What makes it different from others?

Very well executed

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

*Spolers inside*I thought the film was well produced but god that was a terrible story. I mean soap-opera with a bad ending terrible. 80% of the film is it's characters obsessing about their misfortunes. Maybe that was standard in 19th century, but I found it very frustrating to watch. And I don't mind dramas, not at all. Including with unfortunate endings. I just like to see some sense in it, not just pointless suffering over and over again. There is too much of it in the real life. I just don't understand people who need books or films to see that. Open your eyes people! Go do some volunteering instead.The story just drags the characters behind it, they do nothing to change anything. So anti-climatic. And when somebody does something (the murder) it feels like the stupidest thing ever. Tess tells Angel she never wants to see him again, and then kills the other guy, and suddenly they are all good now? Oh come on.Other things I didn't like. The dialogues are really bad. There is basically nothing witty said in the entire series. The characters are not likable, lack depth, and there is very little development, just things happening to them. I didn't read the book but it looks like the author didn't really understand people well. Compared to the Jane Austin adaptations this was a disaster.

I guess I've seen all of the Tess movies and series, and each one has a different take on the book: Polanski is presenting Tess as a child of nature, an innocent, naive girl, a victim; then there's the ITV series, and this BBC series, most recent of all. Personally this series is the best take out of the three. Why? Here are my reasons for loving this brilliant series: 1. Tess has such hidden strength in this movie, such a strong code of conduct and morale, of good and bad. She is just crushed by the circumstances, but she is not a victim. And this is also my impression from the book, I always saw Tess as someone strong, independent, filled with passion, love and hate. I always thought the message for Tess is "Man can be destroyed, but not defeated". Plus she is not a stupid peasant girl, she tries to learn, she recites poems and likes to read. Loved that they finally depict Tess in this modern way!! 2. Angel - the most perfect Angel ever. Blood young, no experience, dreaming of a perfect world in Brazil,a bit of a hypocrite...becoming then a man in the face of adversity, waking up to see the world as it is. Polanskis Angel was definitely miscast, and the one from the earlier series was too old and artificial. THIS is the true Angel!3. Alec - I think this is the ONLY series where Alec is not the stereotype of the villain twirling his mustache and prying the young girl to steal her innocence. There is a very deep psychology behind Alec: he tries to be good, he longs to be loved by his mother and Tess, but when he is rebuffed and refused in his advances his goodness turns to malice and violence/rape. Alec in his way loves Tess very much, but he has this type of personality that mingles cruelty with uttermost devotion. Hans Matheson is just brilliant!4. Scenes of rape/sex/nudity - even if some might condemn the series for these scenes and say that it's got nothing to do with Hardy, I would reply that on the contrary, this is an important part of what the book is about. Hardy might have skipped descriptions of scenes (as is with Tess' rape by Alec, who is not even very well indicated in the book - it could be rape or just seduction) in order to avoid scandal, but that is why this book was so modern and revolutionary, and I am glad that someone had finally the courage to do it and represent matters as they were. The scene where Tess observes a naked sleeping Angel is so human, so real, and so sweet!I recommend this series to anyone that loved the book, the interpretation is modern, refreshing, full of color, life, passion, love and pain. Another BBC masterpiece! 10/10

Aside from this, I've only seen the 1998 version starring Justine Waddell; I have, however, read Hardy's novel three times, it being my favorite. I have to say that I was disappointed with this production. I felt that the beginning was too rushed from the dance, to the death of the family horse, and while Gemma Arterton is a beautiful Tess, I just couldn't connect with her. I also didn't like the way that they developed the relationship between Alec and Tess. My interpretation has always been that while Tess remained civil with him in the beginning, she wanted little to do with him and shunned him because of his arrogance. In this adaption they make it seem as if they've developed an actual friendship and she's falling in love with him. I don't necessarily think that the acting was bad, but there was just something about this cast, particularly the two protagonists, that made me feel less for them than I normally would. The love between Angel and Tess didn't seem as real; something was missing. Angel appeared to be a young man who's pride drove him away from his true love once her secret was revealed, but in the novel he is so much more intelligent and complex than what this representation suggested. I guess overall I just feel that the characters weren't developed enough. Normally when I read the novel, or watch the 1998 version, I feel so much for these characters and become emotionally invested. Sadly this series did not produce the same effect. It is still, however, a beautiful and tragic story, and I did enjoy seeing Angel's parents and his relationship with his family, which was basically nonexistent in the '98 series. While some scenes and certain dialogue were a stretch in my opinion, the overall story stayed true to Hardy's heartbreaking novel.

I didn't want to watch the BBC's new Tess. I read the book about 10 years ago, after watching the ITV version, so knew the tragic end. Hardy can be so depressing so I wanted to avoid this. However, I was completely and utterly drawn in by the performances of Gemma Arterton as Tess and Eddie Redmayne as Angel Clare. They gave very impressive and believable performances which made the story even more tragic - this production made me more angry at Victorian hypocrisy than I did when I read the book. I think their youth was also an advantage considering they were playing characters who are approximately the same age as they are - I think the 1998 ITV version was let down as their Angel Clare seemed so much older. Overall a fantastic production - just a shame the story is to totally and utterly gutting. Watch it with a loved one and a big box of tissues.