A rural clergyman in 19th century England tells Derbyfield, a simple farmer, that he is descended from the illustrious d'Urberville family -- now extinct. Or maybe not.
Derbyfield sends his daughter Tess to check on a family named d'Uberville living in a manor house less than a day's carriage ride away.
Alec d'Urberville is delighted to meet his beautiful "cousin" and seduces her with strawberries and roses.
Actually Alec has gotten his illustrious name and coat of arms by purchasing them. Tess too takes up the game of illusion when she finds, loses and finds again her true love Angel. -- IMDb
Cast: Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin, Tony Church, Rosemary Martin, Sylvia Coleridge, Arielle Dombasle, David Markham, Pascale de Boysson, Gordon Richardson, Carolyn Pickles, Suzanna Hamilton, Caroline Embling
Cannes (Cannes Classics), Toronto (TIFF Cinematheque), London (Treasures)
Read about this film
Title: Tess (1979)
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Date of birth: 18 August 1933, Paris, France
Writing credits:
Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn, Roman Polanski, Thomas Hardy
Music by: Philippe Sarde
Country: France | United Kingdom
Language: English
Color: Color
Runtime: 190 min.