Tess
“She was born into a world where they called it seduction, not rape. What she did would shatter that world forever.”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2025-01-23
Top Cast
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Nastassja Kinski
Tess Durbeyfield
Peter Firth
Angel Clare
Leigh Lawson
Alec d'Urberville
John Collin
John Durbeyfield
Rosemary Martin
Mrs. Durbeyfield
Carolyn Pickles
Marian
Richard Pearson
Vicar of Marlott
David Markham
Reverend Mr. Clare
Pascale de Boysson
Mrs. Clare
Suzanna Hamilton
Izz Huett
Caroline Embling
Retty
Tony Church
Parson Tringham
Lesley Dunlop
Girl in Henhouse
Sylvia Coleridge
Mrs. d'Urberville
Fred Bryant
Dairyman Crick
Dicken Ashworth
Farmer Groby
Patsy Rowlands
Landlady
John Barrett
Old Dairy Hand
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 12, 1980
Wide Cinema Exhibition
December 26, 2005
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$12M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$20.1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.68x
+$8.1M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Roman Polanski
- Screenplay & Story
- Roman Polanski, Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn
- Original Score
- Philippe Sarde
- Original Title
- Tess
- Country of Origin
- France, United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 52m
- Production Budget
- $12M
- Worldwide Gross
- $20.1M
- Production Studios
- Renn Productions, Timothy Burrill Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski, Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn, Thomas Hardy
Philippe Sarde
Geoffrey Unsworth, Ghislain Cloquet
Alastair McIntyre, Tom Priestley
Claude Berri, Pierre Grunstein
Department Leadership Roster
Claude Berri
Producer
Roman Polanski
Director
Roman Polanski
Screenplay
Gérard Brach
Screenplay
Philippe Sarde
Original Music Composer
Anthony Powell
Costume Design
John Brownjohn
Screenplay
Pierre Guffroy
Production Design
Geoffrey Unsworth
Director of Photography
Ghislain Cloquet
Director of Photography
Alastair McIntyre
Editor
Tom Priestley
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Tess.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Tess.
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European Cinema
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***Retro***
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
vison of mind
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/vison-of-mind
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tess
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Tess about?
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.
Who directed Tess?
Tess was directed by Roman Polanski.
Who stars in Tess?
The principal cast of Tess includes Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin, Rosemary Martin.
When was Tess released and how long is it?
Tess was released in 1979 with a total runtime of 2h 52m.
What was the box office and production budget of Tess?
Tess had a reported production budget of $12M and grossed $20.1M at the worldwide box office (1.68 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Tess?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Tess was composed by Philippe Sarde.
Is Tess based on a book or true story?
Tess is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Thomas Hardy".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Tess?
Tess holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).