Themes: Political Unrest, Heroic Mission, Unrequited Love
Main Cast: Peter Cushing, Chris Sarandon, Flora Robson
Release Year: 1980
Country: UK/US
Run Time: 156 minutes
Plot
Chris Sarandon does the "far, far, better thing" when he tackles the dual role of Syndey Carton and Charles Darnay in this Anglo-American TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. The ubiquitous producer/screenwriter combination of Norman Rosemont and John Gay was responsible for this lavish, faithful cinemazation of Dickens' multiplotted account of the French Revolution. Featured in the huge cast are Peter Cushing as Dr. Manette, Alice Krige as Lucie Manette, Billie Whitelaw as the vengeful, eternally knitting Madame DeFarge and Barry Morse as the odious aristocrat St. Evremonde. Poignantly, the film also offers the late Kenneth More, making one of his last appearances as Jarvis Lorry, and the magnificent Flora Robson, taking her final bow in the role of Miss Pross. An Emmy nomination went to Olga Lehmann's costume design. A Tale of Two Cities debuted December 2, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
In this 1980 Jim Goddard version of the classic Dickens tale, it is American actor Chris Sarandon who gets to recite doomed Englishman Sydney Carton's famous line, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done." Although Sarandon's performance as Carton is not far, far better than Ronald Colman's in the same role in the 1935 Jack Conway film, it is at least competent. And it doesn't hurt that director Goddard surrounds Sarandon with veteran British actors -- including Peter Cushing, Kenneth More, Nigel Hawthorne, and Barry Morse -- to season the film with Dickensian flair and flavor. As anyone familiar with the novel is aware, love is a central theme -- romantic love, patriotic love, humanitarian love, and in Goddard's film, this theme comes across even when Sarandon does not. Of all of the film versions of A Tale of Two Cities (at least eight), this one is not the best, but neither is it the worst; instead, it is a worthy offering that deserves a look. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Jim Goddard - Director, Allyn Ferguson - Composer (Music Score), John Stoll - Production Designer, Norman Rosemont - Producer, John Gay - Screenwriter, Charles Dickens - Book Author
