Revisiting Adaptations of Thomas Hardy's Tess Of The D'Urbervilles It seemed a fitting time to write about the adaptations of Thomas Hardy's novel, and to also share a bit about some of the lost earlier versions. I recently re-watched the available adaptations and re-read the novel (something that I like to do every few years), and felt compelled to share my feelings once again. Once again, we will start with the best-known adaptation, Tess (1979), the celebrated but also controversial feature film directed and co-adapted by Roman Polanski. His name alone makes the viewing of the movie somewhat uncomfortable due to his off-screen conduct. It has the benefit of being a feature film (and the only surviving cinematic adaptation; more on that later) so the cinematography is undeniably superior and the widescreen Panavision captures the scope of the countryside. France is a good substitute for England, particularly Normandy, where