For other uses, see Tess December 12, 1980 March 1, 1981 | runtime = 190 min. | country = France / UK | language = English | budget = $25,000,000 | amg_id = 1:49171 | imdb_id = 0080009 | }} Tess is a 1979 English language romantic drama film directed by Roman Polanski, an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It tells the story of a strong-willed young peasant woman who is seduced by her wealthy aristocratic cousin, whose right to the family title may not be as strong as he claims. The screenplay is by Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn, and Roman Polanski. Plot summary The story takes place in rural Dorsetshire, England, during the Victorian period. Its events are set in motion innocently enough when a clergyman, Parson Tringham, has a conversation with a simple farmer, John Durbeyfield. Tringham is a local historian; in the course of his rese