Tess (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Tess (Special Edition)
Movie Review: One of the most beautiful films ever, faithfully told.
Summary: 5 Stars
Every once in awhile a film comes along that it should only be spoken of in hushed tones. Roman Polanski's TESS is one of those films. To place it in context, there are moments in the film DR.ZIVAGO that are some of the most beautiful on film... they are a stark relief to the majority, which is snow covered and bleak. , Being set in lush countryside, 80% of TESS is that gorgeous, making it one of the most visually beautiful films ever made. It won Geoffrey Unsworth & Ghislain Cloquet 1981's Best Cinematography Oscar. (Unsworth died of a heart attack ½ way through production.) It also rightfully won for Art Direction and Costume Design.
Like DR.Z., this film tells the story of the downfall of a lower class girl who has neither the schooling or upbringing to fight for herself, in Hardy's unrelenting sad story (written after he had become depressed in the wake of reading Darwin, and saw the dying way of life that industrialization was bringing about).
Natassja Kinski is luminous and looks a bit like Sharon Tate, and reminiscent of young Ingrid Berman here, in look, but also very much in persona and even her voice. Now wonder it has been hard for her to follow this film. Few roles could match it, few productions have gelled this completely. Peter Firth as her misguidedly moral husband is perfectly matched with her, and they both give richly felt performances.
The musical score is soaring and melancholy, the costumes are just right, whether they be the muddy field workers or the finery of a fallen woman, and the shades of class within different farms are delineated here, too, in costumes and set, and the golden days of the happy farm to the grey skies of the sad. All elements are in perfect accord in this literary adaptation that necessarily cuts a few scenes from the novel, but keeps the story amazingly intact.
I've read the book twice. The BBC did a Miniseries of TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLE'S in the late 1990s, and while it's length maintains some of the details of the story, neither it's somnambulent leading lady nor it's visuals can compare to the wonderful performance here of Kinsky, and the constantly awe inspiring visuals, scene after breathtaking scene.
Polanski tells us that Tate had given him this book, as she had been told it would be perfect for her. He did not read it until after her death, so this film is a fully realized bittersweet chanson d'amour. A classic of cinema in every sense of the word.
Movie Review: Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented
Summary: 5 Stars
Roman Polanski's film Tess, (1979) adaptation of Thomas Hardy famous novel of the 19th century "Tess of the D'Urbervilles", won many prestigious awards, including three Oscars of six nominations and every award for Best Cinematography it was nominated for. If any film deserves recognition for its beautiful, lyrical, sensual yet melancholic and poetic visual presentation, "Tess" is it. The movie might be Roman Polanski's finest achievement, and this statement comes from a viewer who is in love with all Polanski's films starting with his debut "Knife in the Water". "Tess" is one of the best adaptations of the classic novel I've seen and it lives, breathes and moves freely. It never rushes to tell its long story but tells it with rare finesse, compassion, and love for the heroine, a gentle creature who had been insulted, humiliated, and ultimately destroyed.
The success of the movie starts with the choice of the actress for the title role. Tess as played by 20 years old Nasstassia Kisnki is beautiful, sensual, shy and full of life and hope for love. The life of Tess unfolds in front of us from her teenage years as an innocent country girl until the powerfully tragic final scene at the magnificent Stonehenge. The film is almost three hours long but I never was bored, on the contrary, I felt compassion for the girl and anger toward the men that used and corrupted her, ruined her hopes for love and happiness, and toward the society that mercifully discarded of her. Tess is one of the best movies I've seen. It is stunning, subtle, emotional, tragic, and unforgettable.
Movie Review: Note: my 5 star rating is based on theatrical release, not on DVD transfer
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't seen this movie since 1979 when it was first released, but it made quite an impact. The film was so gorgeous that some scenes are indelibly etched in my memory. Polanski is arguably one the the greatest living directors, and already had a resume of critically acclaimed work (Rosemary's Baby, Repulsion, The Tenant, Chinatown) by 1979. Tess represented a departure from his usual rather spare cinematic style and the arty psychological horror genre - it's a dreamy sumptuous feast for the eyes. The landscapes he creates are almost surreal in their beauty. And Nasstasja Kinski in the lead role is well cast - she just oozes innocent sensuality and seduces the camera. Yes, she was not even legal when filming began, and yes, she became sexually involved with the much older Polanski during filming, but lets put all that and other Polanski scandals aside for now. It was a different time - those kinds of affairs were not nearly as taboo. Remember Woody Allen's Manhattan? This movie, and we film lovers, deserve a high-quality DVD or blu-ray transfer of this masterpiece. C. Porter's 2004 review of the poor SE DVD transfer has made me decide not to purchase it. The reviewer also laments that we will probably not get a better transfer for another 10 years, which means we have another 4 years to wait. I have done a thorough web search and there is no mention at all about a new release. How sad!Movie Review: Another Polanski's jewel!
Summary: 5 Stars
Few years after the painful personal tragedy of this gifted director, he decided to materialize this sad love story with a wonderful photography, an unforgettable soundtrack, an astonishing cast and a slow paced but perfectly articulated script.
As all we know the everlasting prejudices and moral conventions do not belong to a specific country, religious beliefs, or citizenship. These rules remain in the unconscious collective, if you just want an supported evidence, go for Effie Briest in Germany and Madame Bovary in France.
These portraits are not more than the final result of a consequence of the inability to get the true culmination inside the individual sphere of the triumph of love between the couple, this failure has its more important testimony in the King Artur's legend and this seems a remarkable point because this is simply the most important myth of the Western World.
This film meant to the endless beauty Natasha Kinski to be known.
Admirable and highly recommended artwork.
Movie Review: Fatal Beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is about a young women who is used by her very poor family with delusions of grander to basicly gives then sells herself to a rich man and then marries a man who is in love with the idea of being in
love with her. By doing this she suffers and suffers. So why watch a film like this? Inorder to appreciate what we love more and realize that there are still people in this world like tess we can help if we chose to.