Tale of Two Cities

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.


Loved It   June 15, 2004
Mitzie Carvel (Olympia, WA)
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


A Tale of Two Cities   July 25, 2002
John R. Duffer (New York, NY USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I was very dissappointed with with this film version and it just did not make the grade - the film is flawed, and the people are flat. I don"t get the feeling I got when watching the original version. Something is wrong...The story line is not right, the people in the roles are not right and therefore are not able to portray the right feelings/emotions. It was all flat and I did not beleive in the people I was watching. I'm sorry, but the best film adaptaton is the 1935 version and I think will always will be!


not bad at all   May 3, 2002
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!


exhilarating   July 23, 2001
kelly woodard (Tracy, CA USA)
it was good at times it was bad at times it was funny at times it was sad at times it was happy at times it was passionate at times but all together it was pretty good.