A Tale of Two Cities is a 1958 British film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde and Dorothy Tutin.

While he envies the man over the love of a woman, Lucie Manette, his conscience is pricked and he resolves to help him escape the guillotine.

[1] The Guardian called it "a plain and honest version which makes a decent attempt at putting the complexities of the story into two hours.

"[4] The New York Times wrote "it is mostly a bloodless and sober, albeit meticulous account that is spun here";[5] The Monthly Film Bulletin called it "an eminently respectable but scarcely distinguished addition to the list of filmed Dickens", noting that Rosalie Crutchley's "tirelessly bloodthirsty Mme Defarge – blatantly theatrical but full of gusto – is particularly welcome.

[6] However, AllMovie found "a respectable adaptation with a sterling lead performance (Bogarde)";[7] and TV Guide wrote "This version strives for the careful attention to detail that mark the best BBC-produced literary translations today....Perhaps this is not as melodramatic as the Hollywood version, but, to some, it is infinitely more satisfying.