Tess of the d'Urbervilles as a film

Hardy adapts his language to reflect the language of his characters, making it easy to dramatise his dialogue. Often this speech is simple, and does not "drown out" the surroundings he is trying to evoke.

Much of the dialogue can become script directly. Much of it works dramatically and emotionally. It is a very emotional story.

Hardy's use of Latinate vocabulary allows him from time to time to evoke a precise image.

Hardy writes "like a camera" showing how we are to "see" his story.

Hardy uses symbolism to help tell his story, for example the landscape at Flintcomb-Ash reflects Tess's desperate mood. The lush fertility at the dairy suggests the growing love between Angel and Tess. This is really useful to a director because films too must use symbols to compress their narrative. (They must tell a life-story in two hours.)

Hardy writes so descriptively that it is easy to visualise his scenes and to turn them into film sets. Chapters often begin with scene-setting.

Language reflects mood which the director can work with.

The description - to modern taste - can seem to slow down the book: replacing it with cinematography helps concentrate the novel on film.

Sometimes, Hardy leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions - eg about the rape - and this gives a director some useful freedom.

A clear overall structure: "a beginning, a middle and an end".

A strong plot with "twists".

The reader does not like what happens to Tess in the story but her life dominates the narrative: this hooks in the audience who are fascinated and appalled.