Bringing in the sheaves stuck between a demon and an angel

The two male characters are basically two sides of the same bad coin: one is amoral while the other is excessively moral.

There is a scene in the book where Alec shows up to talk to the workers at harvest time wearing a cape with an upturned collar and carrying a pitchfork. The symbolism is obvious. Meanwhile Angel's figurative character is plain from his name. What’s the point? Just as it’s possible to be excessively bad, a person can be too good. The bible makes this observation in Ecclesiastes 7:16-18. They are two extremes and both have the power to destroy the lives of those they influence. To be expected, Angel, being a humble soul, eventually seeks to make things right whereas Alec arrogantly continues in his nonchalant amorality, which ultimately ushers in doom for he and Tess. The immutability of this is symbolized by Stonehenge.

While a lot of people eventually swing to one extreme perspective/lifestyle or another, e.g. moralist, hedonist, atheist, most people are caught somewhere in the middle, uncertain and searching, like Tess.

To enjoy this piece you have to brace yourself for a movie that has the confidence to take its time and tell its tale. You’ll discover Victorian curiosities, pastoral mundaneness, beauty, lust, love, idiocy, humility, penitence, arrogance and tragedy.