Product: A Tale of Two Cities (Masterpiece Theatre) (2001)
Rating: 4.0
Tale of Two Cities DVD
I've watched two made-for-TV versions of this story and both have strengths and weaknesses, but I prefer this one over the 1991 ITC production. Pluses? The cinematography was better, the emotional tone of the intense scenes was more believable (with the exception of the demonic Therese Defarge) and it is more faithful to the novel (also longer). Negatives? The sound quality varied considerably and even though the French accents were more authentic, it was sometimes difficult to understand. The actress who played Mme Defarge went over the top in her zeal to portray Therese, but that might have been intentional. Mme D is a crazed character in the story, so maybe it fits...For teachers, I've prepared an intro and comprehension packet that would help when showing only the movie without reading Dicken's lengthy and sometimes difficult novel.