Of the countless versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL that are out there from Reginald Owen to Bill Murray to Jim Carrey, this version from 1984 remains my personal favorite although I concede that the 1951 Alastair Sim movie is the best of the lot, I had just come through a rough patch when this version first appeared and was feeling pretty Scroogelike myself when I saw it and by the time it was over I, like Scrooge, had been transformed. It took me back to my childhood and to the joys I associated with Christmas and things started to look up and have continued to do so for almost 40 years now
I had seen most of the earlier versions with the animated Mr Magoo one holding sway because of the songs it contained (remember this was the era of RUDOLPH, THE RED NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN). I really enjoyed the Alastair Sim version (known as SCROOGE) which I didn’t see until I was in college. It really highlighted the ghost story aspects of the tale with its stunning black & white photography and the visits of the 3 spirits. Alastair Sim was and is in a class by himself but what gives the nod to the 1984 version, IMHO, is the total package.
Like the recent version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, this version is less theatrical and more realistic. George C. Scott plays Scrooge as a man battered by life and poor choices made along the way. No wonder he’s the way he is. Despite his surface meanness, we can sense the wounded human being underneath and the peeling away of those years of hardness to reveal the true Scrooge is what makes this version so special. The best supporting cast ever from Edward Woodward’s Ghost of Christmas Present to David Warner & Susannah York as the Cratchits to Frank Finlay’s remarkable Marley are a joy to behold.
Director Clive Donner (STEALING HEAVEN) had been the editor on the Sim version back in 1951 so he knew a thing or two about filming the story. Most importantly he knew that the story and its message should be first and foremost not the character of Scrooge. Scott is a strong Scrooge but never at the expense of what’s happening and he gives an effective, restrained performance. The settings, the costumes, the photography, everything is just right in what was a small budget, glorified TV movie. If you’ve never seen it, rent or stream it and see if you aren’t transformed.
The Capsule Critic 