A Tale of Two Cities

Starring:James Wilby, Xavier Deluc, Serena Gordon, John Mills, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Anna Massey, Kathy Kriegel, Alfred Lynch, GÃ©rard Klein, Jean-Marc Bory, GÃ©rard Renoux, Muriel Combeau, Joel Freminet, GÃ©rard Laurent, Mary Healey, John Moffatt, Jean-Paul Tribout, Michel Subor, Bernard Blancan, Claude Aufaure
Director: Philippe Monnier
Studio: Bfs Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A Tale of Two Cities
A marvelous example of David Selznick's way with literature, and why Ronald Colman was a star
A Tale of Two Cities
Movie of a literature classic
From the Producer of "Gone With the Wind".

A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Starring: Ronald Colman , Elizabeth Allan , Edna May Oliver , Reginald Owen , and Basil Rathbone
Director: Jack Conway , Robert Z. Leonard , and Jacob Leventhal
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

David Copperfield (1935)
Marie Antoinette
Treasure Island
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions)
A Tale of Two Cities (Masterpiece Theatre, 1989)

ASIN: B000GRUQL0
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

Ronald Colman isn't even on screen for the most famous lines of his career ("It's a far, far better thing I do..."), but such is the power of the moment and the performance that everybody remembers it anyway. A Tale of Two Cities was the follow-up for producer David O. Selznick and high-class studio MGM to their hit adaptation of another Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations. While not scaling the heights of that impeccable production, Tale gives a tight, straightforward reading of Dickens' story of the French Revolution. Colman plays the drunken romantic Sydney Carton, who pines for the lovely Lucie Manette (Elizabeth Allan) even though she marries former French aristocrat Charles Darnay (Donald Woods). Meanwhile, back in Paris, the Revolution erupts, and Darnay is fated for the guillotine... perhaps. Along with Colman's expert study in melancholy, the film is crammed with fragrant supporting players, such as Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, and the uniquely unsettling Blanche Yurka as the endlessly-knitting Madame Defarge. In a handful of scenes, Basil Rathbone makes the Marquis de Evremonde the quintessence of clueless privilege ("With what I get from these peasants, I can hardly afford to pay my perfume bill"). Journeyman director Jack Conway doesn't have the lovely touch that George Cukor brought to Copperfield, but Selznick hired him because "the picture is melodrama, it must have pace and it must 'pack a wallop.'" It still does. Footnote to film history: Selznick's assistant, Val Lewton, supervised the Revolutionary montage, and hired director Jacques Tourneur for the job; later they would team up on Lewton's great run of B-horror pictures, beginning with Cat People. --Robert Horton

Description

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." Charles Dickens' tale of love and tumult during the French Revolution comes to the screen in a sumptuous film version by the producer famed for nurturing sprawling literary works: David O. Selznick (David Copperfield, Anna Karenina, Gone with the Wind). Ronald Colman (The Prisoner of Zenda) stars as Sydney Carton ? sardonic, dissolute, a wastrel...and destined to redeem himself in an act of courageous sacrifice. "It's a far, far better thing I do than I've ever done," Carton muses at that defining moment. This is far, far better filmmaking, too: a Golden Era marvel of uncanny performances top to bottom, eye-filling crowd scenes (the storming of the Bastille, thronged courtrooms, an eerie festival of public execution) and lasting emotional power. Revolution is in the air!

DVD Features:
Other:Oscar?-Nominated Short Audioscopicks 2 Classic Cartoons: Hey, Hey Fever and Honeyland Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show Adaptation Starring Colman
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

A Tale of Two Cities.......2007-06-20

Conway's rich, peerless adaptation of Charles Dickens's famous novel ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times") succeeds on the merits of its lavish production design and exquisite, tone-perfect acting from the entire cast--overseen, of course, by MGM honcho David O. Selznick. Colman delivers his crowning screen performance as the cynical, boozing Carton, and when he utters the famously cathartic line "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done," only the most hardened could fail to be moved. Great support from Blanche Yurka, Basil Rathbone, and Edna May Oliver make this a sumptuous gem worth visiting again and again.

A marvelous example of David Selznick's way with literature, and why Ronald Colman was a star.......2007-05-04

A Tale of Two Cities is an outstanding example of a film which in memory seemed great and a classic, but when seen again is just a classic. That's not faint praise, either. Jack Conway may be listed as director, but make no mistake...this is David O. Selznick's film. It carries his strengths with great emotional impact, but it carries Selznick's flaws just as emphatically. Thanks to Charles Dickens, we have a hugely empathetic tale of noble sacrifice and redemption, played out against the extremes of injustice represented by the French Revolution. Thanks to Selznick, that story has been brought to life with cinematic fervor, strong actors, melodramatic situations, vast and detailed settings, and a screenplay which may run for over two hours but which never loses our interest. But Selznick was a man who was convinced that if one blow of the cinematic hammer could drive a nail home, then two or three more would naturally do the job better. And so at regular intervals we have characters, major and minor, over-acting. We are left in absolutely no doubt of the nobility of the noble of the heart; how evil the evil are; how dedicated and chirpy the servants are; or when we should tear up, or smile at amusing antics, or be repulsed by the evil madness of the revolutionaries. Selznick even employs message cards to remind us where we are and what we should be feeling, a technique that went out of fashion with the death of the silent movies.

Still, A Tale of Two Cities is undoubtedly a classic of movie making. Thanks to Dickens and to Ronald Colman as Sydney Carlton, thanks to some vivid casting, thanks to a great mise en scene, as they say, and thanks to Selznick's showmanship and craft, one would have to be a cynic among cynics not to be carried away by Carlton's sadness and his natural nobility. Just as importantly, you'd have to be dead in the heart and head not to be moved by his sacrifice, at how Carlton redeems himself for a friend and the woman they both love. "This I know," he tells Lucie Manette one afternoon. "I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Will you hold me in your mind as being ardent and sincere in this one thing? Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you." The courage he gives a young seamstress as they prepare to meet their deaths, the drum roll for the blade to descend, his walk up the stairs to the guillotine, those last words as the camera moves up from the crowds, up past the blade and up to the sunlit clouds...well, I was choking back tears. The ending is melodramatic, flawed for me by a syrupy score and by the over-acting of the young woman playing the seamstress. But, I'll tell you, it works.

It's Sydney Carlton who drives the movie. Without a first-rate actor with whom we can empathize and admire, the part would either be awash in self-pity or simply become tiresome. Ronald Colman may seem a bit old fashioned now. We've come to expect our heros to be much more direct, younger and less idealistically romantic. Colman exuded breeding and intelligence even when he was sword-fighting. He made no enemies of men and he gave women someone to dream about. His portrayal of the dissolute, drunken, self-loathing Carlton never falls into simple sloshing about or petulance. He can see himself with a clear eye and a sense of ironic understanding. He makes Carlton not only a man who has wasted his talents and his life, but a man who we are willing to believe is able to find redemption. That redemption is the unexpected love for Lucie Manette that even extends to deliberately sacrificing of himself to save the man Lucie Manette loves. His love for her is that great.

Selznick peopled his film with vivid caricatures. Some work, some don't. The greasy, revolutionary enthusiasts of the guillotine all begin to look and act alike. The haughty, mannered French aristos are so self-centered we wind up kind of admiring them, and the last scenes showing some of them being noble in the face of the blade is a little phony. Still, Basil Rathbone as the Marquis St. Evremonde wearing a white, powdered wig is a sight to enjoy. His concern for his horses, after they've just run down a peasant boy, is touching. "It's extraordinary to me that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children," he says, with impeccable Rathbonian diction. "One or the other of you is forever in the way. How do you know what injury you might do to my horses?" And Blanche Yurka as Madame Defarge should make us all extremely wary of women who knit.

A Tale of Two Cities is nothing less than a marvelous, coarsened Selznick "literary" production. It remains an immensely watchable film. If it fails at being "great," it certainly ranks after seventy years as a classic. The DVD transfer looks very good. The extras include a couple of cartoons and a radio adaption of the story.

A Tale of Two Cities.......2007-03-09

Finding this movie on DVD was first a surprise and then a genuine pleasure. This is a time honored story brought to life on the screen with an excellent performance by Ronald Colman and a superb supporting cast. A Tale of Two Cities is a literary classic on its own merit but the cinematic version is just a pleasure and worth every penny for those that treasure movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. For devoted movie collectors this is a "must-have".

Movie of a literature classic.......2007-03-09

Good job of restoring and digitally remastering this movie. Fans of Charles Dickens and Ronald Colman will enjoy it.

From the Producer of "Gone With the Wind"........2006-11-03

The story of a family and a friendship in the French Revolution of 1789.

Based on the history novel of the great writer, Charles Dickens, who wrote "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol". Good script, and some likeable characters. A lively drama. A couple large-scale scenes.

The French Revolution was brought by: prior kings spending the country's money on wars, failed crops, starving peasants, hopelessness of renters farming for the wealthy, the seeming unconcern of some of the rich, and Courts favoring the rich over justice. Some 18,000 to 40,000 persons were executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. It meant death to have been a member of the "uncaring" rich, to be an aristocrat.

King Louis XVI married at 15-years-old, his wife of 14-years-old, Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette had been sent from Austria, all alone, at 14-years-old, leaving family and friends, to marry a young man she had never met. It is no wonder she turned to pleasures. They became king and queen at 20 and 19-years old. The king, himself, said "We are too young to rule".

Some revolutions start with good intent, such as democracy with land reform; giving hoarded land back to the peasants to farm and own. Then in the confusion, evil men struck, seized power, and formed a dictatorship. So in Russia, in World War I, 1917, Lenin and Stalin did not start the Russian Revolution. Rather, men who sought democracy, began the Russian Revolution, and were murdered by Stalin and Lenin, who then usurped power, lied, lied, lied, and oppressed the people. The French Revolution started with some good intent, but, out-of-control, lack-of-values, led to mob rule, and murder of innocent people. The French Revolution gave rise to Napoleon Bonaparte ten years later. Napoleon would lead over a million Frenchmen to their deaths in war. Napoleon saw 600,000 men die in his retreat from Moscow, during the harsh winter war.

This film also comes in a 5 movie set, of black & white, 1930's films, with: "Pride & Prejudice" (excellent), "David Copperfield" (very good), "Treasure Island" (good), and "Marie Antoinette" (some interest with sadness) within "Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection".

The "Scarlet Pimpernel"-1935 is an excellent film of this same subject, but much happier; starring Leslie Howard, who played Ashley Wilkes in "Gone With the Wind", and was a real-life spy in World War II; also starring the beautiful actress, Merle Oberon. A clever adventure.

Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection (David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)

Average customer rating:

History and literature put together in a pleasant picture
The movie summit! As good as movies get!
A Tale of Two Cities
Motion Picture Masterpieces
Excellent collection

Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection (David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)
Starring: Edna May Oliver , Elizabeth Allan , Jessie Ralph , Harry Beresford , and Freddie Bartholomew
Director: George Cukor , W.S. Van Dyke , and Robert Z. Leonard
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Literary Classics Collection (Madame Bovary (1949), Captain Horatio Hornblower, The Three Musketeers (1948), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions), Billy Budd)
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ASIN: B000GRUQLK
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

For an accurate look at how things were at MGM in the glory days, go directly to Motion Picture Masterpieces, a DVD box with five literary-minded A-list productions. MGM liked to think of itself as the studio of class, and its highbrow aspirations (mixed with plenty of old-fashioned hokum) are on lavish display in this collection.

Louis B. Mayer ran the studio, and boy wonder Irving Thalberg supervised production. However, another strong-willed producer, future Gone with the Wind CEO David O. Selznick, was responsible for guiding a pair of highly enjoyable Dickens adaptations, both released in 1935. David Copperfield is a wonderful condensation of the sprawling novel, crammed with memorable evocations of Dickens' roster of eccentrics. Freddie Bartholomew, who became a star with this role, plays the young David; equally indelible are W.C. Fields as Mr. Micawber, Basil Rathbone as Murdstone, and especially Edna May Oliver as Besty Trotwood. Director George Cukor's empathy and craftsmanship keep the movie humming with Dickensian wit. A Tale of Two Cities followed shortly thereafter, with Ronald Colman in one of his signature roles as the drunken romantic Sydney Carton, whose throttled love for the beautiful Lucie Manette leads to the French Revolution's guillotine. Jack Conway directs in tight, brisk fashion, and once again the supporting cast (Oliver and Rathbone return from Copperfield) is flavorful.

The French Revolution also figures in the rather preposterous Marie Antoinette (1938), an eye-popping production about the bride of Louis XVI. The project was a pet of Thalberg and his wife Norma Shearer, and MGM proceeded with the overstuffed production even after Thalberg's early death. Marie gets an extramarital affair (with the young Tyrone Power) and an incredible parade of gowns and wigs, but not too much blame for the peasants starving. Robert Morley steals the show as Louis XVI, with John Barrymore in rascally form as his grandfather. Shearer's ordinariness somehow fits her out-of-it character.

Treasure Island (1934) casts Jackie Cooper as young Jim Hawkins and Wallace Beery as that one-legged seadog, Long John Silver (the pair had scored a huge hit in The Champ three years earlier). This is a lot of people's favorite adaptation of the marvelous Robert Louis Stevenson novel, and Victor Fleming's manly directing approach manages to take some of the sheen off the MGM house style (by the way, art director Cedric Gibbons, credited on all these films, is one of the stars of the box set).

Pride and Prejudice (1940) is a respectable take on Jane Austen's oft-filmed novel, with Greer Garson as the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and Laurence Olivier as the difficult Mr. Darcy. MGM liked to corset Garson in fine-lady roles, but here she lets some of Elizabeth's sauciness come through; actually, Olivier's elaborate performance is the movie's too-theatrical weak spot. But boy, does this movie tell a good story--and that's rather the point of these (Marie excepted) solid literary adaptations. --Robert Horton

Description

MARIE ANTOINETTE The woman who was France! Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power headline an opulent saga of royalty and revolution. DAVID COPPERFIELD Based on the best-selling book by Charles Dickens. W.C. Fields is Micawber, and Freddie Bartholomew is young David in a splendid version of Dickens' most autobiographical work. A TALE OF TWO CITIES From the famed author Charles Dickens. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Ronald Colman stars in the lavish story of the French Revolution...and one man's redemption. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Based on the best-selling book by Jane Austen. Mr. Darcy (Laurence Olivier) sets maiden hearts aflutter - except for that of unimpressed Elizabeth Bennett (Greer Garson). Austen's masterwork! TREASURE ISLAND Based on the unforgettable book of the same title by Robert Louis Stevenson. Avast, me hearties, for the swashbuckler about a boy with a treasure map - and a pirate (Long John Silver) with a scheme. The Champ's Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper reunite!

Customer Reviews:

History and literature put together in a pleasant picture.......2007-05-07

Although the content of some of the movies in this box has a very tragic ending there are qualities that are common to all the dvds of the box.
First of all, the ability and amazing acting skills of the actors, whether leading roles or supporting ones, it is really a pleasure to see the superb performances they can give to a large variety of characters.
The witty dialogues, the scenery and the good restoration of the film are more than added values.
You can enjoy a journey through history with Marie Antoinette or amuse yourself with the intricated plots from Jane Austen and the classic literature from Dickens and Stevenson.
You really get your money's worth with this collection.

The movie summit! As good as movies get!.......2007-03-18

The title tells the truth. Even by 1930's golden age of Hollywood standards, these five movies are literary masterpieces and true film classics. I remember all five fondly as a teenager in the late 1960's and early 1970's in long-gone San Francisco art theaters, and cut to threads on morning prize movie TV shows. It is an honor to watch them now in a comfortable bedroom, uncut and non-commercial. They are, of course, MGM studio print editions that in one instance, MARIE ANTOINETTE, even contains roadshow music and an intermission never seen on television.

TREASURE ISLAND (1934) stars Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, was directed by Victor Fleming (CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS, GONE WITH THE WIND), and is based on a Robert Louis Stevenson novel about pirates and buried treasure. In gorgeous B&W, it reunites Beery and Cooper from THE CHAMP (1931) and also features Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone. Come to think about it, this is a reunion for half the cast of GRAND HOTEL (1932).

DAVID COPPERFIELD and A TALE OF TWO CITIES (both 1935) are towering masterpieces based on Charles Dickens novels; both are impeccably produced by David O. Selznick. Painstakingly faithful to very long books, they both have gorgeous art direction and are cast to perfection down to the bit roles: W.C. Fields as Micawber, Freddie Bartholomew and Frank Lawton as David, Basil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone, and Edna May Oliver as Aunt Betsey in DAVID; and Ronald Colman in maybe his greatest performance in TALE, which also features Oliver and Rathbone. At about 130 minutes each, they are long enough to do justice to the Dickens novels; I am sure he would have loved both immensely.

MARIE ANTOINETTE (1938), presented in a never-seen 157 minute roadshow edition, has an Oscar-nominated Norma Shearer in a wonderful role. If someone wanted to know who Shearer was, I would show this incredibly opulent and literate costume romance to them. It is the underrated masterpiece of this box set and also stars Tyrone Power and an Oscar-nominated Robert Morley as a shy, child-like King Louis XVI. The magnificent art direction and regal music were also Oscar-nominated. W.S. Van Dyke (THE THIN MAN, SAN FRANCISCO) directed.

Finally, we have a splendidly cast and written adaptation of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940), starring Greer Garson as Elizabeth Bennet and Laurence Oliver as Mr. Darcy. Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin scripted this lovely and witty romantic comedy of manners that won an Oscar for B&W Interior Set Decoration.

But you don't just get five great movies in this Warner Home Video boxed set. TREASURE ISLAND also comes with two shorts, a cartoon, and a theatrical trailer. DAVID COPPERFIELD has the marvelous Technicolor short PIRATE PARTY AT CATALINA ISLE, along with a second Technicolor short, a cartoon, and a theatrical trailer. A TALE OF TWO CITIES has a memorable 60 minute Lux Radio Theater adaptation of TALE from 1942, starring Ronald Colman, along with two vintage cartoons and the theatrical trailer. MARIE ANTOINETTE has two shorts and a theatrical trailer, all tied in to the 1938 movie. And PRIDE AND PREJUDICE has an Oscar-nominated patriotic short on Navy training during World War Two, plus a color cartoon and theatrical trailer. It is one hell of a DVD boxed set, a labor of love and an absolute must-see on a slow TV week.

A Tale of Two Cities.......2007-01-16

We acquired this collection because we wanted to own the 1935 version of A Tale of Two Cities. We just watched it and had a wonderful experience. The movie is very close to the plot, the performances are superb. Charles Dickens' book will forever be a testament to the struggle of humanity between the have and have nots.

The performance of Blanche Yurka, as Madame DeFarge is outstanding. The citizens of France, seeking to put an end to the tyranny they experience from the oppressing aristrocracy, presents the never ending example that when rights are stepped on, it always ends in revolution and change. The Marquis St. Evremonde, played by Basil Rathbone, provides a view to the horror it represents for anyone to show they do not care about those who suffer. Especially when it comes to children; for the horror committed against this family, sparks the fire that leads to events that put an end to the ruling society.

Dr. Manette's performance as the innocent man who was a prisoner at the Bastille for over 18 years is superb. His daughter, played by Elizabeth Allen, represents the person that inspires great love in two men, one Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton, superbly played by Ronald Colman.

The character of Miss Pross, played by Edna May Oliver, is awesome. We go from disliking her, to admiring and then loving her for her sacrifice that saves the life of Ms. Manette. In the end, the sacrifice made by Sydney for the love of Lucie is one of the most sensitive and touching of all love stories. He finds purpose for his life, knowing full well that his actions shall forever live in the hearts of those he sacrifices for. Would highly recommend owning this DVD. The other movies shall be reviewed as we see them.

Motion Picture Masterpieces.......2007-01-14

A set of classic movies.

The collection includes several of my favourite movies - now in excellent video and sound quality.

I particularly enjoyed Prode and Prejudice - this is the version that all following copies are judged against. The acting is superb, and the cast is amazing!

This is a collection worthy of keeping ( and enjoying) for years to come.
An excellent example of Hollywoos at it's prime.

Excellent collection.......2007-01-12

This DVD set is a great example of the golden age of the movie studios. There is a little something for everyone in this set. The length of each of the DVD's hovers around 90 minutes and the time really zips by. For my money, this is the best version of David Copperfield with a top rate cast including WC Fields as Macawber and little Freddie Bartholomew as David. Marie Antoinette with Norma Shearer is heads and tails above that awful recent Marie misfire. This Pride and Prejudice is quick, to the point and completely enjoyable with Lawrence Olivier as Darcy and Greer Garson as Elizabeth (not to mention the amazing Mary Boland as Mrs. Bennett). A Tale of Two Cities is the best adaptation of Dickens ever on the screen. Ronald Coleman is perfect as the doomed hero. And finally the original pirate movie Treasure Island with the fantastic Wallace Beery as Long John Silver. Force your kids (and yourself) to watch all or at least some of these great classics. You won't be sorry.

A Tale of Two Cities (Masterpiece Theatre, 1989)

Average customer rating:

Worth watching. Worth owning.
where to rent?
Good but not Excellent
Enjoyed this very much......
Accurate and touching film adaptation

A Tale of Two Cities (Masterpiece Theatre, 1989)
Starring: James Wilby , Xavier Deluc , Serena Gordon , John Mills , and Jean-Pierre Aumont
Director: Philippe Monnier
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

David Copperfield
Great Expectations (Masterpiece Theatre, 1999)
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
A Tale of Two Cities (Cliffs Notes)
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ASIN: B00005N5RH
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Customer Reviews:

Worth watching. Worth owning........2007-06-21

Within my admittedly limited experience, Masterpiece Theater dramatizations of great books are well produced and faithful to the original. This is no exception.

Well, Dickens's famous opening lines, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times," etc. do not come at the beginning of the production but are inserted into a monologue by Sydney Carton shortly after the start of the second DVD. Otherwise, the plot, details, and characters seem much the same as I remember from when I last read the book several years ago.

My wife and I bought this set to help a young friend who is close to graduating from high school at a public school and therefore has problems with reading comprehension. We are well satisfied that she can watch this, then read, and perhaps profit in several ways.

Anyone looking for dazzling FX and computer-generated panoramics will be disappointed. This was made on a budget for television in 1989.

Otherwise, it is a capable -- sometimes very good -- and certainly a moving production. I think Dickens would have approved.

where to rent?.......2006-03-05

can anyone tell me where I can find this movie to rent in DVD?

Good but not Excellent.......2006-01-02

I was studying this novel at university, so I wanted to understand the novel more. The accent used in the movie are little strange for me, I wasnt able to understand some conversations. Also, here is no English subtitle, to know what they are saying. There are some differences between the movie and the novel, e.g Gaspard is mentioned in the novel to be a tall man, while he was shown to be little short man.

Enjoyed this very much.............2005-09-12

I was skeptical about an older movie with a cast of unknowns, but by the end of movie I loved every character. The actors in this movie are wonderful. And a great love story.

Accurate and touching film adaptation.......2005-03-12

This film version of A Tale of Two Cities is a masterpiece -- it faithful adapts Dickens' classic novel while holding out as a worthwhile movie in its own right through incredible performances from its lead actors. The plot of the novel has not been touched -- in filming Dickens' most tightly-plotted novel, a good decision. The acting is uncommonly good. Sydney Carton is fabulously done; James Wilby is to be commended for a wonderful and nuanced performance. I also found Madame Defarge particularly well-done; the actress playing her is SCARY! Considering Mme. Defarge's character in the book, I think her almost insane bitterness and sharp purpose is well-portrayed.

A couple of unique things about this film include its use of French actors to play French characters and British actors to play British characters. No contrived accents, and people actually look their nationality -- both important in such a highly political story. I also strongly support the decision to have Carton and Darnay played by different people; yes, they're supposed to look alike, but not identical. And having different actors play them facilitates the portrayal of their very contrasted characters.

I am admittedly coming from the perspective of one who read and loved the book years before seeing the movie; I can't judge what this film would be like to someone who has never read the novel. But I found it an accurate and sensitive adaptation of the book I know and love, and I imagine that the beauty of the story would appeal just as easily to someone experiencing the story for the first time.

Average customer rating:

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities
Starring: Tale of Two Cities
Manufacturer: Liberation Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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A Tale of Two Cities (Masterpiece Theatre, 1989)
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
The Charles Dickens Collection, Vol. 2 (David Copperfield / The Pickwick Papers / The Old Curiosity Shop / Dombey and Son)
Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection (David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)
The Charles Dickens Collection (Oliver Twist / Martin Chuzzlewit / Bleak House / Hard Times / Great Expectations / Our Mutual Friend)

ASIN: B000FO0ACO
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Average customer rating:

Ghastly
Not a review, but for what its' worth...
Bad tape
Classic British Version of The Immortal Dickens' Story
*Kissing Dirk Bogard*

A Tale of Two Cities (1958) [Region 2]
Starring: Dirk Bogarde , Dorothy Tutin , Paul Guers , Marie Versini , and Ian Bannen
Director: Ralph Thomas
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
A Tale of Two Cities (Masterpiece Theatre, 1989)
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ASIN: B00005UPJW

Customer Reviews:

Ghastly.......2007-04-26

I wonder if any of the people who gave this film 5-star reviews have ever read the novel. This is one of the most painfully awful adaptations of a classic that I've ever seen. The creators of this film got everything wrong, from the writer's misbegotten decision to reveal, at the very beginning, ALL the shocking secrets that Mr Dickens felt were better revealed 3/4 of the way through the story...to messing with not only the timeline of the novel but also (painfully) of history...to the dreadful portrayal in the script (compounded by a stuffy actor) of Charles Darnay, in which a somewhat bland but sympathetic character is turned into a smug, snooty prig whose only positive attribute is his good looks. What does Lucie (who is much too ditsy and simpering as portrayed by Dorothy Tutin) see in this pill? This major miscalculation, which probably was intended to make gloomy Sydney more attractive to us in comparison, simply makes us wish that Sydney would just let the creep get shortened and run off with ditsy Lucie himself.

This said, if you are a hardcore TTC fan, you should probably watch it for Dirk Bogarde, who is *almost* as good as Ronald Colman in the role of Sydney Carton. Otherwise, skip it and watch the 1935 or 1989 versions instead.

Not a review, but for what its' worth..........2006-06-04

Most of the Soldiers used in the Rank film were USAF Airman stationed at Chateauroux AFB Base in Indre. They were selected, because they were in good condition, mostly tall and had short hair. The monk/priest, who gave the last rites, was also an Airman. In the guillotine scenes, He winged it and used the sign of the cross. The Director loved it! Unfortunately, he did it backwards and being sticklers for the truth, the Director cut his great ad-lib. So much for a brush with fame. They did serve great food.

Bad tape.......2005-09-07

I sent for a tape of "Tale of Two Cites" It came promptly but unfortunately was of poor quality. I couln't tune out the lines out on the tape using the tracking function. C'est la vie. Don't have the time to repackage the VHS version and send it back. I don't plan to buy anymore VHS tapes on the internet.
I'll stick to local vendors where I can return the VHS tapes the next day. Everything should now be converted to DVD anyway.

Classic British Version of The Immortal Dickens' Story.......2004-10-25

There have been a number of fine film versions of the famous novel by Charles Dickens "A Tale of Two Cities", stretching right back to the 1917 silent version starring William Farnum and as recently as the 1980's there have been various television productions. However the two versions that stay in my mind and have rightly earned the accolade of "classic" are the lavish MGM version from 1935 starring an unforgettable Ronald Colman, and this 1958 British production starring Dirk Bogarde in the much loved role of disillusioned and world weary lawyer Sidney Carton. Both men brought their own individual styles to this famous role and Dirk Bogarde really came into his own here after his successful turn in the "Doctor", series of movies for the Rank organisation. He was a perfect casting choice as the self loathing but ultimately lonely English lawyer who achieves at the eleventh hour, the ability to love and find some inner peace through the ultimate self sacrifice during the frightening eruption of the French Revolution. With his good looks, serious demeanour, and projection of a wasted life Dirk Bogarde gives I believe one of his best performances ever in "A Tale of Two Cities", and along with the first rate British supporting cast and a lavish budget for a British film at that time, combines to create a worthy successor to David O. Selznick's legendary 1935 version.

As befitting to the film's title the action takes place in the cities of London and Paris in the lead up to the French Revolution. Sidney Carton (Bogarde), is a cynical lawyer who lives only for the pleasures of the bottle and has little concern for the wellbeing of his fellow man. Called in to help defend a man by the name of Charles Darnay (Paul Guers),a french nobleman who is on a charge of suspected treason Carton makes the acquaintance of Darnay's fiancee Lucie Manette (Dorothy Tutin),who he instantly falls in love with. Carton also notices that from a distance he strongly resembles Darnay which will hold him in good stead later in revolutionarry Paris. Lucie discovers through her family friend Jarvis Lorry (Cecil Parker), that her father Dr. Manette (Stephen Murray), long thought dead is actually alive and being cared for in Paris by a family called De Farge. Lucie makes the dangerous journey to an increasingly violent Paris and not only finds her father but learns of his years of unjust imprisonment in the Bastille courtesy of the vicious French aristocrat the Marquis St. Evermonde (Christopher Lee).Taking her father back to London Lucie also learns the real identity of Charles as none other than the cousin of the same dreaded Marquis who it turns out was at the bottom of the plot to have Charles framed for treason. Charles holds nothing but hatred for his corrupt cousin and decides to remove any connection with the dissolute aristocrat. He travels to France and firmly cuts off his rights as heir to the Evremonde estates however after the Marquise is murdered by the distraught father of a little boy he ran over in his carriage, Charles finds himself arrested as an exile and placed as a prisoner in the dreaded La Force prison. Getting a message back to London of what has happened Lucie decides to travel back with her father to try and mount some kind of defence for Charles despite the corrupt and one sided courts that now operate in revolutionary Paris. Sidney also travels with Lucie's group that includes her protective womanservant Miss Pross (Athene Seyler), however he has a different agenda to carry out in Paris seeing the hopeless situation any known aristocrats are now in in France. Once on trial Charles falls foul of the vengeful Madame DeFarge (Rosalie Crutchley),who has her own personal vendetta against all members of the Evremonde family and when Charles is exposed as a former aristocrat his cause is lost and he is comdemmned to death. Sidney meanwhile has been busy on his own and sets out to try and rescue Charles. He blackmails the corrupt Barsard (Donald Pleasence), who as a crony of the late Marquise St. Evremonde would be a sure candidate to loose his head on the Guillotine, to get him into the La Force prison and once inside in the ultimate act of self sacrifice he first drugs Charles and then has Barsard take him out dressed in his clothes. Sidney then prepares to meet the fate which would have been Charles'. Lucie much to her surprise is reunited with a still drugged Charles who is being passed off as Sidney Carton and the group make their escape from Paris. Facing the cold knife of the Guillotine in place of Charles, Sidney at last feels self respect in the knowledge that he has helped to keep alive the happiness of his beloved Lucie who he knew he would never be able to possess.

While in some respects this version of "A Tale of Two Cities", may lack a bit of the sweeping scope of the earlier Selznick version it is still a superbly put together production filled with some wonderful performances. Dirk Bogarde of course is superb as Sidney Carton bringing just the right elements of worldliness with a dose of inner sadness about him to make the character not only believable but highly likeable as well. Dorothy Tutin, a veteran British actress does great work as the heroine Lucie and Cecil Parker, Stephen Murray, Athene Seyler in the role of the fussy Miss Pross, and especially Rosalie Crutchley as Madame Defarge are first rate and bring their combined film and theatre experience to good use in the screenplay. Christopher Lee long associated with the horror roles at Hammer Studios has one of the more memorable parts as the heartless aristocrat St. Evremonde who pays with his life for his arrogance towards the ordinary people. Fresh from his triumph in the classic "The Curse of Frankenstein", his stark portrayal of the horrid nobleman is one of the stories real strong points. Visually the film has a wonderfully rich quality to it that could not be bettered and the action scenes depicting the storming of the Bastille, the vivid portrayals of the starving peasants and the revolutionary tribunals with their corrupt aim of ridding France of the country's elite all stay in the mind long after viewing it. Another strong point is the extreme attention to detail in costumes, carriages and period detail that bring this frightening era to life so effectively. The on location photography in France at the real Chateau de Valencay which stands in for St. Evremonde's chateau also helps give the correct 18th Century French feel to those sections of the story taking place in France.

The Rank organisation produced some wonderful films during their heyday and this version of "A Tale of Two Cities", has definately stood the test of time as one of the very best versions of this often filmed story. It's easy to see why Dirk Borgarde won heart throb status around this time but his talent is the thing that really shines through in the difficult role of the self loathing lawyer who only finds his real self in the shadow of the Guillotine. I highly recommend the 1958 production of "A Tale of Two Cities", for all lovers of classic literature and to those that enjoy rousing historical dramas filled with great characters, adventure and romance.

*Kissing Dirk Bogard*.......2002-04-08

Nope, he never got to kiss the girl. And the movie wasn't in color, either. Didn't have to be. This is THE BEST, most beautiful version ever made of the finest tale of heroism ever told. A 5 (out of five) Kleenexes rating for A Tale of Two Cities, starring Dirk Bogard!! Don't confuse it with any other version of this movie. No man alive played the indolent wastrel, Sidney, with the intensity that Dirk did. A unique performance! The others were great too.

You watchers of TITANIC (it was OK), get a real movie, will you?

"It is a far, far better thing I do, than I have done before. It is a better rest I go to...than I have ever had."

Product Description

IN THIS ANIMATED LOVE AND LOSS SET TO THE BACKDROP OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION...

Customer Reviews:

Quite an Impressive Production of Dickens's Novel. .......2006-07-25

Overall, these people did a good job of transferring this famous novel of Charles Dickens to film. To be sure, there were 3 things from the book I did miss. (1) The comical scene when Mr. Lorry keeps insisting to Miss Manette that he is: 'just an instrument, just a machine,' (2) The scene where Mr. Lorry slowly tells Dr. Manette that the shoe maker's bench must be destroyed, and (3) Madam Defarge's comeuppance. But other than that, the transfer of this novel to film is actually quite impressive. As in the book, Mr. Lorry tells Miss Lucille Manette that her father has spent many years in the French prison, but that he is alive and well. (Mr. Defarge is hiding him.) Mr. Defarge starts out nice enough, but like Shakespeare's Macbeth, Mr. Defarge is to eventually degenerate. After Lucille is reunited with her father, the story switches back to England. Charles Darnay faces charges of treason. But through the help of the benevolent lawyers Mr. Stryver and Mr. Carton, Charles is released. As in the book, we learn that Mr. Carton is an alcoholic. Things are fine in England, but the threat of war in civil war in France between the under privileged citizens and the cruel aristocracy continues to keep the tension. At one point (as in the book) a young child is killed by Charles's uncle. Charles goes back to France for a short while to give up his position. (He can not stand the cruelty of the French Aristocracy.) While we may accuse Charles Dickens of national bias in favor of England, history is on his side. Generally speaking, the English monarchy was more receptive to the needs of the English. Charles and Lucille fall in love and are married. (Though Lucilles father is struck for a moment when he realizes who Charles is.) Moving on, war breaks out in France between the aristocracy and the French citizens. (While this is an animated movie, parents may wish to screen it first and see if it is fit for young children. It's very good, but it does get violent.) Interestingly, Charles Dickens does NOT allow us to see the victory of the citizens as a happy end. (There is an especially cruel act of Defarge during the battle.) As in the book, Charles learns that one of his loyal servants is in trouble, and he risks going back to France, despite the warnings of Mr. Lorry. It is not long before Charles is taken and must stand trial. Charles Dickens uses a technique that was used by Cliff Marlowe in his "Edward II," and William Shakespeare in his "Richard II." When the French citizens have power, they are actually worse than the French Aristocracy was when they had power, and our sympathy is shifted over to the Aristocracy. Power seems to corrupt whoever has it. (Pardon the cliche.) The once benevolent Defarge loses whatever sympathy we may have had for him when he uses old papers from Dr. Manette to seal the fate of Charles. In a clever use of a flashback, we see characters of both the aristocracy and the common people, and we see that Dr. Manette has been a victim not only of the French Aristocracy, but the revenge driven citizens of France. (One thing not in the book that I have to admit was a good change was that Charles delivers an articulate speech where he explains that he had nothing to do with any of the atrocities named before him: "I renounced all title and claim to the Darnay family and fortune, in disgust at the Darnay family, and its crimes against the people of France.") But of course, the French citizens are not interested in facts or truth. They simply want vengeance. Most of you know that Mr. Carton sacrifices his life to save Charles. (These people add one more thing that Charles Dickens did not write. Lucille actually finds out what has happened and falls into utter sorrow.) Do not shun this movie because it is animated. While it does deviate from the book slightly, it still follows it quite well.

Average customer rating:

Literary Classics- A Tale of Two Cities

Manufacturer: Eagle Rock Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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An entertaining look at some of the world's great books

Average customer rating:

Great Expectations not lived up to...

A Tale of Two Cities/Great Expectations
Starring: Goodtimes 2pak
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00022LIQG
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Customer Reviews:

Great Expectations not lived up to..........2006-02-25

This DVD is terrible. I thought the quality would be better since it is on DVD, but it isn't. Don't waste your time or money on this one. I had "great expectations" for this, but was greatly disappointing!

Average customer rating:

A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

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Charles Dickens: "A Tale of Two Cities'". An elaborate adaptation of Dickens' classic tale of the French Revolution.

ASIN: B000GHBV4G

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