A&E TESS of The D'URBERVILLES

If there is any series that I have (and will continue) to watch over and over again, it's this one. Having seen all of the adaptations made so far, I feel that the casting in this series was close to perfect, the actors' performances painfully and convincingly good, and now after my fourth viewing, I have really begun to appreciate the voice of the omniscient narrator. TWD's script and Ian Sharp's directing carefully weaved the narration in so that it made sense. I suppose my deep appreciation for the narrator stems from my love of radio dramas, which I used to listen to as a child. I loved how the landscape had so much impact on the scene: the lush green fields of the old D'urberville estates, the dairy farm, and even the bleakness of the surroundings when Tess is in despair all add a layer of depth.Justine Waddell (as Tess Durbeyfield): At first I thought Justine's portrayal of Tess may have had a lot more pluck than I remembered her to be in the book, but after many viewings I found that I was able to glimpse several layers of emotions on her face within a single shot. Her interpretation of Tess was delicately vulnerable and sometimes so believably helpless that I couldn't help but feel pain for her. I honestly felt that Justine remained true to the spirit of the character as Thomas Hardy wrote her. And I can tell how wonderful of an actress she is because I always pick up something new every time I watch her scenes. All in all, I thought she was a very real Tess, and I was surprised to find that the farther along into the film I got, the less I was able to separate her from her character. Justine didn't just "act" the part of Tess, she was Tess, and that made her plight even more unbearable to watch.Oliver Milburn (as Angel Clare): This guy has to be the epitome of cute. He doesn't look as boyish as Redymayne's Clare (which I like) and he exuded an intoxicatingly boyish charm in his gait and smile. I could definitely understand why all the girls were falling in love with him. (I did too.) What amazes me the most about Milburn isn't just his looks but the way he emotes his lines. I could sense the raw and real emotions. He was able to capture both the tenderness and bitterness of Angel's love for Tess, and soared above my expectations, as I had only seen him in one other film before this.Jason Flemyng (as Alec): Now here is an actor of such high-caliber that he actually made me sympathize for that cad of a man. Not just understand his feelings, but actually be moved to feel pity for him. Flemyng isn't the perfect Alec D'urberville looks-wise, but he played the part well, and I thought he did look quite handsome after editing that monstrosity off his upper lip. I have to give him props for emoting so well. He could be both tender and intensely vicious at the same time. Though I loved Hans Matherson's interpretation of Alec, Flemyng's acting would blow him out of the water.Tess x Angel chemistry: Milburn and Waddell had a seriously crackling onscreen chemistry onscreen, which even made me a little suspicious about their relationship off-screen. They really seemed to be truly in love.I'll end this by saying that after seeing all three adaptations, this is my favorite version of Tess of the D'urbervilles. I just wish that it could have been longer. If this was what Ian Sharp was capable of doing with a short script, imagine how much greater it would have been if he had an extra hour? But that's just a pipe dream now. Ah, well.

Shortly after reading this book for the first time, I ordered this movie and loved it. I had had rather mixed feelings towards the book while reading it (kind of a love-hate relationship), and this film actually made me like the entire story much better. I liked it so much that only a couple weeks later I ordered the 2008 version, and just finished watching it last night. Wow, what a difference! Although the 2008 one has the advantage of some higher quality filming and an extra hour of screen time (more is usually better in my mind when it comes to my literature-based time period films), I found the newer to be considerably inferior to this one! This version has a MUCH better cast all around. I don't think you can beat this actress's rendition of Tess; I knew she was good in it, but couldn't fully appreciate HOW good until I saw the other version. 1998 Tess is way more convincing than 2008 Tess. My heart goes out to her, whereas 2008 Tess actually got on my nerves. 1998 Angel is much much better as well. The difference in both roles is astounding. I even thought the smaller parts, like Tess's parents and the other milkmaids, were better done in this one. The only exception I make, is that I did think the 2008 Alec D'Urberville more like how I pictured him when I read the book; 1998 Alec does a fine job, is more subtle in his portrayal, but simply does not match so much what I thought he would look and sound like.Although there is an hour less in this film than the other, I still felt like this one is more generally accurate. I am much more tolerant of deletions from book to film (of course they can't fit everything in) than I am about alterations. There was more material in the 2008 version, but they took more liberties, which simply annoys me. This version, while it couldn't have every detail, what was there was very accurate for the most part. And it captures the story in its entirety quite well for its time constraints.If you're a Jane Austen fan (as I am), understand that this is NOT a Jane Austen story, which tend to be like fairy tales with happy endings; there are "bad guys" in her books, but they are not a real hindrance to the real heroines. This is a grittier story, not set in the posh genteel society of the gentry and nobility; lots of low people, lots of hard labor, lots of reality. And there are the "bad guys", and then those characters which tread the line between "good" and "bad". It's definitely more complex, definitely more drama, but very worthwhile if you're up to it and know what you're getting into. If it is your first experience with this story, don't expect your viewing to be a relaxing ride. There is plenty to make you furious, happy, sad...lots of strong emotions.When I first read this book, it was something of an emotional roller coaster (I'd absolutely adore one character, only to hate them intensely a few chapters later, and so on), but now that I'm more familiar with the story, I can appreciate it better. It sinks under your skin and makes you keep thinking about it. This movie leaves you like that, too. It's an excellent rendition of an excellent book.