Different from Hollywood, European film directors have their own unique temperament. The narrative is neither salty nor bland, nor slow, the audience is like walking into a European village, seeing the people they meet there, and listening to what has happened or is happening to them.
Looking at the words typed on the ending screen: TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES WAS HANGED IN THE CITY WINTONCESTER, AFORETIME CAPITAL OF WESSEX. Who is to blame for this tragedy?
Blame Alec? Yes, the very beginning of this disaster was because he took advantage of his own family to occupy Tess, so that Tess had been brooding and could not get rid of this unchaste demon, but was he guilty to death? Although he was very practical and explicit, there was no doubt that he really liked Tess.
What about Angel, shouldn't he not forgive Tess when she repented of her past, but also belittle her and ridicule her, leave her alone and leave Brazil alone? Between him and Tess, it should be that Tess loves Angel more. Tess fell in love with him the first time he saw him, but the other party didn't have much impression of Tess. When they meet again at the dairy factory, Angel should be more attracted by her appearance. He is in love with Tess in his imagination. He still doesn't know what true love is. So, when the question was unanswered, he chose to call a timeout. Young Angel is a simple person who needs time to mature and firm up. Going to Brazil is a test. After returning, he had the answer and chose to take back his wife Tess, just as he had agreed when they broke up.
Was it Tess's own fault? Even if she doesn't want to be too proud, throw away those empty self-esteem, and use her youth and beauty to live a good life as Alec said from the beginning, and let her parents, siblings, chickens and dogs fly, there will be no murder tragedy. Yeah, we could list so many better "what ifs" and Tess took the hardest path. After being Alec's lover for four months, she resolutely decided to leave without saying goodbye; she gave birth to an illegitimate child without telling Alec, and raised her independently, although the child eventually died; when Angel did not forgive her past, she filed for divorce and returned to her parents' home; She struggled to live at work, waiting, waiting for her husband to come and take her home; such a kind, self-respecting, self-improving, independent beauty, God did not take care of her. Schopenhauer said: Each of us is confined to our own consciousness. For her family to return to Alec, Tess is still in deep pain. Angel's last forgiveness may have given her the courage to choose to fight again. She doesn't believe in once victim, always victim. Even the smallest existence is better than the greatest Void.
Schopenhauer said: When encountering an unchangeable misfortune that has already happened, we cannot allow ourselves to think like this: things could have had another ending, let alone imagine that we could have prevented this misfortune from happening. Because such thoughts only exacerbate the pain to an unbearable level, we are thus torturing ourselves. Everything that happens is bound to happen, it is unavoidable.
Roman Polanski presents Hardy's story to the audience in a calm and rational way, just like the life in front of us, no matter what happened yesterday, today's life will continue, and the sun will rise as usual tomorrow. In the middle of the night, I would still think of Tess, the bright spots in her. The essence of life is nothingness, but the meaning lasts forever.
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