Tess (1979)

Academy Awards, USA 1981

Won Oscar	Best Cinematography Geoffrey Unsworth Ghislain Cloquet Posthumously.
	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Pierre Guffroy Jack Stephens
	Best Costume Design Anthony Powell
Nominated Oscar	Best Picture Claude Berri Timothy Burrill
	Best Director Roman Polanski
	Best Music, Original Score Philippe Sarde

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Roman Polanski
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

When peasant girl Nastassja Kinski's father discovers the family may have aristocratic origins, he sends her off to nearby relations in hopes of finding a job. Instead, she is seduced and raped by the wealthy son who lives there. She runs away before giving birth to their child, who eventually dies. Later, she works on a dairy farm and falls in love with an aspiring farmer. However, when she confides her past to him on their wedding night he rejects her, then goes on an indefinite missionary trip to Brazil. Left to fend for herself, Kinski takes up again with her wealthy rapist. However, when her husband unexpectedly returns home, she murders her lover to reunite with him. They spend a few days on the run, only to be surrounded by police at Stonehenge. Yes, Stonehenge. Exquisitely filmed melodrama in which no expense was spared to recreate late 19th century farming practices, just gaze upon that working steam powered piece of equipment! It's mostly to no avail, as Kinski's emotionless performance struggles with the material.