After being impressed by Thomas Hardy in Under the Greenwood Tree , I saw another brilliant adaptation of his novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented . Even though this is a Victorian tragedy, I really loved watching the story unfold amidst breathtaking landscapes. The folks at BBC who produce such period dramas have a keen aesthetic sense, the setting is the most striking feature of this four part BBC undertaking. Lush green fields as far as the eye can see, it's nature at her best in contrast to the nature of man at his worst. And this in a nutshell is the crux of this classic novel. The story obviously revolves around a young, pious and naive girl; Tess Durbeyfield who faces cruelty and betrayal by the men in her life. Tess is first betrayed by her alcoholic irresponsible father whose main job seems to be producing kid after kid without the paternal instinct to hold on to a job long enough to provide for his l...