Tess (Special Edition)
by Roman Polanski
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Brigid Erin Bates, Jeanne Biras, John Collin, Nastassja Kinski, Tony ChurchDirector: Roman Polanski
Brand: N/A
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Published), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Subtitles For Dubbed)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 190 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-28
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Product features:
- Includes over 70 minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes.
- * Featurette: Tess, From Novel to Screen
- * Featurette: Filming Tess
- * Featurette: Tess, The Experience
- * English with subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Movie Reviews of Tess (Special Edition)
Movie Review: "Beauty has its price..."
Summary: 5 Stars
Indeed, beauty does have its price. One of them it seems is obscurity, for why else should this consummate jewel of a film rest so unacknowledged in the pantheon of great epics? It wasn't a financial flop at the time of its original release, as it grossed close to $100 million at the US box office; nor was it critically denied as the recipient of three academy awards, plus an Oscar nomination for best picture. Still very few people today evoke or even recall the majesty of Polanski's work here. It's a shame. One I hope will be partially rectified with this DVD's release.
"TESS" is one of the most stunning, memorable and emotional epics ever shot. It's a film that picks you up and carries you away to a pre-feminist era where even the most hardened sexual traditionalist will find themselves burning bras and advocating Steinem, Friedan, Walker and De Beauvoir.
This movie should be required viewing for any girl reaching the age of twelve. Not only will it teach them how to resist the lure of trading upon their youth and beauty as a means of advancement in life. It drives home the difficulties of regaining one's independence once such qualities have been exploited.
Wonderful work abounds in this production but it is Polanski's sober direction, Kinski's achingly earnest performance and Geoffrey Unsworth's and Ghislain Cloquet's extraordinary cinematography that carry the day.
"Once victim always victim, that's the law." - is the heartbreaking line Tess delivers to the evil Alec as he attempts to regain her favor amidst her own personal tragedies. The upper hand, briefly, is hers as he sneers his response with a mouth full of blood after being struck sharply by her heavy farm worker's glove. If no man will defend her honor then damn it she'll do it herself. You go girl!!!
P.S. While the film is first rate, this DVD transfer is not. Tess aficionados will notice that several edits have been made to the film, the most shocking being when Tess is picked up by Alec in his gig for transport to Trantridge. In the original film as Tess is being driven away her younger sister asks her mother "Is that the gentleman who's going to marry our Tess?" Whereupon the mother replies "God willing my girl, that's the one." On this DVD version, silence.
Also the music over the ending credits has been altered! Instead of the dramatic resurgence of Tess' tragic theme that had my heart in my throat as a teenager, I was aghast to hear a downbeat replaying of one of the soundtrack's minor themes, thoroughly robbing the film of its powerful Stonehenge set crescendo!
I love this movie so much that I am still giving it five stars but is this the best Columbia could do for one of its classics? Shabby treatment indeed for what merited a milestone! One can only hope that somehow Criterion will get their hands on the rights and give this work of genius the debut it deserves!
Summary of Tess (Special Edition)
The daughter of a simple farmer is sent to determine if her family is related to a rich land owning family.Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 7-NOV-2006
Media Type: DVD
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