Tess of The D'Urbervilles

[Virgil Reality]

Exciting news - seems reasonably official. Hans will appear in a new BBC production of the Thomas Hardy novel

New Bond girl Gemma Arterton has bagged the lead role in BBC's blockbuster production of Tess Of The D'Urbervilles.

The 22-year-old actress plays the tragic heroine Tess in the adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel, which was serialised in 1891 in censored form because of its challenge to the sexual attitudes of the day.

Arterton will star alongside Anna Massey, who will play the role of as Mrs D'Urberville and Jodie Whittaker, who will star as Izzy.

Ruth Jones, from BBC3 comedy 'Gavin and Stacey,' plays Tess's mother, reports the Scotsman.

The rest of the cast includes Hans Matheson as the milkmaid's seducer Alec, Eddie Redmayne as Angel.

Arterton landed the role of Agent Fields in the latest Bond film, Quantum Of Solace, just six months after graduating from Rada.

Source China Daily, Contact Music (I know, I Know, I'm looking for a more authoritative source

ETA It definitely seems to be official - filming starts later this month (!) and will air in the autumn. So, not too long to wait.

Co-starring with latest Bond girl

From the Archbishop of Canterbury to vile seducer - that's versatility for you

Looking forward to this one

[zita]

What kind of seducer should we expect?

A romantical ? A passionable one? Or maybe an evil ? I must check the book...

[Virgil Reality]

Alec D'Urberville is apparently not a very nice character

Alec d’Urberville
An insouciant twenty-four-year-old man, heir to a fortune, and bearer of a name that his father purchased, Alec is the nemesis and downfall of Tess’s life. His first name, Alexander, suggests the conqueror—as in Alexander the Great—who seizes what he wants regardless of moral propriety. Yet he is more slippery than a grand conqueror. His full last name, Stoke-d’Urberville, symbolizes the split character of his family, whose origins are simpler than their pretensions to grandeur. After all, Stokes is a blunt and inelegant name. Indeed, the divided and duplicitous character of Alec is evident to the very end of the novel, when he quickly abandons his newfound Christian faith upon remeeting Tess. It is hard to believe Alec holds his religion, or anything else, sincerely. His supposed conversion may only be a new role he is playing.
This duplicity of character is so intense in Alec, and its consequences for Tess so severe, that he becomes diabolical. The first part of his surname conjures associations with fiery energies, as in the stoking of a furnace or the flames of hell. His devilish associations are evident when he wields a pitchfork while addressing Tess early in the novel, and when he seduces her as the serpent in Genesis seduced Eve. Additionally, like the famous depiction of Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost, Alec does not try to hide his bad qualities. In fact, like Satan, he revels in them. In Chapter XII, he bluntly tells Tess, “I suppose I am a bad fellow—a d**n bad fellow. I was born bad, and I have lived bad, and I shall die bad, in all probability.” There is frank acceptance in this admission and no shame. Some readers feel Alec is too wicked to be believable, but, like Tess herself, he represents a larger moral principle rather than a real individual man. Like Satan, Alec symbolizes the base forces of life that drive a person away from moral perfection and greatness.

SparkNotes

But leave it to Hans to give him a sympathetic side.

[zita]

Just googling, googling...

I've found a 1979 version called Tess and directed by Polanski, with Leigh Lawson in Alec's role.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0080009/
Lawson is 30 years older than Hans and it's almost 30 years between the two adaptations. Anyway, it sounds very exciting- Alec is defined as a cynical corrupter.

[peaches]

It looks like I mite be working on this production. Provided all the dates match up that is!

[JenoWhatIMean]

Here's another announcement: news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Gemma-takes-Quantum-leap-from.3883004.jp

[Virgil Reality]

More about the character of Alec from everyone-who-couldn't-be-bothered-to-read-the-book-in-college's favourite source Cliff Notes.

Character Analyses
Alec Stoke-d’Urberville

In reality, Alec is not a d’Urberville at all; instead, his family was named Stoke, then Stoke-d’Urberville, and later just d’Urberville. His father had made a fortune in north England and had settled in the southern region of the island. He adopted a local name to blend in with the historical association of place.

Alec woos Tess with his suave talk and conspicuous wealth. Alec’s motives are clear from the beginning: to seduce Tess for his own gain. It could be argued that even after seducing Tess, Alec does indeed fall in love with her and makes his plans to have her as his own a second time.

Alec is friendly at first, using his charms to lure Tess back to The Slopes for a second visit. When she returns to become the keeper of Mrs. d’Urberville’s poultry collection, Alec uses scare tactics to force Tess to plead to him for relief. The wild ride to Trantridge in the cart is indicative that he will use any means to convince her of his power.

The scene of Tess’ first visit, with Alec feeding Tess strawberries (Chapter 5) is very sensual and suggestive. A scene like this would have caused more than a few Victorian eyebrows to be raised. Hardy made a point to include such a scene early in the novel to pique the reader’s response to the novel. Sex was not a usual subject for a book, and Hardy delivers in his first section lust, sex, and seduction.

Tess is no match for Alec. Whereas she is naïve and inexperienced, he is worldly and sophisticated. While she is burdened with the responsibility of providing for her family, he feels an obligation to no one but himself. Alec wears the young girl down to take advantage of her, but she continues to rebuff his advances at every opportunity. It is not until he rescues her from a fight, in Chapter 10, with other Trantridge workers that her fate is sealed. Sensing a chance to have Tess, Alec purposefully becomes lost in a trek through the woods. He rapes Tess while she sleeps awaiting his return.

Alec does not appear in Chapters 12–43. Nevertheless, we cannot say that he doesn’t impact the story during these chapters. First, his earlier actions (specifically the rape) impact everything that follows. But his impact is not simply confined to the readers’ understanding of the part he has played in Tess’ current situation. Hardy brings Alec back to the story through Reverend Clare, who shares with his son (who later shares with Tess) Alec’s conversion and ministry. Alec returns physically to the book in Chapter 44 as a street minister.

Alec is a “sunshine convert,” renouncing his newfound faith as soon as he sees Tess again. Using twisted logic, Alec accuses Tess of causing him to stray from his ministry, “But you have been the means—the innocent means—of my backsliding, as they call it.” He soon cannot suppress his passion for Tess, calling her a “temptress.” Hardy notes that “The corpses of those old fitful passions which had lain inanimate amid the lines of his face ever since his reformation seemed to wake and come together as in a resurrection.” Tess feels some guilt for Alec’s plight, and he uses the situation to his advantage again, making her swear to leave him alone at a place called “Cross-in-Hand,” the scene not of religious conversion, but of conversion to the ways of the dark side, with Satan. Cross-in-Hand is a symbol of evil, not good, “’Tis a thing of ill-omen,” Tess is warned.

Alec further lures the unsuspecting Tess by talking her out of remaining true to her marriage to Angel. He will not accept her rejection of him. He is relentless, and in Chapter 50, he is able to finally sway Tess by catering to her poor family. Alec takes full advantage of Tess at this point, and he convinces her to live with him as a d’Urberville. Thus, Alec has persuaded Tess to live a life of sin. This deception results in his death when Tess, enraged, stabs him.

Interestingly, I read comment under one of the press sites which ran the news and has a comments section (forget where), that they were disappointed that Hans was not playing the part of Angel Clare. I wonder. Seems, though, that maybe Angel Clare (wasn't that an Art Garfunkel album - any connection?) might be the sort of character that Hans would do but maybe he wants the challenge of a character that is more 'out of character'. Am I expressing myself there?

Another Hans connection. The last time this was made for the small screen was about 10 years ago and starred Jason Flemyng in the role of Alec - Jason of course was in Tube Tales in a piece with Kelly McDonald (Stella) and Dexter Fletcher (Virgin Queen).

[zita]

Unfortunately "Cliff notes" doesn't work for me...
The whole novel can be read online here:

www.bibliomania.com/0/0/26/56/frameset.html

I think Alec's character is rather interesting and exciting to act than Angel's. But in this case we have to endure his death on the screen again - spoiler? -as in the end he will be killed by a knife right into the heart. After beheading, getting a heart-attack, murdered by a ghost etc. - it's a new version to die...
And this role is a chance again for horse-riding!

[Virgil Reality]

My bad link? I'll check what's going on

ETA Don't know why the link didn't work - it's about the second entry if you Google. So, I just posted the whole article

Meanwhile try this one

Alec d'Urberville - Vicious Devil or Fallen Angel

[zita]

Many thanks for the article, Virg!
Alec's character is definitely exciting! A playboy of the Victorian Age - I like it!

[Virgil Reality]

Now listed at IMDb !

Filming in Wiltshire

THE BBC, which is filming its latest period drama, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, in Lockeridge near Marlborough, is likely to be on location on the downs for the rest of this week.

The cast and crew move to Corsham to shoot scenes around Corsham Court and Church Street on April 7.

The new production of the Thomas Hardy classic is to be screened in the autumn.
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The cast includes star of the new James Bond film Gemma Arterton as Tess, Hans Matheson, from Dr Zhivago, as Alec and Eddie Redmayne as Angel, who recently appeared in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Also in the cast are Hans Matheson, Eddie Redmayne, Jodie Whittaker and the legendary Anna Massey as Mrs D'Urberville.

The adaptation follows the success of classics such as Cranford and Lark Rise to Candleford, both of which were shot in Wiltshire.

Their words, not mine!

[Virgil Reality]

Progress report

After filming some scenes in Bath recently, this week they were in Corsham, Wiltshire

Next stop, Dorset

[zita]

Corsham Court Wiltshire:

www.corsham-court.co.uk/

Such a beautiful place!

[Gg]

www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/16/bbc.television


uh oh

[Virgil Reality]

There are a couple of behind the scenes pics of Hans and Gemma at Gemma Arterton Online. It looks like the scene where they first meet - and it looks mighty fine

Pics

From the Cliff Notes quoted in a post above;

The scene of Tess’ first visit, with Alec feeding Tess strawberries (Chapter 5) is very sensual and suggestive. A scene like this would have caused more than a few Victorian eyebrows to be raised. Hardy made a point to include such a scene early in the novel to pique the reader’s response to the novel. Sex was not a usual subject for a book, and Hardy delivers in his first section lust, sex, and seduction.

I'm more optimistic about this project than I have been for a long time, fires in costume trucks notwithstanding. I really like the look they've given Gemma; just how I imagine Tess to be.

And....... Natalie Portman has reportedly dropped out of "Wuthering Heights" Dare I hope again?