Roman Polanski gave Nastassja Kinski a copy of 'Tess of the D'urbevilles' by Thomas Hardy to read. The book was given to him by his late wife, Sharon, who had remarked that it would make a great movie. The ensuing film therefore was a very personal and tender tribute for Polanski himself, it also gave Nastassja a role she had longed for, one that gave her both 'respect' and 'dignity' as an actress, as she herself has pointed out in subsequent interviews.

Polanski searched for an appropriate location to portray the nineteenth century setting of Dorset, England. Finally after a long hunt he struck on the visually enthralling French countryside of Normandy and Brittany.

During this time he sent Nastassja to England to study with Kate Fleming, a National Theatre dialogue coach who had previously worked with Polanski on Macbeth. Nastassja was told that if she could perfect the Dorset dialogue in time the role would be hers. It was clear to him from the very beginning that Nastassja was perfect for the role of the tragic beauty 'Tess'.

The casting director, Mary Sellway, would find the actors for the two male characters. Leigh Lawson would play 'Alec' and Peter Firth 'Angel'. The two young actors had been friends for years before they starred in Tess, and Peter Firth had won an Oscar nomination for his starring role in 'Equus'.

The beginning sequence for the film was shot at a country crossroads that Roman Polanski found by accident whilst cycling during production. On August 7th, 1978 the first day of filming it rained continuously preventing the scene between Leigh Lawson and Nastassja, the famous scene in the film where he feeds her a strawberry.