We have arrived at my annual viewing and reviewing of a version of ‘A Christmas Carol’. This year’s version is A Christmas Carol (1984) starring the always brilliant George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. This alone is a good selling point for me, but as it has probably come abundantly clear I am also a fan of the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and I try to watch a version every year regardless of if I am reviewing them or not. It is the quintessential Christmas tale, and there are so many film versions that it is hard to know which to watch. Is this version going to become quintessential viewing for me going forward? Let’s find out. In case you are unaware, the film tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cruel and vindictive man with a disdain for Christmas. On the night of Christmas eve is visited by three spirits whose aim is to show him the error of his ways and fill him with the spirit of Christmas.
Now that I have seen so many versions of this film it becomes harder and harder to be impressed by them. I am so aware of the narrative and even the dialogue that it becomes more of spotting what is different and what the film does better than the others. I will get into these aspects a little later. In general, this is a very solid and classic retelling of the tale. It appears to follow closely to the book in terms of narrative and plot, including opening and closing the film with narration as though the story has been read to us. It has a good look to it in terms of capturing the time period and the season. It feels accurate to the idea of that time period and the filmmakers do a good job of creating that atmosphere. The problem it has is that it is never exceptional visually or in its storytelling and so it does struggle to stand out among the exceptional amount of the other versions of these films. But that isn’t to say that there aren’t moments and aspects that stand out
One of those is its cast which is very, very good. One of the standouts is David Warner who is a very good Bob Cratchit. He feels extremely warm and sympathetic throughout the film, and you feel both sadness and joy for him as a result of the performance. Edward Woodward puts in a great performance as the Ghost of Christmas present and is one of the aspects of the film that felt like it had elements that I hadn’t seen before. Like in many film versions he has this jolly air to him, but he plays the character a little more aggressive and menacing as well. It is subtle and never goes too far which gives the character an added dimension. And I have to mention George C. Scott’s performance as Scrooge. I was expecting a performance from him that would be bombastic and utilise his brilliant ability to freak out, but he doesn’t play him like that. He is much snarkier and more sarcastic in his disdain for people and Christmas. Whereas other actors play the character as utterly miserable, he makes it feel as though he enjoys being a dick. He also perfectly captures the turnaround and is equally excellent when playing the reformed Scrooge, keeping the general sarcastic nature of how he played the character but this time in a much more loving nature. I would also like to mention the film's version of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. It isn’t the best version I have seen, but it does this great thing where the character is either far from the frame or is on the edges and Scrooge is far in the frame. It makes him feel more spectral and looming rather than a constant threat and it is an interesting take on the character.
Overall, I feel like this is a perfectly good film version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ but it doesn’t really stand out above many others I have seen. I am sure some people love this version, and I can understand why if it is one of the first versions you have seen. It captures the look, has great performances, and does a solid job with its storytelling. But as someone who has seen so many versions of the story on film, it doesn’t do anything that really wows me. It’s worth a go if you’re looking for a version you haven’t seen before, but I don’t see myself coming back to it.
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