Jude

Jude

Year: 1996

Runtime: 123 min

Language: English

Director: Michael Winterbottom

DramaRomance

In Victorian England, Jude yearns for academic success but is held back by his working-class background. After a loveless marriage ends, he moves to the city seeking a new life. There, he begins a passionate but complicated affair with his cousin, Sue, who is already married. Their relationship triggers a series of devastating events, leading to heartbreak and significant turmoil for Jude and those around him.

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Timeline – Jude (1996)

Trace every key event in Jude (1996) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Jude Fawley's dream vs. reality

In the Victorian countryside, Jude Fawley is a bright, working-class youth who dreams of a university education. Circumstances push him into a stonemason's trade and toward an arranged marriage with Arabella. He holds on to the belief that education should be accessible to any hardworking man, despite his class.

Early life England (Victorian countryside)
2

Arabella's departure and university rejection

Months after marriage, Arabella leaves, and Jude heads toward the city to pursue education. He is blocked from the university, rejected largely because of his lower-class status. The setback hardens his resolve to seek a path through work and perseverance.

Few months later England; city
3

Meeting Sue Bridehead

Jude encounters his cousin Sue Bridehead, a woman of beauty and intellect who shuns convention. The two quickly connect over shared ideals and mutual disillusionment with social norms. Jude becomes enraptured by Sue’s spirit and intellect.

Early in their acquaintance In and around the city
4

Sue's marriage to Phillotson

Sue marries Jude’s former schoolteacher, Phillotson, after Jude tells her he is already married to Arabella. The union is arranged but emotionally empty, with Sue refusing to give herself sexually or romantically. The marriage begins to fracture almost immediately.

Shortly after meeting Jude City, England
5

The broken marriage leads to separation

The marriage fails to fulfill Sue; she leaves Phillotson to join Jude. They begin a nomadic, precarious life moving from place to place as Jude works sporadically as a stonemason. Their unorthodox arrangement tests their loyalty and resilience.

After marriage Various towns in England
6

Juey is born

Jude learns that Arabella bore a son named Jude, soon after she left him. The boy comes to live with Jude and Sue, increasing the pressures and complexity of their living arrangement. The new family dynamic is fraught with secrecy and hardship.

After Arabella's departure England
7

Sue's two children and scandal

Sue gives birth to two children while living with Jude, yet their relationship remains un-married and scandalous in the eyes of society. She remains agnostic and fiercely independent, refusing to legalize their arrangement by marriage. The couple's housing becomes precarious due to societal judgment.

During their years together Various lodgings in England
8

Lodging denied and Juey's tragedy

Because they live together without marriage, they cannot secure permanent lodging. Sue warns Juey that they must move on soon, as there are too many of them. The next day, Juey murders his half-siblings and hangs himself, leaving a suicide note blaming the situation: Becos we were to menny.

The next day Their lodging
9

Depression and religion

The deaths plunge both Jude and Sue into deep depression. Sue, who had rejected religion, turns back to faith, believing God punished them for their un-married relationship. She resolves to return to Phillotson, despite finding him sexually repugnant, because he is the true husband in the eyes of God.

After Juey's death England
10

A year later by the tomb

A year after the children's deaths, Jude and Sue meet by the tombstones of their children. They are worn and wrung by sorrow as Jude presses her to declare if she still loves him. She answers, You've always known, revealing unresolved feelings between them.

A year later Tomb of their children
11

The kiss and the departure

After the moment by the tomb, Jude and Sue share a passionate kiss as she walks away to rejoin Phillotson. Jude shouts to her that they are still bound as man and wife, a declaration of their bond that cannot be erased by social norms. Sue walks away toward her husband, leaving their future unresolved.

Immediately after the kiss Tomb site

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:58

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