This film must rate as one of the greats. Keeping the full meaning of Hardy's stories set in Victorian England requires skill in production and direction. This film achieves that. The portrayal of the central characters Jude and Sue was well done by Chris Eccleston and Kate Winslet. The latter now an esteemed actress from Titanic. Some of the scenery and script could have been more realistic but as we move further from Victorian England only historians and those with very long memories would know. I would have liked a little more explanation and time spent on some of the actions, like the reason why Jude's first wife went away. It was a love story with a tragic ending which demonstrated the intensity of belief and importance people of the time placed in propriety and religion. Let's have more good film adaptations of the classics.
