A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
Summary:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," Charles Dickens writes in
the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities as he paints a picture of life in Eng
land and France. The year is late 1775, and Jarvis Lorry travels from London to
Paris on a secret mission for his employer, Tellson's Bank. Joining him on his j
ourney is Lucie Manette, a 17-year-old woman who is stunned to learn that her fa
ther, Doctor Alexandre Manette, is alive and has recently been released after ha
ving been secretly imprisoned in Paris for 18 years.
When Mr. Lorry and Lucie arrive in Paris, they find the Doctor's former servant,
Ernest Defarge, caring for him. Defarge now runs a wine-shop with his wife in t
he poverty-stricken quarter of Saint Antoine. Defarge takes Mr. Lorry and Lucie
to the garret room where he is keeping Doctor Manette, warning them that the Doc
tor's years in prison have greatly changed him. Thin and pale, Doctor Manette si
ts at a shoemaker's bench intently making shoes. He barely responds to questions
from Defarge and Mr. Lorry, but when Lucie approaches him, he remembers his wif
e and begins to weep. Lucie comforts him, and that night Mr. Lorry and Lucie tak
e him to England.
Five years later, the porter for Tellson's Bank, Jerry Cruncher, takes a message
to Mr. Lorry who is at a courthouse. Mr. Lorry has been called as a witness for
the trial of Charles Darnay, a Frenchman accused of being a spy for France and
the United States. Also at the trial are Doctor Manette and Lucie, who are witne
sses for the prosecution. Doctor Manette has fully recovered and has formed a cl
ose bond with his daughter.
If found guilty of treason, Darnay will suffer a gruesome death, and the testimo
ny of an acquaintance, John Barsad, and a former servant, Roger Cly, seems sure
to result in a guilty verdict. Questions from Darnay's attorney, Mr. Stryver, in
dicate that Cly and Barsad are the real spies, but the turning point in the tria
l occurs when Sydney Carton, Stryver's assistant, points out that Carton and Dar
nay look alike enough to be doubles. This revelation throws into doubt a positiv
e identification of Darnay as the person seen passing secrets, and the court acq
uits Darnay.
After the trial, Darnay, Carton, and Stryver begin spending time at the Manette
home, obviously attracted to Lucie's beauty and kind nature. Stryver decides to
propose to her, but is dissuaded by Mr. Lorry. Carton confesses his love to Luci
e, but does not propose, knowing that his drunken and apathetic way of life is n
ot worthy of her. However, he vows that he would gladly give his life to save a
life she loved, and Lucie is moved by his sincerity and devotion. Eventually, it
is Darnay whose love Lucie returns, and the two marry with Doctor Manette's une
asy blessing. While the couple is on their honeymoon, the Doctor suffers a nineday relapse of his mental incapacity and believes he is making shoes in prison a
gain.
Genre: Historical Drama
Intertext:
A Tale of Two Cities (1958)

A British-made version of Dickens' novel, adapted from a screenplay by T.E.B. Cl
arke. The film is a big budget thriller shot in black and white, starring Dirk B
ogarde, one of the biggest British film stars of 1958. The story is somewhat con
densed, yet faithful to the original novel. The only downside is that it tends t
oward the overly patriotic in depicting the English as all virtuous, and the Fre
nch as all villainous.
This made-for-TV version is a somewhat romanticized take on Dickens' novel, yet
still true to the original. It features excellent performances by Chris Sarandon
as both Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, and Peter Cushing as Dr. Alexandre Ma
nette. This movie was nominated for both Emmy and Golden Globe Awards in 1981.
A marvelous and straight forward adaptation made for public television's Masterp
iece Theatre series. Nobody does these kinds of classic literature for TV better
. The film stars James Wilby as the hero, Sydney Carton.

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A Tale of Two Cities (1958)

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