation needed]} Ghislain Cloquet shot the second half and the remaining of the film with most of the scenes in interiors with no diffusion. Rumor has that among the scenes shot by Geoffrey Unsworth before his death were the foggy day for night seduction in the woods, the tent and the strawberries where Tess is in the d'Uberville mansion, the large cows being milked, the girls seeing Angel at sunrise, and Angel carrying the girls over the stream.^{[citation needed]} Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Geoffrey Unsworth (1914-1978) was a British cinematographer who enjoyed a long and varied career in the British film industry, working on nearly 90 feature films spanning more than 40 years. ... Day-for-night is a term used for describing when film crews shoot scenes scripted for night but shot during the day. ...

Music

DVD cover for Tess

The original musical score was composed by Philippe Sarde. The melody that Angel Clare, a Victorian period Englishman, plays on the recorder is in fact a popular Polish folk song, "Laura i Filon". Image File history File links Tess_film. ... Image File history File links Tess_film. ... Philippe Sarde (21 June 1945~present) is a French composer. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes — whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the...

Main cast

Nastassja Kinski (born Nastassja Aglaia Nakszynski, January 24, 1961) is a prolific German actress, having appeared in more than 60 movies. ... Peter Firth Peter Firth (born October 27, 1953 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK) is a British actor, well known for a variety of starring roles in film and on television from the 1970s to the 2000s. ... Leigh Lawson (born 21 July 1945 in Atherston, Warwickshire, England) is a film and stage actor. ... John Francis Collin (April 30, 1802 - September 16, 1889) was a U.S. Representative from New York. ... Rosemary Martin is a British actress, equally well remembered for her sitcom roles (Mrs. ... Carolyn Pickles (born February 8, 1952 in Wakefield) is an English actress who has appeared on the West End and on British TV, most recently in Emmerdale as Shelley Williams. ... Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Lyons Otway Pearson CB (1831–30 May 1890) was Assistant Commissioner (Executive) of the London Metropolitan Police. ... David Markham (1913-1983) was a respected English stage actor for over forty years. ... Suzanna Hamilton is a British actress born in 1960 in London. ... Tony Church (b. ... Sylvia Coleridge (born 10 December 1909 in Darjeeling, India, died 31 May 1986 in London, England) was an actress who made numerous appearances on television. ...

Marketing

Taglines used to advertise the film include: A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. ...

• "She was born into a world where they called it seduction, not rape. What she did would shatter that world forever."
• "She was a poor man's daughter, an aristocrat's mistress, and a gentleman's wife. She was Tess, a victim of her own provocative beauty."

Ratings

The film is rated PG in the United Kingdom for brief sexuality and thematic elements.

Reception

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

• Golden Globe Awards
  • Best Foreign Film
  • New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture

• Golden Globe Award nominations
  • Best Director - Motion Picture
  • Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

• César Awards
  • Best Picture
  • Best Director
  • Best Cinematography

• César Award nominations
  • Best Actress (Nastassja Kinski)
  • Best Production Design
  • Best Music Written for a Film

Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. ... The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ... This Academy Award was first given for movies made in 1948 when separate awards were given for black-and-white and color movies. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... The Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ... // The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Awards, awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which are voted on by others within the industry. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony. ... Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture has been awarded annually since 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. ... The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. ... The César Award is the national film award of France first given out in 1975. ... The César Award for best picture winners: 1976 : Le vieux fusil directed by Robert Enrico 1977 : (Monsieur Klein) directed by Joseph Losey 1978 : Providence directed by Alain Resnais 1979 : Other Peoples Money (Largent des autres) directed by Christian de Chalonge 1980 : Tess (Tess) directed by Roman Polanski... Winners of the César Award in French film for best director: 1976 : Bertrand Tavernier  : (Que la fête commence) 1977 : Joseph Losey  : () 1978 : Alain Resnais  : (Providence) 1979 : Christian de Chalonge  : (LArgent des autres) 1980 : Roman Polanski  : (Tess) 1981 : François Truffaut  : (Le Dernier métro) 1982 : Jean-Jacques... The following are the winners of the annual César Award for Best Cinematography 1976 : Sven Nykvist (Black Moon) 1977 : Bruno Nuytten (La Meilleure Façon de marcher and Barocco) 1978 : Raoul Coutard (Le Crabe-tambour) 1979 : Bernard Zitzermann (Molière) 1980 : Ghislain Cloquet (Tess) 1981 : Nestor Almendros (Le Dernier... Winners of the César Award in French film for best actress: 1976 : Romy Schneider - (LImportant cest daimer) 1977 : Annie Girardot - () 1978 : Simone Signoret - (La Vie devant soi) 1979 : Romy Schneider - (Une histoire simple) 1980 : Miou-Miou - (La Dérobade) 1981 : Catherine Deneuve - (Le Dernier Métro... Nastassja Kinski (born Nastassja Aglaia Nakszynski, January 24, 1961) is a prolific German actress, having appeared in more than 60 movies. ... The winners of the César Award for best Production Design are: 1976: Pierre Guffroy: Que la fête commence 1977: Alexandre Trauner: Monsieur Klein 1978: Jacques Saulnier: Providence 1979: Guy-Claude François: Molière 1980: Alexandre Trauner: Don Giovanni 1981: Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko: The Last Metro 1982... Winners of the César Award for Best Music written for film (before 2000 it was called the César Award for Best Music) : 2007  : -M- - Ne le dis à personne 2006  : Alexandre Desplat - De battre mon cÅ“ur sest arrêté 2005  : Bruno Coulais - Les Choristes 2004  : Benoît...

External links

• Tess at the Internet Movie Database
• Tess at All Movie Guide
• Tess at Rotten Tomatoes