Tess of the d'Urbervilles
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Movie Reviews of Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Movie Review: Dark, poignant, tragic...An absolutely breathtaking adaptation!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first read Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, I was amazed that a nineteenth century male writer would write about a "fallen woman" in such a touching, sympathetic light. In fact, publishers refused to release the novel at first because of its blatant contempt to the unfairness of women like the heroine in the story. Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one dark novel and I wondered how the A&E miniseries would be like. This is one of the most wonderful and touching adaptations I have seen! The film, like the novel, is quite dark and poignant and I was in tears at the end. Tess Durbeyfield is an innocent sixteen-year-old struggling to survive with her impoverished family. When they discover that they are the poor relations of a wealthy family, the D'Urbervilles, Tess is sent away to work for them. There she meets the handsome scoundrel Alec D'Urberville, who, under false pretenses, seduces the naive young woman. (Well, some may call it seduction, but I call it rape.) She refuses to carry on as his mistress, so she goes back to her family, but her struggles have just begun. She has Alec's baby, but the infant dies. Starting over, Tess moves to a farm, where she meets Angel Clare, an attractive and respectable son of a clergyman. They fall in love and get married, but he soon abandons her after she confesses her "sin." There Tess's struggles for survival truly begin and she is forced to make some ill-fated decisions that lead to tragedy.
Justine Wardell (Wives and Daughters, Mansfield Park) delivers a powerful and poignant performance and brings this strong, albeit tragic heroine to life in more ways than one. She transmits so many emotions that I was truly moved to the core. I couldn't have pictured a better actress for this role. Jason Flemyng is also wonderful as the villainous Alec D'Urberville. His performance is quite in-depth and credible. No cardboard villain resides in this actor! In fact, his love for Tess seems sincere, offering marriage and to care for her once she tells him everything she's been through. Alec does some vile things, but I feel that he is sincere in his way. Angel, on the other hand, is truly hateful. He is for the most part responsible for everything that happens to Tess after they are married. His unwillingness to start a life with Tess because she is "damaged goods" is difficult to stomach. Kudos to Oliver Milburn for his wonderful acting. The adaptation is amazing. Thomas Hardy did a wonderful job in showing a more compassionate side of a fallen woman. That is why I have always been amazed that a nineteenth century man had written such a novel. The screenwriter, Ted Whitehead, has kept Hardy's vision alive with this vivid adaptation. Everything here is wonderful -- the acting, the script, the direction, the scenery, the wardrobe, the backdrop of how things were like for women during the late Victorian era, etc. The A&E has once again outdone themselves with this excellent production. Are you in the bargain for a powerful period piece? Do not hesitate to give Tess of the D'Urbervilles a whirl. If you do decide to watch this, keep a box of Kleenex nearby. You will need it!
Movie Review: "And there I met a man named Alec...Alec D'Urberville..."
Summary: 5 Stars
I became obsessed with this movie during my senior year of high school - we watched it in English class, which took an entire week. We never read the book for that class, but I read it soon after, and I believe this adaptation is mostly faithful.
!!SPOILERS!!
Tess is my favorite Hardy novel next to The Return of the Native. Justine Waddell's performance is excellent, as she truly embodied "innocence" transformed into a suicidal, cold woman, no longer caring about her future because of the men who betrayed and ruined her.
I hated Alec, naturally, but I hated Angel even more in some ways. What a hypocrite, telling Tess that he couldn't love her, didn't want to see her anymore because he was only in love with her purity, and she wasn't really pure. Never mind that the rape wasn't her fault - "You were more sinned against" he admitted, though he still wouldn't accept her.
And I definitely considered it rape, not consensual sex/seduction (Tess admitting that she had some "feelings" for Alec didn't make it consensual). Makes me sick, especially since he wasn't pure either. The wretched double standard rears its ugly head yet again. Anyway, I'm inclined to believe that Angel would have rejected her even if it had been a totally brutal rape with no feelings/attraction involved. She was damaged goods in Angel's eyes, and it's tragic that this sort of thing still goes on today.
I always enjoy the atmosphere at the end of the movie...the colors, the mood. Tess seems a bit psychotic, complete with the glazed eyes, wandering around in her nightgown repeating, "It's too late." And a bit later, having changed into a gorgeous dark blue dress, she walks quickly through a quiet, wealthy town by the sea - Sandbourne. With sounds of seagulls, so tranquil despite the characters' turmoil.
By the final scene, I hate Angel more than ever. He could have prevented so much if he'd loved her completely, as a husband should. She had no other choice but allow Alec to take over the role of supportive husband, to deliver her family from poverty.
And so it appears that there are two villains to this story. One appeared too early in Tess' life - the other, too late.
Movie Review: A Jewel
Summary: 5 Stars
There was some terrific acting in this mini series, specifically from Justine Waddell, Jason Flyming and Oliver MIlburn. This film has a dark ending, but the production itself is not. There are many light moments to overcome the tragedy that is unfolding. Tess is a traveller on a road towards her inevitable fate, a fate that seems typical of Thomas Hardy. Much like Antigone in the play, once the clock is wound and events are set in motion, the outcome becomes unavoidable. Justine Waddell as Tess is beautiful as a sixteen year old and even more so four years later, but when she is forced to do hard labor to earn a living, she has the mannerisms, the walk and the talk of a laborer who is worn down by the grind. As the charming Angel, Oliver Milburn is pleasant and then downright disgusting in his betrayal of Tess. The actor did a great job as the loving courter and then the creep that rejected her. Then he came back after he decided he could forgive her. Even though it was kind of cute, I was thinking: What a jerk. He's forgiving her after all she went through! Even in the end when he was trying to finally be the loving husband that he should have been to begin with, I couldn't forgive him. I felt that it was only the now twisted mind of Tess that allowed her to forgive him. And there was Jason Flemying as Alec, the D'eurberville that wasn't. He loved Tess in his own way, she declared. Well he did. This guy went above and beyond the call of duty to love and care for Tess, but she would not love him. Yes, he did rape her, and he never knew the consequences until it was too late. For Tess, much that people did to right their wrongs was 'too late'. I did not find this DVD to be depressing. It was vintage Hardy and very well done. Also, I did not see this as a romance at all. This was a tragedy to be played out. I was also impressed by the work scenes, in the fowl farm and later in part 2 on the farm where Tess was working. Very depressing working conditions that demonstrated how far the lady had fallen. Tess of the D'eubervilles was excellent.Movie Review: Tess Of The Beauty And Sorrows
Summary: 5 Stars
I fell in love with this version of Thomas Hardy's classic novel, and it benefits from British locations and filming at the actual Stonehedge.
A&E's movie was truer to the book than Roman Polanski's otherwise excellent and recommendable version, including the situation that sends Tess to the Stoke-D'Urbervilles in the first place. And Oliver Milburn's portrayal of Angel Clare seems to fit the character in the book better than Peter Firth's performance. I have to say that Jason Flemying and Leigh Lawson each did an outstanding job as the rakish Alec D'Urberville, the lazy, dissolute man who takes advantage of the innocent Tess. Justine Waddell makes a strong yet sensitive Tess, who refuses to marry a man that she does not love for the sake of reputation and financial security. The tragedies that befall her are blamed on her by the hypocritical, sexually repressed society that corrupted and used her in the first place. The agony that she feels over Angel's double-standards toward her past shows us how much things have changed in our society (although not in some countries) and the sexist and chauvinistic attitudes that still plague people today. All and all, a beautiful and fantastically told story, worth watching and comparing to Polanski's 1980 version starring Nastassja Kinski. Enjoy, but don't forget your Kleenex!!!!
Movie Review: One of the best and most touching stories
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of Tess of the d'Urbervilles is one of the best stories I've read, the movie is excellent, one of the best I've seen and is you are a Justine Waddell fan you'll love it even more. As another reviewer suggested the other two movies like Women in White, and Wives and daughters are brilliant as well.
I must say this is one of my favourites becuase there is so much to the story, it goes up and down, and you may even be surprised at the end but I think that just makes it all the better..
If you love this story and seen the movie yet haven't read the book then I'd recommend to read it, it fills in the little things. And if you have read the book and haven't seen the movie then you should get it because again the movie just brings the whole thing to life! After seeing the movie only, the story of Tess never quite left me, though after reading the book I've gotten so much more, her story means alot to me and reading about the personalities in the book the way the author described them was so interesting almost making me identify with her in so many ways.
If I could give it ten stars I would!