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A Tale of Two Cities (1958)

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18 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
A classic film version of a classic novel, 11 January 2003

Author: noelcox from New Zealand

This is a classic film version of one of Dickin's classic novels. Arguably his best novel (though the critics tend to dismiss it - it has a straightforward plot and structure), it translates into an exceptional film.

For those who don't know the story, it concerns the fortunes of the Manette and St Evremonde families at the time of the French revolution. In a Romeo and Juliet type situation, Charles Darnay (alias St Evremonde) loves Lucie Manette, whose father Darnay's uncle had wronged. Now living in London, neither can escape the terrible events in Paris, and they are drawn to a climatic conclusion as the guillotine falls on aristocrat and commoner alike.

The real hero of both novel and film is Sydney Carton (Dirk Bogarde), an English lawyer who initially defends Charles Darnay against a charge of treason, and later comes to love Lucie, now married to Darnay. The conclusion of the story, for Sydney Carton at least, is both tragic and inspiring, and Mr Bogarde certainly does justice to the role.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Deeply moving! Powerful performances! The text of Dickens sensational. Bogarde is tremendous and at his best!, 29 May 2006

Author: lawrence_elliott from Canada

"Tale of Two Cities" is one of those overworked and tired tales that has been over told dozens of times ad nausea! However, this rendition is glorious. Only the Ronald Colman version is slightly better, but Dirk Bogarde fits this role perfectly, as he does most of his other roles in film. Although most of the versions of "Tale of Two Cities" are boring, much like the tired renditions of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, this version is like the Herbert Von Karajan or Carlos Kleiber orchestrations that are spectacular and inspiring, as if played for the very first time. There are beautifully crafted scenes in this film that create an interest in the humanity of the characters. This is truly a wonderful film.

One of the most powerful ending's to a film I have ever seen, similar to the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross, this is a film you must see and you will be glad you did. You will ask yourself, how many people could make such a sacrifice for the one they love? I know I couldn't. The courage of these characters' is awe-inspiring and as one of the character's says, Sydney Carton (Bogarde) shows the best that is in us, and is the best of us, in desperate times. A Super Hero in a great film! See this one! If you have a heart, you will have a lump in your throat and your eyes will be moist at the end of this one!

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Ralph Thomas' direction makes this the best adaptation, 6 December 2007

Author: emdragon from Reno, Nv

Summary: Ralph Thomas' direction makes this the best adaptation

The English 1958 interpretation of Charles Dickens' great novel "A Tale of Two Cities", directed by Ralph Thomas, is a really terrific picture, capturing the essence of Dickens' tale deftly. Thomas' craftily directed black and white adaptation lends itself quite tangibly and nicely to the purposes of the story, I would say more succinctly than the 1935 interpretation directed by Jack Conway. The earlier adaptation featured as many fine performances (Ronald Coleman, Edna Mae Oliver, Basil Rathbone, Blanche Yurka, etc), and succeeded in special effects and cinematography a little better, perhaps, than THIS picture, but Thomas' directing emphasizes the key points of the original story, and this becomes the better picture as a result.

Dirk Bogarde playing Sydney Carton is quite perfect here, and a young Christopher Lee as the conceit driven supercilious Marquis St. Evremonde is fantastic, as is Rosalie Crutchley as the cruel hearted revenge driven Madame Defarge. Cast-wise, both pictures do a great job, and Edna Mae Oliver's performance in the earlier picture is missed here. But the director uses a lighter brush to get many of the complexities of the story in this English version. In one scene, during the climactic period of the story in the dungeon of the Bastille, Barsad (Donald Pleasence), a character of low repute working for whichever side will use him, finally catches onto the heroism of Mr Carton and holds his hand out for a respectful shake. . . with no reply for several seconds. Then, just as he turns to open the door to have the guard take out Mr Carton, who by then is really a passed out Charles Darnay made to look like the supposed drunken Carton . . .the real Mr Carton (Dirk Bogarde) touches his shoulder, just enough to convey that a good angel is bringing hope to the world, even to low characters like Basard. It is very touching. This scene is handled with master craftsmanship by the director. And this sort of directing pervades the film's entirety, which is the primary reason why this movie IS the better of the two, in my opinion.

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5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
It is a far,far better thing that I do than I have ever done., 2 May 2006

Author: ianlouisiana from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Mr Dirk Bogarde was impossibly handsome in 1958.Photographed by Ernest Steward who,along with director Ralph Thomas,was to have a long professional association with him,he was,at 38,at the peak of his physical beauty,and well on the way along his journey from matinée idol to serious actor.In "A Tale of Two Cities" he plays Sidney Carton,a rather louche London lawyer who finds redemption in the turmoil of the French Revolution.It is as near a perfect adaptation of Dickens' novel as you could hope to find,and one of the masterpieces of 1950s British Cinema. Prior to the arrival of the Italian neo - realist movement and the French "Nouvelle Vague" we made a significant number of stylish and literate films that defined the term "British Cinema" to the rest of the world. ATOTC is one such film.Mr Bogarde,along with Mr Kenneth More and Mr Jack Hawkins,would guarantee "House Full" signs outside cinemas all over the country.These men epitomised all the virtues that the English attributed to themselves - interestingly mainly the middle-class ones.Once Mr Albert Finney had appeared in his vest in "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" we were regaled with whippet and Woodbine sagas that were still dragging on when Mr Hugh Grant came on the scene to reclaim the night for the Volvo and 2 labradors brigade. Sidney Carton's values were perhaps more easily understood by audiences in 1958 than today.In love with another man's fiancée he makes no attempt to seduce her despite the fact that she is clearly fond of him. He is an honourable man,a concept as beyond the grasp of a modern audience as that of suttee.He sacrifices his life to save his erstwhile rival.You can almost hear the chorus of "Yeah,right!". Of the triumvirate of English actors on top of the heap in 1958 only Mr Bogarde could possibly have played him.Mr More would have been too chirpy,Mr Hawkins too intense.So it was left to the youngest of the three to play one of the nineteenth century's most popular fictional heroes and to speak Charles Dickens' best known valediction,which he does exquisitely.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Effectively shows the best and worst of times, 15 November 2007

Author: Daniel Kincaid from Canada

"A Tale of Two Cities" is based on the novel by Charles Dickens. The story is not focused on the plight of the poor in Victorian England as with many of Dickens' novels, but rather an exploration of France prior to and in the wake of the French Revolution.

The nice thing about this film is that it has a sense of the scope of the history it portrays but also tells a personal story with connected people from England and France. The essential story concerns a hunted French aristocrat, an English barrister and a French woman whom they both love. These characters are not only linked to each other but to the French Revolution via the French aristocrat. The film shows the indiscretions by the aristocrats, the desperation of the beggars in Paris prior to the Revolution and but the arbitrary actions of Committee of Public Safety after the Revolution equally well. The transition with the storming of the Bastille was handled well. Importantly this film is in the end a very touching tale of self-sacrifice.

Dirk Bogarde is Sydney Carton, the English barrister of the story. Bogarde is effective at portraying Carton's transition from a comical though shrewd drunkard to a man that achieves a degree of nobility (pardon the pun). Dorothy Tutin and Paul Guers were also solid leads Lucie Manette as Charles Darnay. Donald Pleasence has a relatively small but memorable role as the profiteering spy Barsad. Christopher Lee is well-suited to his oft-played role as a villain, who in this case is a haughty and despicable French aristocrat. Rosalie Crutchley's performance as Madame Defarge also deserves note. Defarge is a truly chilling woman, and Crutchley brings out the transition from quiet glaring knitter to overwrought Reign of Terror fanatic very well. "A Tale of Two Cities" tells a personal story of a group of characters and self-sacrifice but also how France replaced its former repressors with new ones.

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Marvellous movie of one of the great books, 30 May 2008

Author: Rozinda from United Kingdom

This is my favourite Dickens book and my favourite Dickens dramatisation. I remember reading that there had been some doubts originally whether Dirk Bogarde matinée idol could manage this part. Instead it was presumably his first chance to show the inimitable quality of his acting. He is perfect in this part and I cannot imagine anyone else ever doing it better although a few may perhaps equal it one of these days.

It's a shame this wasn't filmed in colour since the producers did consider doing so and then didn't. But the production and acting are so excellent otherwise that you soon don't notice it isn't colour as you become completely immersed in the movie.

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5 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
A well adapted Dickens' masterpiece!, 31 August 2005
Author: sandra small (sandi_small@muchomail.com) from gateshead,tyne and wear, england, uk

As an avid admirer of nineteenth century novelist Charles Dickens' work, with an interest in the French Revolution, then I felt compelled to watch this Rank adaptation of; A Tale of Two Cities, directed by Ralph Thomas. Although I have not yet read the original novel, I got the impression that this film adaptation of; A Tale of Two Cities stuck as much as possible to the original novel as Dickens intended it to be.

We see in this film adaptation of; A Tale of Two Cities the social origins which culminated in the French Revolution. It illustrates the traditional aristocratic 'ruling class's' demise. The demise of the French aristocracy resulted in a reaction by them, where their fears and anxiety pertaining to their precarious position in society culminated in the mistreatment of the ordinary people of France, otherwise referred to as; 'surfs'. Encouraged by the American War of Independence, and influenced by the intellectual elite of The Enlightnement movement culminated in the French Surfs rebelling against the causes of their imposed position within an undemocratic, feudal society, which permitted their mistreatment by the aristocracy. It is the factors of mistreatment and being restrained by their inability to change their situation via the democratic processes we have today, which caused the French surfs to overthrow the aristocratic ruling class at that time in the eighteenth century. The overthrowing of the French aristocracy subsequently made way for a new elitist ruling class to emerge in the form of industrialists and businessmen, thereby creating a new type of class consciousness for modernity.

As to the acting in the film, it is an eclectic bunch of British character actors playing the parts. This is exemplified by the part played by Dirk Bogarte, who makes the character he plays a portrayal of himself, as opposed to immersing himself into the character, and becoming it! Bogarte illustrates that he is able to become the character he plays in such films as; The Blue Lamp' (1950), where he acts the part of villain Tom Riley with a real and definite intensity. If there were to be any accolades for acting in; A Tale of Two Cities, it would go to the actor, Christopher Lee who played the part of the bombastic French nobleman,Marquis St. Evremonde .

If the film is going to be defined as worthy of watching, it is due to the director's ability to keep close to the original Dickens novel.

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