Customer Reviews

Tale of Two Cities: Literary Masterpieces [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

. . .it was a good watch anyway. Chris Sarandon was outstanding in the roles he played of look-alikes Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. He captured Carton's sardonic humor well, and evoked his melancholic fatalism and innate dignity with much pathos. A quite elderly Kenneth More put on a great performance as the officious but kindly banker, whose character provided much humorous dialogue. The character of Miss Pross, the sharp-eyed chaperone, was absolutely wonderful.

I never expect a movie to follow a novel very closely -- books and films are two completely different art forms and cannot be translated one to the other with good effect. As the movie begins we see the words "Based on the novel by Charles Dickens." With those words we are given fair warning that what is to follow is an interpretation of Dickens' vision.

What this film did was capture what is so wonderful about Dickens' novels -- the alternation between the humor and the darkness at the center of much human experience. The scenes were knit together flawlessly, so that a rather complicated plot taking part in two different places came together without confusion or awkward transitions. The pacing was artfully done, and the last 40 minutes or so were very suspenseful.

It's too bad the movie received so many bad reviews because it didn't follow the book. I've read the book and found it, like many of Dickens' works, to be wonderful, but also probably inaccessible to many readers. This film takes a good story and opens it up to those who may never open the book.

This is my favorite version of A Tale of Two Cities. I do not agree with the review that said it was "flat". I have seen other versions and think Chris Sarandon did an outstanding job. Dickens would be proud

I have recently watched this movie in High School and I loved it. I thought that it was very detailed and real. The actors were incredible and the movie really made me think. The characters were so incredible and I fell in love with the plot. I would recommend this movie to everyone. I think that people of all ages should see this movie. It was a great learning experience and it held my interest.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I thought this presentation was far superior to the Ronald Coleman version. I believe that Chris Sarandon showed a much wider range of emotion and feeling in the Carton role than did Coleman. Moreover, the person in the Coleman version playing Charles Darney hardly resembled Carton, which was essential for one to believe that such an ending could occur. Further, in this version, I could actually believe that Carton had found some semblence of peace and joy in the sacrifice he had made--dying--so that the person he loved would be happy. Up to then his life was a mess--dissipation, cynicism, and recklessness. It shows how genuine love can sometimes turn a person's life completely around.

This is my favorite movie version. All the actors and actresses are so colorful and real. Carton was played so well, with such pathos. Even the servent girl at the end wondering why she was dying, but trying to be brave. And Madam Defarge - such a hard woman - one I wouldn't want to face in a dark alley - but very convincing.

I absolutely love this movie.

As a high school English teacher, I would like to advise students NOT to view this film unless they have read and understand the book. It is not only a poorly made film, I am sure that Dickens must be rolling over in his grave at the rape that has been committted upon his classic story. Not only are important details missing, but characters identities have been changed, as well as their names! In addition, this portrayal does not depict character's personalities as I believe Dickens intended. Finally, this book is lacking, in that, it does not evoke any emotional response from the reader -- unless you count boredom. Take my advice. ...

I like this older version (from 1980) because Chris Sarandon is able to pull off both rolls and make them believable. What better way to learn about a piece of history than with a love story with the ultimate sacrafice? Even my husband watched and really enjoyed it!

This is a very welcome release to DVD at last, Hallmark's sterling production of A Tale of Two Cities, with a standout cast, stellar costumes and sets, a vivid adaptation of the original novel, and fast-paced direction. Interest never lags as this rich drama unfolds, set against the sweeping backdrop of the French Revolution. Sarandon convincingly carries off his double role as both the noble Darnay and the dissipated Carton and Billie Whitelaw gives a bravura performance as the ferocious revolutionary leader Madame DeFarge, poisoned by her hatred of aristocrats. There isn't a bad performance anywhere, although Alice Krige is perhaps a bit *too* pale and wan, even for a sweet-natured "English rose" character. Peter Cushing produces genuine pathos as Dr. Manet and the final sequence in the tumbril, where Carton redeems a life misspent, is quietly poignant. There's even some humor amid the blood and thunder and treachery. History teachers would find much in here to use in the classroom. A marvelous retelling of a great epic.

This video is fine for understanding the basic issues of the French Revolution- I disagree with the above reviews and feel it is a decent follow up to a unit on the Revolution or the book itself. Of course its not as good as the book- movies rarely are!

I totally agree with Leonard Maltin's review. This version of "Tale of Two Cities" can't even light a match in comparison to the 1935 classic. It tries; the pacing is very similar, and even some of the dialogue is identical. However, the actors in the 1935 version are only several thousand times better in the original. (Steven Seagal would have been better in the lead role than Chris Sarandon.) The 1935 version is shorter, and yet the characters and the story are better developed and more interesting. I didn't care what happened to any of the characters in this version, which also lacks the wit and humor of the original.