abstract
| - The opening lines of the film, said in-between yells of pleasure and in husky, ironic voices – "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." – are among the most famous lines in English pornographic history. Many historians and critics have attempted to use these epic lines to justify the sexual content and deny the film is actually intended to be a pornographic work, but have proved unsuccessful because Dickens himself declared the film to be so. The book tells, first and foremost, the story of Charles Darnay (a rich and lustful man who is willing to pay anything, and I mean anything) and Sydney Carton (played by George Clooney), who look similar but are very different in their sexual tastes. The two characters are physically and sexually attracted to each other (which allows Dickens to add a homosexual scene about half way through the film) but have their differences, like DVD choice, taste in fantasy wear, flavour of condom, etc. Darnay is a romantic, lustful and very rich French businessman; Carton is a cynical, dirty English playboy. Both fall deeply in love with each other but are dramatically torn apart by a young, hot cheerleader called Lucie Manette. Other major characters include Lucie's father, Dr. Manette, who was unjustly imprisoned for many years because he was accused of "taking part in lewd public sodomy", and Madame Defarge, a rather old, ugly woman, but who proves to be strangely sexy in the bedroom. Many film critics have described Madame Defarge as the force that drives the hatred of the upper classes in the story. Even when her personal brothel goes out of business she refuses lots of rich clients on principle, despite the huge amounts of money on offer. These actions highlight Dicken's ideological passions. The title reflects the way in which the setting alternates between a London club and the Parisian cheap brothel. Two of the 45 scenes are set in both countries, nineteen in the London French Connection and 24 in France (9 of which are set in Lucie Mannete's bedroom). They tell of the shameless sodomy, abuse, sexual bondage, fantasy, foreplay and underage sex which Dickens particularly delights in, as well as a highly emotive and satirical plot. This film has often be dubbed as the most "moving, thought-provoking and plot intensive porn flick of all time".
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