Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Tess of the D'Urbervilles was a completely captivating film, minute to minute. Gemma Arterton was amazing and subtley yet dramatically nuanced as Tess's life situation changed. I am a real fan of hers after this. Hans Matheson was excellently dark and forboding in his role as Alec, while Eddie Redmayne was alluring and vibrant as Tess's true love, Angel Clare.Let me give you the real impact. I showed it to my Drama classes toward the end of the school year. They were absolutely riveted. I never had such certain, regular attendance, no tardies even, because they were dying to know what would happen next. They were on the edge of their seats from the start to the end of each class. I did ease them into it in the beginning, explaining that the movie would begin slowly as the expository information about the name "D'Urberville", the nature of the countryside, and the lifestyles of the characters were revealed.One more hint about the excellence of this movie lies in the fact that over the three-day Memorial Day weekend, one of my students called me begging me to let her borrow the dvd's because she was so in need of finding out how the story turned out. I mean she sounded really desperate. The next week, she had put a photo of Eddie Redmayne in her cell phone.Aside from all that, "Tess" is a cinematic and dramatic work of art. I am so glad that I own it.

I have not seen the other movie versions, so this is a review of only this production: the acting is superb, as well as the costumes and setting. I'd read the book a few years ago but had forgotten much of ending. This visual interpretation of the book is unforgettable. I am happy to add this to my British "imports" collection of films. The plot centers around Tess, from a poor family, in a time when women had little options other then marrying rich men, to be comfortable and have a respected status. She's pushed into circumstances that spiral from one hellish event down into another, with happiness never really within her grasp, unless she keeps a dark secret. But being dishonest is not in her nature, & she loses when the illusion one man has of her is shattered when she confesses a reality, within the world of double-standards, that still exists even today. The manipulation of her mother, the ineptness of her father and the cruelty of three men and unforgiving society, shapes her life into a result from which she cannot escape, & finally she succumbs to the consequences of her actions. The never-ending powerlessness and pain in her life causes her to take drastic action to gain control, but destroys her future. There is little comfort in knowing that her family will be taken care of, for her ultimate sacrifice.

This story has so many layers, every time you watch it you will add another dimension to what you have seen...from the open symbolism of nature, fertility, youth, and innocence, to the subtle use of clothing, colors, lighting, and even the names of the characters. The obvious issues of chauvinism and societal 'standards' will have you throwing things at the screen. You'll cheer Tess when she finds her voice and tells her mother 'what for' and wonder where it went when she submits to the control of others. Even with her awful life, Tess keeps going, keeps hoping, to the very end. I haven't watched another version...this one is haunting enough. A rich story of a poor girl and a considerable social comment considering it was written in 1891. Thank you to the producers of this film.

I loved this film on so many different levels. First off the actors were amazing, especially Gemma Arterton in the lead role as Tess Durbeyfield. I am not sure why some reviewers prefer Justine Waddell's performance from 1998. The clips that I have viewed of it on YouTube show a very subdued almost wooden Tess, whereas, I loved Gemma's voice and feistiness. Perhaps that is not what Mr. Hardy had in mind for the heroine of this tragic tale, but it works beautifully in 2008. I thought the musical score by Rob Lane was incredible as well as the cinematography and the wardrobe, this in spite of a mysterious fire that destroyed most of the costumes before filming started. I will definitely purchase this DVD for my collection.

I watched them for free on Youtube at one time (probably not available now) - then when enough time had passed that I felt I really needed to see the young Gemma Arterton again I bought the series on Amazon. I liked it just as much the second time. I really feel for Tess, and I hate those who mistreated her. The one lesson I learned in this period piece is tell people how you really feel if you want to have the most positive effect on your life and theirs. I would have been much more honorable to Tess than either of the two men in her life LOL.

Gemma Arterton is fantastic, if not perfect, as Tess in this new TV Film version of Tess of the d'Urbervilles.As a male viewer (Yes, I was sucked into this film as I started to watch it with my wife) I certainly gained a greater appreciation for women. I cringed at just how awful men have treated women throughout history. I can't decide who I hated most, Alec or Angel. I think they both provide examples of how NOT to treat the women in your life.Although in many ways it's extremely depressing, I still highly recommend this film. It contains a lot of important messages about forgiveness, tolerance, and love. It was also great to see the up-and-coming actress Gemma Arterton's wonderful performance.