IMDb > Tess (1979)
Tess
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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   4,553 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 22% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Roman Polanski
Writers:
Gérard Brach (screenplay) &
Roman Polanski (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Tess on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 December 1980 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
As timely today as the day it was written. more
Plot:
A young strong-willed peasant girl, becomes the affection of two men, in the end tragically falling into the arms of one. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Filmmaker Roman Polanski's arrest to spark extradition fight
 (From Filmicafe. 27 September 2009, 12:43 PM, PDT)

Sarkozy Gives Nod To Late French Filmmaker Berri
 (From WENN. 12 January 2009, 11:12 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Why dont they make them like this anymore? more (53 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
190 min | Argentina:150 min | France:170 min | 172 min (DVD) | West Germany:134 min (re-issue version)
Country:
France | UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Set in England but filmed in France, as director Roman Polanski was wanted on sex-related charges in the United States and could have been extradited from England. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: At the beginning of the final sequence, set at Stonehenge, someone's head can be seen at bottom-left. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Clive James Meets Roman Polanski (1984) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
16 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Why dont they make them like this anymore?, 17 July 2001
Author: Adampreston from Cornwall

I saw Tess as a teenager and the images and emotions have lingered with me ever since. I remembered Natasia Kinski as Tess being tempted with a strawberry by her cad of a cousin, the subtlety of showing a murder by just having the tiniest spot of blood appear on the ceiling below, the powerful poetry of the final scene at Stonehenge... I have just watched the film again and it was even better than I remembered. I will go to my grave being in love with Kinski in this role! I had forgotten also what a perfect performance Peter Firth gives as Angel Clair, and the apparent authenticity of life in rural Victorian England. Perhaps what is most extraordinary is the leisurely pace at which the story is told. Shots linger on the countryside after characters have said their lines and moved off. many sequences exist entirely to build up to a single glance or gesture. Altogether Tess is a superb lesson in story telling and one of the truly great movies of all

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more (53 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tess (1979)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
runtime? fenque
sex scene? ownerbluesky
Some resemblance of Nastassja Kinski to Ingrid Bergman ajimenezp
was she on drugs when Angel came to meet her at the end? jimseville
In my opinion... bornwriter17
New release: How's the transfer? shart265
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