A Tale of Two Cities

I think the commenter from Florida may be discussing the awful film made for television in the early '80s. This mini-series made in 1989 does not have no-name B-list actors. They are all superb British and French actors. I would just caution people that they need to be aware which version they have gotten hold of to watch. The costuming is they only thing that seems a little out of place in this version. As to highlights of this version, I would have to say that James Wilby as Sidney Carton does excellent work. He is actually heartbreaking to watch. It is easy to make this pivotal character much too maudlin, but this is not the case here.

Of the six adaptations of A Tale of Two Cities seen, in personal ranking this one is number 3, number 1 is the 1935 film and number 2 is the 1958 film. The Paul Shelley adaptation is very good on the most part, Chris Sarandon's is decent while the Burbank Films Australia animated adaptation is the only one below average. This mini-series is not perfect, the biggest flaw is the execution of the mob scenes which are under-populated, unexciting and tension-less, almost too polite. Some of the hair-styles are on the wacky and anachronistic side(too 80s-looking). The costumes and sets are accurate and are rendered lovingly, and helped by the fluid photography. The music is haunting, beautiful and emotional, especially in the poignant final scene. There is also a very literate and thoughtfully adapted script and the direction is mostly competent apart from the mob scenes. The adaptation is faithful to Dickens' very concise if initially complicated book while not forgetting to give the storytelling life. The tragedy is very affecting(the ending is a tear-jerker as it should be) and the suspenseful moments quite intense, Cruncher's funny moments are judged well. The acting is good on the most part. James Wilby, Xavier DeLuc and John Mills stood out. Wilby's Sydney Carton is handsome and movingly characterised, DeLuc is dashing and succeeds in not making a far less interesting character dull and Mills is wonderfully sympathetic that you are touched by his presence. Serena Gordon's Lucie is very tender, Kathy Kriegel is a very bat-out-of-hell Madame DuFarge, Anna Massey is perfect as Miss Pross, the Cruncher of Alfred Lynch is sly and hilarious, Jean-Pierre Aumont evokes sympathy too and Jean-Marc Bory is a creepy Evremonde. The idea to mix English and French actors was a great one and it paid off, something that it does better than the other adaptations. In conclusion, not perfect but a very good adaptation on the whole. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I just want to say that this movie made a great difference in my life. Sydney Carton (James Wilby) touched my heart with the depth of the look of his eyes. Many times i felt just like him, drunken, wasted & that i did nothing good or useful to be remembered by, no one will weep for me so i guess i felt he's a part of me & that is all because of Wilby's wonderful performance. The music was really really great too. I felt it touched my soul. It made me cry a lot. Every time i see this movie i cry over & over again. Everyone played their roles perfectly that it could have never been better. This is my best movie ever. I just love it & feel it.

I met this mini TV series by chance many years ago, when I was still in my teen-age years, and I found I loved it at first sight.:) It's a beautiful journey watching this new adapted classic which continued for somewhat more than three hours. All the actors, especially those who stood for the four major characters, were definitely the perfect choices for this famous story.

I liked James Wilby, in the way he rambled around mopishly, the way he loved 'Lucie' in an unbeknown warm corner of his deep heart and he smiled before people weakly. I always thought that years ago James Wilby was one of the few absolutely beautiful actors I have seen in my life, and in this TV in 1989, his beauty was totally unapproachable! The performance of the good-looking french actor Xavier Deluc for 'Darnay' was brilliant too. It's really odd that during watching this TV I continued thinking about he was somehow a bit similar with dear Dicaprio in some aspect. But what a pity that he seemed to arise in other TV or movie out of France rarely these past years.

The french actress Serena Gordon for 'Lucie' had a pair of really large eyes! And she had an appropriate tender and lovely look and that kind of archaic temperament.

All in all, I would clutch at any chance to watch this splendid mini TV again! Regretfully, DVD version of it is not seen coming out by now in China. But it is still vividly memorized in my heart, in spite of these many years run through~

I saw this in English class, and I must say, is an engrossing adaptation of the book. It kept me involved and i liked the little changes they made to the movie. A must watch for any fan of Charles Dickens' novels.

Although I did not care for the way Lucie's hair looked in the beginning, it is just a minor quibble. The two men playing Darnay and and Carton are perfect for the roles, and Jerry Cruncher is hilarious. Another thing I liked was that they made Madame Defarge young and witch looking. in the novel she is only in her twenties when Lucie finds her father, and less then 20 years have passed, so she is quite young.

All in all 9 out of 10 stars.