Filmed entirely in Hardy’s Wessex, with Alan Bates as the hero whose past rises to destroy him, this powerful production opens with the wife-sale from which this tragic tale unfolds. Set in the 1840’s the vivid and remarkable story that develops has made this one of Hardy’s most popular novels, and makes this rich drama compulsive viewing. Anna Massey and Anne Stallybrass support Bates admirably and the script is dramatised by Dennis Potter. Carl Davis wrote the music.
Content notification
Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
Learn more about our collection and our collection policy here. If you come across harmful content on our website that you would like to report, let us know.
How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
303931
Language
English
Audience classification
G
Subject categories
Feature films → Feature films - Great Britain
Literature → English literature - Film and video adaptations
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)