Tess

Tess (1979) is a French-British drama you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Roman Polanski from Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Nastassja Kinski plays the title role; Peter Firth plays Angel Clare. At nearly three hours, the film is an unhurried look at a woman undone by the men who claim to love her.

Tess is a poor farmer's daughter sent to seek help from wealthy distant relatives after her father hears a rumour of noble ancestry. The man she meets there — Alec d'Urberville — is charming and predatory, and the encounter scars her for the rest of the story. Later comes Angel, a minister's son who seems different, until Tess discovers just how small his capacity for forgiveness really is.

Polanski shot the film in the French countryside rather than England, reconstructing the look of rural Victorian Wessex with startling accuracy. The production won three Academy Awards — for cinematography, costume design, and art direction. Stream Tess (1979) online on iFILM.