British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Synopsis
Gemma Arterton stars as Tess, the spirited heroine of Thomas Hardy’s immortal work; Hans Matheson plays Alec, who seduces her; Eddie Redmayne is Angel, with whom she falls in love, and Jodie Whittaker plays Izzy, her best friend.

When Tess’s drunken father discovers their family can trace their ancestry back to Norman nobility, Tess’s unhappy fate is set in motion as a train of events is unleashed. Driven by family poverty, the beautiful and innocent Tess claims kinship with the wealthy D’Urbervilles and seeks a portion of their family fortune, meeting the manipulative Alec who proves to be her downfall. Trying to rebuild her life, Tess is employed as a milkmaid and meets Angel Clare. They fall in love and Angel proposes. Scared of losing him, she can’t face telling him about her past, but on their wedding night Angel confesses a previous affair, so Tess, convinced that he will now forgive her, owns up about her own relationship with Alec - with tragic consequences.

Adapted by David Nicholls and produced by David Snodin, this new BBC adaptation is an intense and provocative depiction of the tragically beautiful story. This DVD features this dramatic adaptation plus a behind the scenes, including interviews with cast and crew, and an extensive photo gallery.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Year of release
2008
Notes
Broadcast in 4 parts on BBC1 on 14/9/2008 and 5/10/2008
Subjects
English language and literature
Keywords
feature films; Hardy, Thomas; Literary adaptation

Credits

Writer
Thomas Hardy
Cast
Anna Massey 
Gemma Arterton 

Distribution Formats

Type
DVD
Format
Region 2 PAL
Price
£24.99
Availability
Sale
Duration/Size
200 minutes
Year
2008

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributor

Name

2 Entertain Video

Email
DVDenquiryline@bbc.com
Web
http://www.2entertainvideo.co.uk/ External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7612 3000
Fax
020 7612 3003
Address
BBC Worldwide
33 Foley Street
London
W1W 7TL
Notes
Specialises in distributing archival film and television titles, predominantly licensed from the BBC (the principal shareholder is BBC Worldwide). Sale on DVD through retail outlets. As of 2016 2Entertain is being gradually wound down and its output reduced. If something is not available via them it is advisable to try the BBC Store at https://store.bbc.com/
 

Available from retail outlets

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