Watch A Tale of Two Cities
- Approved
- 1935
- 2 hr 8 min
-
7.8 (6,428)
Set in the midst of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities follows the intertwined lives of two men and the women they love. Sydney Carton, a charming and dissolute English lawyer, falls in love with Lucie Manette, a beautiful Frenchwoman who has been living in England with her father, a former prisoner in the Bastille. Meanwhile, Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who renounced his family's wealth and status, has also fallen in love with Lucie.
As the Revolution intensifies and violence erupts in both France and England, the lives of these two men become increasingly intertwined. Darnay is accused of being a spy for the French nobility and is imprisoned in Paris. Carton, who bears a striking resemblance to Darnay, vows to do whatever it takes to save him and win Lucie's heart, even if it means sacrificing his own life.
The film is based on Charles Dickens' classic novel of the same name and is directed by Jack Conway. Ronald Colman gives a standout performance as Sydney Carton, capturing his complexity and inner turmoil with nuance and subtlety. Elizabeth Allan is also excellent as Lucie, conveying both her delicate beauty and quiet strength. Edna May Oliver steals scenes as Miss Pross, Lucie's no-nonsense and fiercely loyal companion.
The film's production design is lavish and immersive, successfully transporting viewers to both the grandeur of pre-Revolutionary France and the squalor of Parisian streets. The scenes of violence and chaos during the Revolution are particularly effective, providing a visceral and unsettling contrast to the more elegant and refined settings earlier in the film.
Overall, A Tale of Two Cities is a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and the human spirit in the face of adversity. It remains a classic of the golden age of Hollywood and a testament to the enduring power of Dickens' storytelling.
A Tale of Two Cities is a 1935 action movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8 and a MetaScore of 87.
