MovieChat Forums > Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1998) Discussion > Alec D'Urberville

Alec D'Urberville

posted 17 years ago by mouse__07
28 replies | jump to latest

Jason Flemyng is the actor that plays him, and boy did he do a good job of being the manipulative creep. He makes Angel Clare look like an absolute saint, though both (in fact all) of the characters were sinners, and as we all know in the world of Thomas Hardy, sinners are doomed to be punished.

From the moment we first meet Alec, he appears to be rich, tall but thin, he was the epitomy of wealth, but there was something terribly missing in his demeanor (a conscience perhaps?). I didn't think he was particularly good-looking, but perhaps what Tess was initially attracted to was his stature, wealth and power. Tess, being the young child she was, struggled to empower and redeem herself, while Alec was always seeking to overpower, seduce, and ultimately control her to love him. But in a strange twist of fate, her true love for Angel comes through, albeit always at the worst timing (this movie is all about bad timing).

I'm glad Alec got what he deserved. Unfortunately, he being the worst of sinners, takes Tess down with him as fate would have it.

Sorry, just ranting about Alec. What do you think of Alec? What would you have done had you met a man like him? Feel free to share any opinions you have about the actor or his character.

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars." --Brian Littrell

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mouse__07 17 years ago

Agreed. Jason Flemyng is a great actor as Alec, though I have yet to see other actors play Alec in other versions of Tess of the D'Urberville. Were they just as slimy?

If I were Tess, I would not have returned to Alec, despite the physical, emotional and financial turmoil she was in. I would rather have worked to the bone than return to the rapist who robbed herself of everything she stood for: innocence. And maybe then, Angel would reunite with her without any other circumstances to hinder them. But alas, this is a Thomas Hardy work of fiction.

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars." --Brian Littrell

[–] vjohnson16 17 years ago

I think Alec was a creep but he did seem to be geninully contrite about her situation and wanting to help her, also, I think he really loved her more then Angel did.

[–] angela-faulder 17 years ago

he loved her, just in a messed up kinda way. (such literary vocabulary!)

he's almost a victim of unrequited love....

[–] deadpan_diva 16 years ago

I just rewatched this last night. I agree with what Tess says of Alec at the end and I almost feel sorry for him.

Filthy sounds stumbling, ugly and cruel
Between the lips of your beautiful mouth

[–] RenlyStannis 16 years ago

The "rape scene" is soooo disgusting. I could almost not bear to watch it

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] misctidsandbits 11 years ago

Have recently seen the 2008 version and to me, that actor, Hans Matheson, along with practically all others, performed far inferior to Jason Flemyng. He was perhaps slimier in the beginning and less effective later. However, to me, the 2008 production was much weaker all around.

As to Tess "returning to Alec," I can see that at this point. She did not actually return to him, but was forced to turn to him at hand in the family's worst emergency yet. She is near exhaustion from working literally like a field hand, compounded problems with her family to the point of their having to settle their furniture in the open air the first night of their removal. She had also all but given up hope of Angel ever even answering her letters, much less return or send for her. At this point, she had sent him that desperate letter chiding him for not helping her. It wasn't an issue at that point of her working to support herself. She and her family were in the open air with their household goods with nowhere to go. She had no resources to meet the emergency nor did they have any other patron. I can well see her yielding to the inevitable at that point. He was on hand and she had her mother and the other children in her face, so how can she turn away their only offer of relief and provision in that circumstance?

[–] embeth83 16 years ago

Poor Tess, she was doomed from the start. I complete understand every action she took. The irony was even as a sinner, she was a saint.

If it was just her I'm sure she would have not returned to Alec, but her family needed her and she had nobody else to turn to.

[–] fanaticita 16 years ago

I thought Alec was sort of creepy at first, but I think he really did love Tess, and wanted to take care of her and her family regardless of how she felt about him. Remember, in those days women didn't have much of an option. Yea she was doomed because of her love for Angel, who wasn't much of an angel was he?

[–] I_Love_Books 16 years ago

Both Alec and Angel were idiots and did not deserve Tess. I wish this books had a heroic male character, but I guess that wasn't the point of the book.. It made me hate all men while I was reading it haha.

But I guess Angel was a tad better than Alec.

If only Tess had a Mr. Darcy.

[–] maytloo 15 years ago

Canada

Angel was probably better for Tess than the creep Alec. And if you haven't seen the 2008 mini with Gemma Arterton and Hans Matheson, you should. HM shows a intense, passionate side to Alec that I didn't get from Jason Flemyng. As for Mr. Darcy, I prefer John Thornton from North and South-he would have made mincemeat out of Alec.

[–] Tomatish 9 years ago

Sadly, Mr. Darcy (or any of Austen's heroes for that matter) wouldn't have looked twice at a milkmaid. I love Austen truly, but there's no denying that, at least in her book, she wanted nothing to do with the working class.

[–] sage-presage 16 years ago

I always feel that Alec DOES love Tess, though his love comes along with the desire of possession. Alec is rich and rather charming, somewhat an ideal husband of many pretty girls at that time. So if he doesn't love Tess, he won't still want her back after such a long time, even knowing her marriage to another man. Besides, Alec is a man with no conscience, but he doesn't want to see Tess sufferring a hard life. And at that time, loving a women can be equal to giving her a comfortable life. So for such a man like Alec, the feeling towards Tess must be LOVE.
However, this is certainly NOT the love Tess will need and enjoy, because it seems much more like a bargain to her. For why Tess accepted this bargain, I think mostly because the poor living condition of her family, she had no better choice. And because the leaving of Angel, she seems to be abandoning hereself. Her only hope has gone, there will be no joy in her life again, so she does not care about herself anymore. She won't mind selling herself for a better life for her family.
Angel is not a saint. I believe that he loves Tess and he didn't meant to hurt Tess. But his weakness to face the truth shaded his love and smashed her hope. When he realized how much he loves her, it was all too late...
All of the three suffered tragic fate. Alec deserves the ending, but if he didn't fell for Tess, other women might willingly accept the bargain. Tess finally got away from Alec, but her dream of being together with her true lover ended up together with the nightmare. Angel paid the price for his weakness, losing his beloved one forever and will most probably feeling guilty all his life.

Personally I think the acting was quite good and Alec is especially remarkable.

[–] I_Love_Books 16 years ago

When I read the book, I always felt that Alec wasn't as creepy as he was portrayed in the movie. I was disgusted with him in this movie version. Maybe the director didn't want the viewers to sympathize with him so we could wholly like Angel.

But in the book, I always imagined him as a dashing young fellow, who was of course rash and irresponsible with Tess like most typical men lol.. I thought he may have really loved her in a strange, obsessive way, like the person who posted above me mentioned also.

[–] WayneWayneWayneJr 11 years ago

Alec in this version is, I thought, absolutely repulsive. I thought I was going to puke. In the beginning, how he looked at Tess, how he stole kisses from her, the strawberry scene, he gave me the shivers.... Rape scene was almost unbearable. However, when he came back, he was a lot nicer, and more sympathetic. I thought he redeemed himself in the end, shaving off his mustache helped a bit.

I also pictured him as dashing, attractive young man in the book, not as repulsive as this Alec... In the book, I see his character very interesting, I know he is not a good guy, but he is bold, reckless, but sweet, doesn't care what everybody thinks or even what Tess thinks, and just go for it. And he is humorous, too. What he says and what he does were funny sometimes. Just my thoughts.

[–] harveythepooka 16 years ago

I don't hate Alec, he is an ass but he is honest about it. Angel is a hypocrite and he is the one to causes Tess's downfall, not Alec. Alec is a bad guy but at least he isn't two faced, while Angel pretends to be good when really he is no different than Alec and he ends up hurting her so much worse, being blaimed for being raped by someone you love is worse than getting raped by someone you hate imo.

[–] enirren 15 years ago

If it was anybody singularly who caused Tess' downfall it was John Durbeyfield. He sent her to her debaucherer.

Alec, I do not think he loved Tess at all. But he has almost no morals whatsoever. Rather, he loves Tess for the way she looks more than anything. More a beast than man. Taking advantage of her whenever he can. I think that the only reason he wants to finance her family is so that he can further consume her, as crude as it sounds. I think it thrills him more that Tess keeps rejecting him. Perverted his mind is. He has to remind her that he had been "master over her once" and will again. Although Alec seems to be compassionate towards Tess, I felt that there was always more than meets the eye about him. He may look every bit a gentle, but he was more a wolf in sheep's disguise. Playing mind tricks on Tess, and eventually breaking her down, as a wolf tears his prey apart to ease its consumption.

As for Angel, he loves Tess for her beauty and character. Unfortunately, he is caught up in the Victorian social ideals as much as he wants to disassociate from them. Somehow their culture thinks that it is OK for men to have premarital sex but not women. The female must be virginal and it doesn't care whether it was forced upon her or not. This double standard he too could not see despite his love for Tess. Not until it was "too late, too late".

We know that Tess and Angel's love for each other was true and pure. Unlike Alec's "love" for Tess, which was to feed his appetite.

I just find it inappropriate that Angel should end up with Liza-Lu. Was it because of her resemblance to Tess that Angel had taken Liza-Lu as his new wife?(inferred) As Tess had said, "it would almost seem as if death had not divided [them]" or was it that he promised Tess that he would look after her sister?

Why must the two who "love[ed]each other so well" be parted even in death?

[–] easyaslife 13 years ago

Tess never saw it as her being raped though. She saw it as a personal weakness and took the blame for it herself. It's been awhile since I've read the novel and this might be wrong, but I don't remember her telling Angel that she was raped by Alec at all. She knew what his reaction would be from the start and thought that he wouldn't be as harsh on her as he had done the same thing (as far as she saw it). Obviously she was wrong because Angel was still in that middle class mind-set that his wife should be a virgin whatever he might be. I believe he loved Tess but initially was in love with his ideal of her being pure and simple.

Alec d'Urberville was not a good man. While Angel is a hypocrite, yes, Alec is a manipulator. He took advantage of Tess every chance he got. He manipulated her every chance he got. He 'ruined' her and beat her down all the more. Tess wasn't wrong by any one man but by pretty much every single man in her life. Her father was careless and foolhardy sending her off to the d'Urbervilles in the first place, Alec took advantage and manipulated her and she got pregnant and was look down on in her society, she meets and falls in love with Angel who turns his back on her when his ideal of her is destroyed. She's a victim in every way and eventually she just snaps.

[–] misctidsandbits 11 years ago

The father did not send Tess away. He did not approve of the move, but the mother arranged things in that household. While she is a loving woman, she is much to blame for not preparing her daughter for the outside world as best she can. it is absurd to me that the parents so put their daughter in harm's way. Yet, it is understandable on many counts. The country people round about were unused to more sophisticated threats, being in a rather innocent and simple environment themselves. And, the mother was smitten by that idyllic dream of every mother at that time -- a prosperous match for her daughter. At that time, it was the end-all.

Tess was very able as their eldest child and more sensible than her parents in many ways. They certainly, however, especially the mother who took the lead, miscalculated her highly sheltered and uninformed child's ability to cope with things about which she knew nothing. And, their resources limited travel and even being away from home long enough to investigate the place first hand. But, that the mother did not insist on keeping up a correspondence with Tess to monitor her progress was quite slighting. But, that family had its careless and shambling ways, which had a lot to do with their not being able to get on in life.

I personally rather resent Hardy's Murphy's law tact and will never read anything of his again.

[–] hanna_house 12 years ago

Alec certainly showed more care and concern for Tess than Angel did. Of course he was a snake and a liar too, but was not willing to see Tess suffer. Angel may have initially appeared to be a good guy, but he angered me even more so because deep down he was a self righteous jerk who wanted forgiveness for his sins, which he made a clear choice to partake in, but wouldn't likewise extend that same forgiveness even knowing that Tess was taken advantage of and did not initiate it. I would say that the dear girl just fell in with 2 horrible men which was her ultimate undoing. I actually blame her parents most of all for not protecting her at such a tender age.

[–] geenie215 12 years ago

What do I think of Alec? There is something about the character as portrayed by the actor makes me want him to have his way with me. Hehe. He is creepy in some scenes though but I guess I find this 'villain' more interesting and charismatic.

[–] Abbalish 12 years ago

Alec and Angel were both horrible

'I Only Watch Glee For Jesse.....'

[–] OroVerde 11 years ago

If I were Tess I would've taken advantage of the rape and just stayed with Alec. Alec apologized and begged her to stay incessantly but Tess couldn't see that she was taking a bigger risk in her life by going back home. Alec would've taken care of the baby, married Tess and taken care of her family. She may've not been in love but I guess love was seldom the case in Victorian marriages. Marriage was business in those days.

Luckily for her she bumped into Angel again, he married her but she was so foolish telling him about her past. Hello!! Men of the 19th century cannot be trusted! Then again the truth probably would have surfaced some years down the line, so she should've just married Alec after the rape, end of story.

[–] abro16 11 years ago

After watchin Tess (1998), (previously watcehd few days back Tess (1979))
i found out
ALEC WAS THE BEST CHARACHTER IN THE MOVIE.

Don't look from the perspective of the movie, or the writer.
look it in real way.

1. Alec loved Tess, with his all heart and soul.
it was the love of first sight.
Ok, he wanted to touch her, kiss her, even sex with her..
but that's the what every boy want to do, when he loves someone! (don't?)

2. He helped her family, by giving horse, and toys to kids...
to just win her heart.

3. Now, when Angel left... how many times Alec came again and again to Tess.
You know, a wicked person, only want to misuse a girl,
not to marry her, love her, provide him shelter and money everything, to her as well as to her family...
specially, conditions become totally different, when you know she is married.
But even then, he loves her...
astonishingly not only her but one dialogue, even he said... I will help you and your husaband, i just can't see you in this miserable condition.

Now Come To ANGEL
What was good in him?
i am thinking...
nah, i couldn't find anything.
(just becasue, writer's persepective to show him good, because he was cute, and reading books, and few maids die on him??)

he just stopped his love his wife...
just after sharing the same sin.
Though, even in this case. Angel sin was bigger
as he did it many times, and he did it with all his wishes.
While Tess did it only once, and she did it with not her concess.
But this "good" man not only not forgive her.
But leaves his wife in miserable condition...
(he neither divorce her, nor take care of her)

Now come back to ALEC..
there are so many good dialogues..
but few in end are .. heart breaking
i quote

"Tess, you lost him years ago,
when you first told him the truth.
He abandoned you then.
I wouldn't have done that.
No matter what you told me.

Tess! You rejected me a hundred times.
and it never altered how i felt for you.
Because i loved you!"

I mean what more love you are looking for.

I was told once.
if there are two conditions.
1. You love someone, but he/she does not love you.
2. Someone loves you, but maybe you don't like him/her much.
Then better love that who loves you!

ALEC was only good, brave and perfect man.

If Tess still does not love him.
then

Tess and Angel were *beep*
and philosophically it is siad.
*beep* meets with *beep*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Furtehr if you recall that sex/repe scene:
then
Ok, he(Alec) did little mistake, BUT that was forgivable,
that is the nature, that is what every boy want to do.
though some can hold, and some can't...
But even in that scene, Tess did not seem to resist much.

And even after that, Alec did not say to Tess. Now go home, i got i wanted.
but he wanted to marry her!!! He was sorry for it.