When Roman Polanski begins to shoot "Tess", he has behind him a prestigious filmography scattered with works which became landmark films in their respective categories. Thus, "Repulsion" (1965) and "Le Locataire" (1976) are half realist, half fantastic gems in which he demonstrated that ambiguity was his forte. With "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) he gave us one of the top five fantastic movies of all time which beats hands down the farcical extravaganzas of "the Exorcist" (1973) while "Chinatown" (1974) represented a new peak in both his career and in the film noir. With "Tess", he was in search of a new style. Something which was to occupy him for about twenty years.
It may seem strange that he decided to adapt for the silver screen, Thomas Hardy's book because it is not his universe at all. Actually, he had planned to go uncharted waters with this plan which had been contemplated in about 1969. He planned to shot "Tess" with his then wife Sharon Tate (the movie is dedicated to her). But as she was sadly murdered by Charles Manson, he shelved it and took it back a decade later. When it was released, it was critically acclaimed and collected three Césars including Best Film. The amount? Well esthetically, it's a breath-taking film. Thanks to Ghislain Cloquet's splendid cinematography, landscapes are enhanced with luminous results. It favorably compares to the one used in Terrence Malick's admirable "Days of Heaven" (1978) which opened nearly at the same time. Could one also compliment the story and the directing? Okay, Polanski has made a faithful rendering with the main events and twists of the storytelling and he also offers a rather accurate description of the Victorian life in Britain at the end of the Nineteenth Century but something's lacking here. Some topics of the book are only skimmed over like the fate or the important mutations in society with the apparition of new machines. It would have taken a lyrical breath to relegate "Tess" to the rank of greatness. It is absent here. Malick had incorporated it in his film and thus had contributed in making his film a lyrical film poem. And Malick's directing shone. Either, contemplative, either suggestive, it rendered a vision of the lost paradise. Here Polanski's directing is derivative. One can't recognize his trademark and that is why "Tess" is an impersonal movie. This genuine director showed that he was in his element when it came to film madness or paranoia which led to ambiguity in several sparkling black diamonds mentioned above. And here, it is baffling to see him having a stab at romantic melodrama. A genre in which he partially succeeded his conversion.
The problem also lies in the cast. It is rather undistinguished. A far cry from the ones of "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown" or even" Le Locataire" which contributed to the unique aura of these crackers. Natasha Kinski is beautiful but she's rather bland. Peter Firth is better than her but that's all. The rest of the cast is well directed but none actor is a particular stand-out.
"Tess" is the outset of Polanski's downswing and in spite of its major drawbacks one could be indulgent towards it compared to some duds which followed after: the anonymous, horrible "Pirates" (1986), the uninspired "Frantic" (1988). Polanski will have to wait until "Death and the Maiden" (1994) to be on clover again and especially until "the Pianist" (2002) which will make him regain the public's favor.
It may seem strange that he decided to adapt for the silver screen, Thomas Hardy's book because it is not his universe at all. Actually, he had planned to go uncharted waters with this plan which had been contemplated in about 1969. He planned to shot "Tess" with his then wife Sharon Tate (the movie is dedicated to her). But as she was sadly murdered by Charles Manson, he shelved it and took it back a decade later. When it was released, it was critically acclaimed and collected three Césars including Best Film. The amount? Well esthetically, it's a breath-taking film. Thanks to Ghislain Cloquet's splendid cinematography, landscapes are enhanced with luminous results. It favorably compares to the one used in Terrence Malick's admirable "Days of Heaven" (1978) which opened nearly at the same time. Could one also compliment the story and the directing? Okay, Polanski has made a faithful rendering with the main events and twists of the storytelling and he also offers a rather accurate description of the Victorian life in Britain at the end of the Nineteenth Century but something's lacking here. Some topics of the book are only skimmed over like the fate or the important mutations in society with the apparition of new machines. It would have taken a lyrical breath to relegate "Tess" to the rank of greatness. It is absent here. Malick had incorporated it in his film and thus had contributed in making his film a lyrical film poem. And Malick's directing shone. Either, contemplative, either suggestive, it rendered a vision of the lost paradise. Here Polanski's directing is derivative. One can't recognize his trademark and that is why "Tess" is an impersonal movie. This genuine director showed that he was in his element when it came to film madness or paranoia which led to ambiguity in several sparkling black diamonds mentioned above. And here, it is baffling to see him having a stab at romantic melodrama. A genre in which he partially succeeded his conversion.
The problem also lies in the cast. It is rather undistinguished. A far cry from the ones of "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown" or even" Le Locataire" which contributed to the unique aura of these crackers. Natasha Kinski is beautiful but she's rather bland. Peter Firth is better than her but that's all. The rest of the cast is well directed but none actor is a particular stand-out.
"Tess" is the outset of Polanski's downswing and in spite of its major drawbacks one could be indulgent towards it compared to some duds which followed after: the anonymous, horrible "Pirates" (1986), the uninspired "Frantic" (1988). Polanski will have to wait until "Death and the Maiden" (1994) to be on clover again and especially until "the Pianist" (2002) which will make him regain the public's favor.