CIFF Educational Classic Film: “A Tale of Two Cities” (1937)

The screening is free and open to the public of all ages and is part of this year’s Educational Classic Film Series – “The Art of Adaptation.”

A Tale of Two Cities – Dickens’ Epic Tale of Love and Revolution

Directed by Jack Conway, A Tale of Two Cities was the last film Selznick produced before leaving MGM to found Selznick International Pictures. This 1935 MGM adaptation is viewed by most critics as the definitive movie version of Dickens’ heart-wrenching tale of self-sacrificial love in the wake of the French Revolution, the horrors of mob rule, and death by guillotine that followed the overthrow of Louis XVI.

At its core is a performance for the ages by Ronald Colman as alcoholic barrister Sydney Carton, a role he felt compelled to play. “In a sense, I selected my favorite role quite a few years ago when I was a schoolboy in England. At that time, I read and reread Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and was intrigued by the part of Sydney Carton … To me, this is fiction’s outstanding example of regeneration through sacrifice. There are times when every actor should play one of the great classic roles of drama and literature… [doing so] represented the fulfillment of a long-cherished desire.”

All CIFF Educational Classic Film Program screenings are FREE and open the public.