Recently Watched: Tess of the D'urbervilles

Previous Recently Watched: 

Death Comes to Pemberly

Emma

Produced by the BBC

Consists of four sixty minute episodes

2009

Staring Gemma Arteton, Eddie Redmayne, and, Hans Mathenson

I read Tess (review here) last month and enjoyed it. I was motivated to pick it up since I received the newest BBC mini-series adaptation for Christmas last year. I love everything the BBC puts out, and once again this BBC production was great. 

The Casting was perfect, Gemma Arteton makes such a beautiful Tess, and Eddie Redmayne was adorable as Angel. The scenery was gorgeous, and the acting was great. 

Watching the story of Tess was a different experience than reading it. Without all of the wordiness of Hardy's prose to distract from the story, the plot took center stage. I was much more infuriated with the ill-treatment that Tess receives in the mini-series than in the book because the prose was not there to soften the tragedy that befolds Tess. This story is not a happy one by any means, and what happened to Tess still happens today. This book is still bringing up the same conversations it brought up when it was first published.

The treatment that Tess receives from men in this story is shocking and repulsive; at one point in the novel she actually covers herself with dirt and cuts her eyebrows as to make men stop looking at her as she sees them all as a threat to her personal safety. I don't like anyone in this story besides Tess, and perhaps Liza Lou, and this screen adaptation really cemented just how doomed Tess was from the start. 

I recommend watching this if you have read the novel, as it might give you new thoughts on the story as it gave me, and it is a beautiful adaptation (plus, Eddie Redmanye does a couple bare butt shots. so there's that.) 

Let me know if you have any other adaptations of Tess that you have seen, or any other BBC adaptations I need to watch!