| A TALE OF TWO CITIES 1958 |
An immortal story... A brilliant cast... An unforgettable film of the French Revolution Starring Dirk
Bogarde, Christopher Lee
British barrister Sydney Carton lives an insubstantial and unhappy life. He falls under the spell of
Lucie Manette, but Lucie marries Charles Darnay. When Darnay goes to Paris to rescue an
imprisoned family retainer, he becomes entangled in the snares of the brutal French Revolution and
is himself jailed and condemned to the guillotine. But Sydney Carton, in love with a woman he cannot
have, comes up with a daring plan to save her husband.
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.
Bogarde, Christopher Lee
British barrister Sydney Carton lives an insubstantial and unhappy life. He falls under the spell of
Lucie Manette, but Lucie marries Charles Darnay. When Darnay goes to Paris to rescue an
imprisoned family retainer, he becomes entangled in the snares of the brutal French Revolution and
is himself jailed and condemned to the guillotine. But Sydney Carton, in love with a woman he cannot
have, comes up with a daring plan to save her husband.
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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