Post by *~Mrs. Cooper ~* on Dec 13, 2007 16:39:02 GMT -5
Sydney Carton: It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It's a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.
An elaborate adaptation of Dickens' classic tale of the French Revolution. Dissipated lawyer Sydney Carton defends emigre Charles Darnay from charges of spying against England. He becomes enamored of Darnay's fiancée, Lucie Manette, and agrees to help her save Darnay from the guillotine when he is captured by Revolutionaries in Paris.
A disreputable barrister finds redemption through the most unlikely of friendships and in the process provides for himself salvation of a kind. Absolutely the finest of all versions of the venerable novel by Charles Dickens, and superb filmmaking on every conceivable level, with the definitive career performance from the great Ronald Colman. There's not a false note sounded among the literally hundreds of supporting performances. Truly one of the finest films of all time, the very definition of the term 'film classic,' and an honor to view whether it's the first or the hundred-and-first time you've seen it.
Ronald Colman ... Sydney Carton
Elizabeth Allan ... Lucie Manette
Edna May Oliver ... Miss Pross
Reginald Owen ... Stryver
Basil Rathbone ... Marquis St. Evremonde
Blanche Yurka ... Madame De Farge
Henry B. Walthall ... Dr. Manette
Donald Woods ... Charles Darnay
--- WARNING: Spoilers below ---
Ronald Colman takes the place of an innocent man who's been sentenced to die a horrible death by poor Frenchmen who are taking revenge on those they see fit to blame. A resitence builds and so does the hate. Colman enters an innocent prisoner's cell, also his friend, and drugs him, so he will ask no questions. Colman then tells his friend to take the unconscious man out of France to be reunited with his wife and daughter, taking the man's place and laying himself at the foot of the guillotine with a new found salvation. The woman in this clip is also an innocent woman who was wrongly condemned, just as the rest of the people surrounding them in the first scene are as well; Colman tries to hide his identity until his time comes to an end. Here is the clip to the very end of this amazing movie:
www.youtube.com/v/FmyjGSQjqZE
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This film is incredible and it's all thanks to Ronald Colman. If you haven't seen this film -- you must.
For those of you who have TCM, it'll be on later in December (29th) at 5:00AM. (Also on again February 07, 10:15AM).
--- Ronald Colman photo gallery from the film: ---