 "The New York Times" wrote "it is mostly a bloodless and sober, albeit meticulous account that is spun here"; "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.This kind of vividness and life is exactly what the film as a whole lacks.However, Allmovie found "a respectable adaptation with a sterling lead performance (Bogarde)"; 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."