In World War II London, a cocky and obnoxious journalist is desperate to learn about the woman with whom he is wildly enamored. He discovers her mysterious diary, but then finds himself a fugitive in a murder hunt at the hands of opponents he can neither outwit nor understand.

An exquisite, richly layered adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. A strong-willed peasant girl is sent by her father to the estate of some local aristocrats to capitalize on a rumor that their families are from the same line. This fateful visit commences an epic narrative of sex, class, betrayal, and revenge. With its earthy visual textures it is a work of great pastoral beauty as well as vivid storytelling.