Allan Watched "Tess"
This is an entry from the Allan Watches Movies: Best Picture Project, where Allan will rewatch nominated movies from each year and choose who actually should have won. Tess (1980) had six Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture.
Grueling at times and deliberate almost to a fault, Tess is a well-acted and beautifully shot tragedy that is the slowest of burns.
Gut Feeling Review
It is hard to believe what I just finished was the edited version of Tess. The three hours dedicated to the tragic tale of Tess Durbeyfield, based on the book Tess of d’Urbervilles, is a slowly winding story of a tortured young woman with perhaps the worst luck and destiny of any main character you will ever see. Nastassjai Kinski gives a delicate, if not one-dimensional, performance in the title role, and is elevated by the strong acting from the players around her, from large role to small.
My biggest criticism of Tess is how long it takes to get from one plot point to the next, with very little action in between large chunks of constant destress we see from Tess. The final 30 minutes rush by and is greater than the sum of the rest of the movie’s parts. Unquestionably beautiful, the long breathtaking shots that let you be consumed by Victorian era Southwest England are the final credits of the great Geoffrey Unsworth (cinematographer for 2001: A Space Odyssey, Cabaret, and almost 100 other films) who passed away during the filming of Tess.
Roman Polanski, who at this point was a runaway from America for his conviction of having sex with a minor, leaves nothing more wanted in his direction, and perhaps needing less than he delivered. There is no chaos, but a lot of static as you try and finish what amounts to a very depressing three hours.
Random Thoughts
I could not shake how annoyingly different Kinski’s accent was from everyone else in the film. The accent definitely changes scene to scene. It was a bother.
Watching such a depressing movie during a global pandemic was maybe not the best idea, but it certainly was a nice reminder that things could be a million times worse.
I find Angel to be the least redeeming “hero” I have seen, maybe ever. He’s a wimp and gutless and I was hoping he would never come back.
A Priest being a beekeeper made me laugh, and I’m not sure why.
Along with Best Cinematography, Tess won Best Art design, and Costume design, which warrant no complaints from me.
The 1980s had too many epics and I’m destined to watch at least 10 more as I tackle the decade’s Best picture nominees.
If you take out all of the walking, this movie is easily 30 minutes shorter.
The best acted scenes all involved Angel, even if he is the worst.
There’s a writer/translator on this film named John Brownjohn, and it really stuck with me. How do you name your kid John when you have that last name???
“I came to tell you that I killed him,” was delivered so poorly that I actually laughed. I don’t think that was the intended reaction.
Quick Hits
How many times have I seen this movie?
First time!
Where was I watching it?
In my office and while making dinner and back in my office. This movie was super long.
Favorite trivia about the movie
Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the Manson family while pregnant with her and Polanski’s child, told him to make this movie in the last conversation they ever had.
Favorite part
The scene where Angel and Tess reveal their respective secrets is the best scene in the film.
Least favorite part
“I came to tell you that I killed him.”
Would I recommend this movie?
Eh, no. Unless you really just need to kill 3 hours while in quarantine.
So What Does Allan Give It?
One Thumbs Up. Overall, a score of 60. Well made, but a constant march of misery without enough redeeming moments to warrant the praise it received. There aren’t many gifs of this movie, so here’s Tess begrudgingly eating a strawberry.
