frankwiener
This film, directed brilliantly by Brian Desmond Hurst, a director with whom I am otherwise unfamiliar, was clearly a labor of love. All of the various components, including the atmospheric sets, the period costumes, the mood setting music (both up and down), the compelling story, and, above all, the superb acting, blend to form a very rare cinematic creation of perfection. I always enjoy Alastair Sim ("Bells of St. Trinians, "Green for Danger", "Stage Fright", etc.), but the man was born for the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge, and although others, especially George C. Scott, have made a noble effort to interpret the part, Mr. Sim, for me, will always be the definitive character. I will always compare other Scrooges to him, and, so far, they can't approach him in his remarkable depiction. Sim is to Ebeneezer what Jackie Gleason is to Ralph Kramden. Don't even try to duplicate them.Sim's outstanding performance is enhanced by a stellar supporting British cast, most notably Kathleen Harrison as the consummate Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge's maid, Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchet, his long suffering but amiable assistant, and Michael Hordern as the ghost of Jacob Marley. "Mankind is my business!"Although the film was created in 1951, the director painstakingly delivers us deep into an authentically dark and gloomy world of Dickensian London. As Bob-724 astutely observes in his review, Scrooge is not "redeemed" as much as "restored" to his original decency and goodness before being corrupted by the world around him, including its empty, materialistic values that are void of spiritual gratification. When Scrooge says "humbug", he is not condemning Christmas as much as the hypocrisy and phoniness of the people around him who are struggling to survive in a hostile, unkind world as he has since birth. I do admit that I enjoyed the disdainful, derisive Scrooge much more than the "restored" character. I have been quoting him for more than sixty years now, but I can never replicate the nasty sting of the unsurpassable Alastair Sim. God bless us , everyone!
ironhorse_iv
British author, Charles Dickens' novella 'A Christmas Carol', is one of the stories most often made into a film that there is hardly any reason for me to explain the plot, but if you been living in a rock and haven't hear of the story for some reason. Here is your chance! The novel tells a bitter old business man, named Ebenezer Scrooge whom given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in Victorian England. This version of the story, can be found in films as early as the silent era with films like 1916's 'The Right', to the Talkie Golden Age of cinema of the late 1930s with 1938's 'A Christmas Carol', and can also be found in the Blockbuster era of the 1980s & 1990s with films such as 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol; and others. Even recently as 2009's with Disney 'A Christmas Carol'; it has been remade into a film. There is just so many various versions worthy to watch. With all say, I have to agree with most of the critics in saying, that 1951's 'A Christmas Carol' is by far, the best one, so far. While, I wouldn't call it, the most 'merry' version of the novel. There is just something very charming and eerily with this film. It really does match, the dark tone of the novel, so very well. The black and white nightmarish imagery, the haunting Gothic horror like music by Richard Addinsell, the use of large noises, and even the look of the ghosts, were all fine in the way, its portrayal. If anything, can be said, about the movie, it might be a little too grim. I can hardly see, any modern family wanting to put this deeply dark film on Christmas Day, over something, a lot more jollily. Another problem with the film, is how dated, it is. Some of the visuals effects in this film, are indeed laughable to the modern viewer. For the time and the budget, it somewhat works, but let me say, that I have saw, way better effects in films, years earlier when this film was made. So, that isn't much of an excuse, but I can't complain, too much about it. Most of the changes that director Brian Desmond-Hurst & writer, Noel Langley indeed change from the source material were for the better, for the most part. Things like young Ebenezer Scrooge (George Cole) being the cause of his mother's death, and being corrupt by an unscrupulous mentor in the new character, Mr. Jorkin (Jack Warner) made for better character development within the story. It serves to explain how Scrooge transforms from a good-hearted young man into a cold blooded old man now played by Alistair Sim. However, there were some jarring changes, the filmmakers did, created when adapting this source material that wasn't well-deserve. A good example is like cutting the scenes where Ebenezer Scrooge is berating Bob Crachit (Mervyn Johns) for wanting more coal. It's so strange, because toward the end, Scrooge would indeed tell Crachit to run out and buy a new coal. In this version, that request really seem to come out of nowhere. It seems like a bad cut. Other changes, such as giving more scenes to a minor character like Mrs. Dilber (Kathleen Harrison) weren't needed. It felt like time-wasters. For the most part, besides that, the movie is very well-paced; as there was hardly any slow moments. From all the actors, that has portray Scrooge over the years, Alastair Sim is by far, the best actor for the Ebenezer Scrooge role, I ever saw. Alastair Sim really does looks and feels like he came from that time. He really looks so sickly and cold from the holiday. I love the way, his facial expression tells the story, from showing disgust, fear and even a side of stingy. There is hardly any bad scenes with him. I just wish, the supporting cast were the same, as Alastair Sim, but there were no match. I never got the idea that they were truly into the Christmas spirit, themselves with their one-dimensional caricatures. The 19th English slang is so thick with some of them that it's really hard to understand, what certain characters are really saying. The kid actors in the film, are some of the worst. They were written way too Shirley Temple jolly to be, taken seriously. Yes, I know that Tiny Tim (Glyn Dearman) supposed to be, cheerful, but at least, make his character, seem a little worn down. The actor didn't even show, any sign of sickness. The worst acting in this film had to be Michael Hordern as Jacob Marley, who portray his character like an over-the-top cartoony Shakespearean actor. My God, was his ghost scene, somewhat laughable. I like how Michael Hordern got better, toward the end, but gees… that scene in the beginning, ruin it for me. If anything, I did like the supporting actors that portray, Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) & Young Ebenezer Scrooge (George Cole) & Mr. Fezziwig (Roddy Hughes). They were all well-acted. Although this film is widely regarded as the best film version of Charles Dickens' story, I have to say, don't watch the colorized version of this film. First off, it has an introduction and closing segments filmed by actor Patrick Macnee that wasn't really needed, since it doesn't help push the movie plot, but second off, a lot of the nightmarish scenes filmed in black and white, lose its flavor, due to the lack of shadows. Overall: The original black and white film is the best rendition of timeless classic. A must-watch for anybody, looking for the true meaning of Christmas.
