Tess Of The D’urbervilles

Television adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel, set in his fictional county of Wessex. Tess (Justine Waddell) is a poor maid who is sent to work for distant relatives following the death of her parents. She is pursued and eventually becomes pregnant by Alex D’Urberville (Jason Flemyng). Tess flees, and finds work as a milkmaid. She falls in love with the handsome Angel Clare (Oliver Milburn), who proposes marriage, but tragedy strikes when Tess decides to confess her past to him the night before their wedding.From the Back Cover
Thomas Hardys classic epic remains one of the most popular novels ever written. This lavish production vividly depicts the powerful tale of a peasant girl whose life is torn apart by the love and jealousy of two men.
Justine Waddell (Mansfield Park) stars as the hapless Child of Nature who is tossed around by the dark forces of fate. Jason Flemyng (Snatch, Mean Machine) is the dark and sinister Alec dUrberville whose relentless pursuit of Tess triggers the heroines downfall. Oliver Milburn plays the handsome young Angel Clare, the caring rebel who falls deeply in love with Tess. The story follows Tess on her journeys around Hardys Wessex. It is a tale of epic vastness, exploring the class system on the brink of a new century. Modernity clashes with Victorian values and the prejudices and hypocrisy of the era are explosively revealed. This production closely mirrors the grim realities of Hardys novel, charting Tesss journey from innocent country maiden to ruined tragic heroine; from rural simplicity to a powerful pagan climax at Stonehenge. It is a story that is of its time, yet profoundly timelessand that is always deeply disturbing.