Tess

Tess

1979 · 172 min · EN · PG · 7.1 (395 votes)
Dir. Roman Polanski · Starring Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin, Rosemary Martin, Carolyn Pickles · Music Philippe Sarde

“She was born into a world where they called it seduction, not rape. What she did would shatter that world forever.”

DramaRomance

A strong-willed peasant girl is sent by her father to the estate of some local aristocrats to capitalize on a rumour that their families are from the same line. This fateful visit commences an epic narrative of sex, class, betrayal, and revenge.

VIBE

A devastatingly beautiful and tragic period piece. It's a slow, immersive descent into despair, marked by breathtaking cinematography and a profound sense of inevitable doom. Prepare for a deeply affecting, somber experience.

melancholictragicsomberoppressiveslow-burnperiod dramaarthousepainterly visualsnaturalisticclass struggleloss of innocencefateexploitation
▶ Stream on Criterion Channel
rapebased on novel or bookpeasantmarriageloverevengemurdermansionfamilyfarmernobilitysocial climbingaristocraticstrongstonehenge19th century