Tess is a 1979
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 country girl descended from a noble line who, when she makes contact with the apparent head of the family, is seduced and left pregnant. After her baby dies, she meets a man who abandons her on their wedding night when she confesses her past. Desperate, she returns to her seducer and murders him. The screenplay was written by
Gérard Brach,
John Brownjohn, and Roman Polanski. The film won three Academy Award Oscars out of a total of six Oscar nominations.