Rent Tess (1979)

Kinski Rocks - Tess review by PT

The young Kinski is absolutely superb at breathing life into Hardy's Tess.
An innocent young lady, who through no fault of her own, suffers suffering on top of suffering. Beautiful countryside caught in panoramic shots compliment the beautiful Tess, culminating in the heart breaking ending. An emotional classic.

A Pure Woman. - Tess review by Steve

Spectacular yet detailed and deeply moving version of Thomas Hardy's epic tragedy. When a much loved classic novel is made into a film, sometimes the book of our memory comes into conflict with someone else's imagination. But no complaints; Roman Polanski condenses the narrative without losing its soul.

The Wessex on screen feels right, even if shot in northern France! There is an impression of the deep history which haunts Hardy's landscape. And it's stunning from panorama to close-up; the sunrises and sunsets linger long in the memory. It won well deserved Oscars for cinematography, costumes and art direction.

At 17, Nastassja Kinski was the right age to play Tess and she brings life to this most poignant of heroines. Her beauty gives her natural presence, but this never overwhelms the character's naivety and passive virtue. Peter Firth (Angel) and Leigh Lawson (Alec) are more archetypal, but still effective in support roles.

Reading the novel feels like falling in love with the character. It's a heartbreaker of immense literary power. And Polanski transfers this magic onto the screen. The scenes are adapted with sympathy- the climax at Stonehenge is a particularly evocative. It's difficult to imagine how this could ever be improved.

A great romantic story - Tess review by Philip in Paradiso

Nastassja Kinski is Tess in this madly romantic film by R Polanski, which is faithful to the novel by Thomas Hardy and captures the atmosphere in the book, transferring it over to the screen. It is a beautiful film and N Kinski is simply so utterly beautiful herself that she dominates the narrative effortlessly. It should be said that the movie is as good as it is simply because the story is so compelling and moving, as written by T Hardy.

I would have a few reservations, however. First of all, the pace of the film is quite slow and the film is perhaps a bit too long (2 hrs 45 mins or so). But one could argue this is in keeping with the novel by T Hardy. Second, N Kinski's acting can feel a bit limited in its range at times: she tends to look cross, embarrassed and/ or pouty a lot of the time, as if this were what Tess's part and fate demand.

It is still a beautiful film that I recommend and enjoyed watching.