Linbeymusol
Wonderful character development!
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Hitchcoc
In my opinion, the early movie versions of the Dickens novels stand out against the countless others. For one thing, they are produced in black and white, and seem to capture more of the authentic angst and fear that existed at that time. Many films today give us a more sanitized version of these works. Don't get me wrong. There have been some nice pieces done, but the bleakness of Victorian England really shows through here. Of course, this is the classic plot, where a man, Darnay, whose life has been upended, tries to go on with life, knowing that the Revolution creates incredible danger to him. We then have Sydney Carton, who has led a life of profligacy and has been weak when push came to shove. He carries a torch for Lucy Manette, but it is unrequited and hopeless. There are greats scenes of the citizenry and the venom (a rightful venom) that they carry in them. The problem with revolution is that the innocent are often punished when they have no skin in the game. This is so, and the mob scenes are stunning, though incredibly frightening. Ultimately, this is about a man who for one powerful moment has the opportunity to turn a worthless life into something meaningful. My hesitation about an afterlife and rewards in heaven aren't those of the man of which I speak. It is interesting to compare the casting of this film with other versions. I think this will stand the test of time. Granted, all Dickens books are filled with subplots and characters not seen here, but that's what movie producers and writers must constantly face.
Martin Bradley
Another literary classic gets the Hollywood treatment . What this 1935 version of "A Tale of Two Cities" lacks in sophistication it certainly makes up for in vigor. Jack Conway directed, (though Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur are credited with the handling of the crowd scenes, which are magnificent), and Ronald Colman is a splendid Sydney Carton doing a far, far better thing than he had ever done, The supporting cast are something of a mish-mash; Elizabeth Allan and Donald Woods are drips as Lucie and Charles Darnay but Edna May Oliver is terrific as Miss Pross and Blanche Yurka, a suitably terrifying Madame De Farge, knitting shrouds like there's no tomorrow which, of course, for many there wasn't. Subtle it isn't but even now it's still one of the most enjoyable epics of its period and vastly superior to the tepid British remake with Dirk Bogarde playing both Carton and Darnay.
robert-gallegos33
I was first introduced to Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities in an 8th grade English class. When reading it was assigned I skimmed through the text without so much as a thought to the story. Later, when advised a test was to include questions on the story, I immersed myself into it and found myself enraptured with the story, the characters, the redemption and sacrifice of Sydney Carton for those he grew to love.Growing up in the 50's and early 60's, one was without knowing it at the time, gifted to watch multiple TV showings of now classic movies from the 30's, 40's and early 50's every afternoon.Maybe because I was discovering the opposite sex but I so identified, at fifteen, with Sydney Carton and his unrequited love for one he could not have, and his ultimate sacrifice for Lucie as a way of winning a place in her heart forever.I watched Sydney's apathy with life and his resignation to never fulfilling goals he had probably felt so close to his grasp at an earlier time. Ronald Coleman's performance was one I have felt since with each viewing.I have a niece that at 15, began providing her DVD's of the classics. The first was a Tale of Two Cities and even now, at 21 with a child of her own, she always jokingly tells me that she hates me for enlightening her with that movie as she has always felt that Sydney should not have switched places, no matter how noble the reason because she felt he and Lucie should have ended up together.Even though I always point out the improbability of that and of the deeper notions of true love and the nobility of the ultimate sacrifice when called for, she remains unchanged and I smile because I know the everlasting impression that the story will remain with her forever.I just gifted her with a beautifully printed, gold leafed edition of the book and instructed her to read it to her daughter when old enough, so she can also pass on a classic beautiful story by Charles Dickens and the Ronald Coleman film as well.Unfortunately, I never had children of my own but know I have passed on to this beautiful, intelligent young woman a gift of classic appreciation.
campbell-russell-a
If there is such a thing as a perfect film, this one is surely on the shortlist. It is also proof positive that we must treasure such films because the world can never again produce such people as Ronald Colman, Edna May Oliver, Claude Gillingwater and everyone else who appears in this gem. Their faces and voices are a product of their times and we are fortunate that we can see and hear them via D.V.D.'s. Even Colman's seemingly forced and melodramatic delivery works for me. He is the Byronic figure in the film who needs a voice and delivery that is different to all others. This is the art of film.Watch for the performance of Isabel Jewell who plays a seamstress unjustly condemned to death in the madness of the Reign of Terror. Her depiction of a young girl's pitiable confusion and fright is unforgettable. There are no small performances in this film. Each face, each voice is perfect for the role.
