Tess

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Leaburn O Whilst Kinski is always essential viewing, the trouble isn’t the acting which is excellent, it’s just the turgid script that makes this a real Steve to get through. It is interminably tragic and slow paced. I’ve never read the book but this show has confirmed to me that I really don’t want to as a lot of the so called classics are just plain dull. Watched on DVD. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/15/25 Full Review Robert W I was shocked to see this movie get an 81% rating. We found it tedious, the plot, ridiculous, and judging from what I've read about the book it veered away from the original Hardy version. I was sorry to have had to pay to rent it. We only finished it because we paid for it. We loved the Mayor of Casterbridge And watched this with the same expectation. The heroine's shy withdrawn personality, made her uninteresting and unsympathetic. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/09/24 Full Review Frances H Although the cinematography is excellent, Kinski's acting is far from being emotive. Watch the Masterpiece Theater version. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/24 Full Review Alec B This could easily have become a repetitive series of depressing events (which it almost does), but Polanski finds interesting themes among the misery and visual beauty in almost every scene (I think this film is tied with "Days of Heaven" for best use of the Golden Hour). Nastassja Kinski's performance has just the right blend of naivety and mystery for this role. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review Kyle E Tess had a lot going for it, a wonderful book and a director that was responsible for masterpieces like Chinatown, Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. Tess didn't quite live up to the promising potential it did have and I don't consider it one of Polanski's masterpieces. However it is a commendable film and adaptation(even if I do prefer the 2008 BBC series) and better on re-watch than when I saw it a couple of years back and didn't care at all for it. The film is overlong, and while the pace is purposeful considering the book's complexity there are times where it does get a bit too languid. On the other hand, visually it is stunning with evocative scenery and photography. The music is also resolutely haunting, the scripting thought-provoking and literate and the story having its necessary pathos as well as being devastating and powerful in equal measure. The denouncement with Stonehenge as the backdrop is just stunning. The characters are not as complex as in the book or the series but are still interesting and emphatic. Nastassja Kinski does have moments where she is a little flat, but on the whole it is a very moving performance. Peter Firth is suitably subtle as Angel Clare and Leigh Lawson's menacing Alec comes close to stealing the film. Polanski's direction is exemplary. All in all, has much to admire but falls flat of being a truly outstanding movie. 7/10 Bethany Cox Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/22 Full Review dave s Based on the Thomas Hardy novel Tess of the d'Uberville's, Roman Polanski's adaptation proves to be unlike anything Polanski has ever tackled, an ambitious period piece set in late 19th century England, filled with complex themes and characters. Nastassja Kinski plays Tess, a young working-class girl with subtle aspirations of a better life, aspirations that ultimately lead to betrayal, deception and murder. Tess is Polanski's most visually stunning and artistic film, featuring beautiful cinematography, subtle performances, remarkable period details, and a languid pace that will mesmerize attentive viewers. On the down side, while Kinski is luminous to look at in the lead role, her bizarre attempt at a British accent can be distracting at times and the music score often feels like it overwhelms the phenomenal visuals. Despite this, Tess is a masterpiece that makes its faults easy to overlook. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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