What is Roman Polanski's obsession engraved in "Tess"?

*This article touches on the ending of the story, so we recommend watching the movie before reading it.

"Tess" synopsis

Marlot village in Dorset, England at the end of the 19th century. The poor Durbefield family had a beautiful daughter, Tess. To help support her family, Tess is sent to work as an apprentice to her distant relatives, the d'Urbervilles. Tess immediately catches the attention of the family's prodigal son, Alec, but one day, in the woods, Tess is forcibly raped by Alec. Heartbroken, Tess returns home, but she is pregnant with Alec's child. Although she gives birth, the baby soon dies of illness, and Tess, unable to bear the cold stares of the villagers, leaves home again and begins working at a dairy farm far away. There, Tess meets Angel, a progressive and kind-hearted young man, and they fall deeply in love with each other. Tess finally accepts Angel's proposal. In her first experience of happiness, Tess openly confesses her past mistakes in order to ask for Angel's forgiveness. However, Angel is deeply shaken by her confession and becomes desperate, leaving her behind. Rejected by her beloved and left alone, Tess's life in flux begins...

Index

• Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which Polanski was obsessed with making into a movie
• Nastassja Kinski made her debut in the film industry with the beauty inherited from her mother.
• From “a girl who lost her child” to “a mother who reunites with her child”

Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which Polanski was obsessed with making into a movie

"to Sharon"

At the beginning of the movie ``Tess'' (1979), there is a dedication to actress Sharon Tate. The title role of Tess was originally supposed to be played by Sharon. Thomas Hardy's original work ``Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' was her favorite book, and she had a hunch that her husband, director Roman Polanski, would one day make it into a great movie.

However, that dream is brutally shattered. She was eight months pregnant at the time and was murdered by the Manson Family in a mansion in the upscale Bel Air neighborhood. The ``Sharon Tate murder case,'' which shocked Hollywood, was recently discussed by Quentin Tarantino in ` `Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' ' (2019), and many documents and materials have already been published. Since there are many, I will omit the details. If you are interested, please google it.

At the time, her husband Roman Polanski was safe as he was flying to Europe to finish a new project. After his beautiful young wife and unborn child were brutally murdered, intense darkness must have spread inside him. Moreover, he is Polish and had spent his childhood in the ghetto, with his mother being imprisoned in Auschwitz and massacred by the Germans. According to Polanski's own testimony, his mother was pregnant at the time.

“Tess” preview

The intense trauma of having a family member who was pregnant with a child killed twice. ``Tess'' is also the story of a beautiful young wife who loses her baby and is herself executed. The reason why Polanski was obsessed with adapting this novel into a film is probably due to his own obsession.

Several years after Sharon's death, Polanski meets a beautiful girl. Her name is Nastassja Kinski. Polanski was fascinated by Nastassja Kinski and began making his long-awaited film ``Tess'' starring her.

Nastassja Kinski made her debut in the film industry with the beauty inherited from her mother.