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    Scrooge

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    The 1951 film "Scrooge" works as an adaptation of the Charles Dickens' novel and as a film on its own. The special effects are good (and yes, we're talking 1951 special effects here so expect simple but effective) The story is well put together. It captures the essence of the original novel while expanding on some elements to give this film its own identity.

    Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is a bitter miser who considers the ideals and spirit of Christmas pure humbug. He hesitates to give his underpaid assistant Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) Christmas Day off and scoffs at his nephew Fred (Brian Worth) when he invites him to a holiday dinner celebration every year. One cold Christmas Eve, the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley (Michal Hordern) appears to him with a warning: he will soon be visited by three spirits; heed their counsel and change your ways or risk an eternity of suffering.

    What I like about this version is that a lot of the film’s running time is dedicated to the spirit of the Christmas past than either of the other two. I suppose that’s true for most interpretations, but Alastair Sim is such a good Scrooge that seeing more insight of his character, how he evolved over time adds a lot to the story. You really get to see who Scrooge is and how he got to be this unsympathetic cheapskate. I think when people picture Scrooge they see a real cartoonish character. He’s the embodiment of greed and that’s the case here at first, but the more you see of him, the more you realize the tragedy that his life has become. A lot of this is due to the original source material, but don’t discredit director Desmond Hurst, writer Noel Langley and certainly not Alastair Sim. Some of the other performances aren't all great (particularly the younger cast members) but all the major players are very good. I wasn’t overly familiar with this version so here and there I was caught off-guard by some imperfections, but those were brief. I think this one is destined to become my definitive adaptation of the novella because so much of the original dialogue is present and it gets the tone right.

    If you're looking for an accurate "A Christmas Carol" this is probably your best bet. Don't be turned off by the fact that this is a black and white film; like the original Charles Dickens' story "Scrooge" still works just as well today as it did when it was originally released and this is not only a great adaptation, but also a strong holiday film. (On VHS, December 22, 2012)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  3.1.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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