MovieChat Forums > Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2009) Discussion > Alec

Alec

posted 16 years ago by crazy_child_of_the_south
12 replies | jump to latest

Thank Heavens for having an Alec who isn't completely physically repulsive!

Yes, I know Alec is meant to be a slimy git, but the only other Alec I've seen was Jason Flemyng in the 1997 ITV version who was so intensely creepy I never understood why Tess didn't turn around and run home at the first sight of him.

I think that having an Alec D'Urberville who is subversive and despicable in so many ways but combined with a certain charm makes it so much more believable that Tess is wary of him, but is also confused by him and ultimately 'trusts' him on several occasions. Also, when he appears later on after his 'redemption' it's more fitting to have someone who hasn't made you want to vomit from the word go.

But that's just my, rather long-winded and pointless, opinion.

Laura xxx

I know writers who use sub-text and they're all cowards!

[–] silverwhistle 16 years ago

But the twist is that he grows up (after recovering from his religious breakdown) and becomes more responsible ("duty and desire ran hand in hand"), and a damn sight better a man than Angel – only Tess is so hung up on Angel that she can't see it. The novel is as much his tragedy as Tess's. She kills the wrong man.

Leigh Lawson was a splendid Alec in the 1979 film.

[–] crazy_child_of_the_south 16 years ago

Yes, I agree. In the book especially I found myself wanting to knee Angel in the groin a lot more than I wished to inflict the same wound on Alec. I was talking (very inarticulately) on the initial impression one has of Alec.

I have yet to see the 1979 film.

Laura xxx

I know writers who use sub-text and they're all cowards!

[–] silverwhistle 16 years ago

The film is visually stunning: unfortunately, for reasons of running-time, it misses out some chunks of plot (such as Alec's time as a preacher), and whitewashes Angel somewhat (it omits the stone coffin scene).

I've always been fond of Alec, so I was not happy with the serial depicting the scene in The Chase as rape: Hardy had to fudge the scene because being more open about having a sympathetic heroine having pre-marital sex would have caused him massive problems – as happened later with Jude, which pretty well ended Hardy's career in prose-fiction. I wrote a lengthy article on the novel several years ago, for Thomas Hardy Yearbook, looking into his use of motifs from traditional folksong, and also his later comments in interviews.

I could do a lot of things to Angel with a carving-knife. And it wouldn't be quick… ;-D

[–] JamesPeach 16 years ago

I've always been fond of Alec, so I was not happy with the serial depicting the scene in The Chase as rape:

I despise the guy; that harrowing passage leaves one in no doubt as to what it was, silverwhistle.

Hardy himself in his foreword implies as such that 'the true sequence of events' is set, that the dismembered and mutilated and censored versions of his work had been dealt an 'atrocity'.

Alec has history in Hardy's 'true sequence of events', he makes Tess eat the strawberry (and it’s very distressing rereading that in hindsight – Hardy leaves us in no doubt as to what this foreshadows) and Hardy's use of Paradise Lost and original sin motifs reinforces the belief that Alec's seduction of Tess through favours and promises of help to her family were exactly that: seduction and rape; it leaves me in no doubt as to where Alec stood in Hardy's eyes.

Prince's death; the wounded Pheasants and Tess all symbolise purity, innocence and vulnerability being taken advantage of due to reasons varied.

Alec and Angel are as bad as each other; both represent Victorian/Christian hypocrisy and Alec's turn as preacher - in my opinion - equals Angel's unbelievable narrow-mindedness.

I wouldn't want to carve my initials on either of them, though.

[–] LittleSwallow 16 years ago

Though I don't think the scene in the woods was rape (in the next chapter Tess said that she hadn't understood her actions), I don't think Alec is a very redeemable character; no way do I think he's a better guy than Angel. Alec may have had a fondness for Tess, but that doesn't remit him from his crimes of pretty much hounding Tess (after multiple attempts to reject him) to become his mistress by dangling her family's wellbeing in front of her like a carrot. That's just despicable to me. I really don't have any sympathy for him (though I don't believe he deserved to die).

Or...I just shoot you - "baby."
- Special Agent Dana Scully

[–] alfa-16 16 years ago

(in the next chapter Tess said that she hadn't understood her actions),

My reading is that she's not referring to her actions during the assault but to how she allowed Alec into talking her into staying around and becoming his mistress. In 1889, this, it turned out, still had to be written between the lines.

[–] LittleSwallow 16 years ago

Oh I know she stayed with him a while longer. I guess I always assumed if he raped her the first time she wouldn't have stayed with him and kept sleeping with him.

Or...I just shoot you - "baby."
- Special Agent Dana Scully

[–] JamesPeach 16 years ago

it was emotional and economic blackmail by Alec and Tess's family, amongst other things, that caused her to stay.

[–] Queen_of_sheba 16 years ago

I already said this on another post but I think it goes well here too!!

When I read Tess of the D'Urbervilles, I always had a soft spot for Alec because I don't believe that he would be the way that he is, if his mother had been more loving towards him. After so long of neglect I think that most people would become arrogant and hurtful towards others because if nobody cares about you, why should you care about anybody... However after he rapes Tess, Alec does everything he can to make it up to her - even though I don’t think that you could ever truly make up for performing such an act - Alas he does try. I also think that Alec does really love Tess in his own (all granted twisted) way. Therefore I believe that Alec D'Urberville (other than of course Tess) is one of the most heartbreakingly tragic characters in the story.
And unlike Angel who left Tess at the first sign of trouble rather than facing it head on, Alec is there to pick up the broken pieces (which he smashed in the first place, so no, I haven't forgotten he's not a good guy!) and place them back together again. In my personal opinion I think that Alec was a much stronger character then Angel and is not oblivious to the fact that he did wrong, but he is searching for redemption from the one person that matters to him, Tess.

So she is violated by one man and forsaken by another.

"Do you like strawberries Tess?"

[–] LittleSwallow 16 years ago

Okay, except for the the fact that Alec ALWAYS wanted something in return. He never gave out of the pureness of his heart. All the money, gifts to her family were so that he could make Tess feel indebted to him. Otherwise he would not be following her around all the time reminding her how destitute her whole family is and making her feel guilty about failing in her filial duties. Like Tess said, if he wanted to be generous he should do it but not tell her about it. She knew the whole time that if she accepted his help, she would have to be "his creature." Those were the unspoken terms. If he loved her unselfishly he would respect her wishes to leave her alone. His love was completely selfish. He knew she didn't love him, but was willing to force her into a relationship with him because of course HE loved her and that's probably all that mattered to him. Certainly not her happiness.

Or...I just shoot you - "baby."
- Special Agent Dana Scully

[–] amy-girl 13 years ago

You all make good points and, since i've only just started the book i really only have this series to go by, i shouldn't really criticise any of you. I only wanted to bring up, especially when it comes to Queen of sheba's comment, why is it that no one seems to bring up how Alec treated Tess once she'd become his mistress? After relentlessly pursuing her which, like you all have said she only agreed after he finally convinced her that Angel was not coming back and she was being selfish to her family by refusing to let him help them, he then treats her like a slave! The way he says ''come back to bed. Don't keep me waiting'' and how she's dressed! Made me feel physically sick. Like i said, i take all of your points and also felt that when he saw her again that he did care about helping her and the proposal scene made me think that maybe he did love her(i never thought he did before hand), but the scene when Angel comes to see her just made me forget all that and i was begging Tess to kill him. I think he couldn't have loved her because no one, not even a rapist, could be that evil!

[–] undomiel152003-1 8 years ago

Seven years later, but still deserving....👏

Quit ya moanin