Other reviews had led me to believe this was the closest film version of 'A Christmas Carol' to the Dickens book, but just as many liberties have been taken here as in earlier versions, particularly in Scrooge's relationships with his father and fiancée. However, these additional scenes do not develop the characters or add to our understanding of them.
The film is well-cast but their talents are often wasted. Susannah York has a throwaway role as Mrs Cratchit and is far too glamorous to be a believable downtrodden housewife struggling to support her family on her husband's meagre salary, while David Warner is such an assertive personality you feel his Bob Cratchit would just tell Scrooge to stuff his job, Christmas or not, and succeed in finding work elsewhere.
On the subject of Mrs Cratchit, I have often wondered how she really reacted when Scrooge's prize turkey turned up in the middle of Christmas morning: "You expect me to have that thing ready for three o'clock? It won't even go in the ****ing oven!" But I digress...
George C Scott's Scrooge? Perhaps a more believable whole than others, not a staggering change from hateful skinflint to ebullient lover of life, just more thoughtful about what really matters in life and more open to making the best of his time on earth. Unfortunately, that staggering change is what the character needs (and what Alastair Sim, of blessed memory, gave him). Dickens is showing us that if Scrooge can change so radically, surely we can change a little to make life better for ourselves and others.
The production values of the film are very good, but the photography is rather dark and murky a lot of the time, perhaps to contrast with the crisp sunshine when Scrooge reforms.
All in all a worthy effort, but not deserving of its reputation, and still far short of the great 1951 Alastair Sim version.
The film is well-cast but their talents are often wasted. Susannah York has a throwaway role as Mrs Cratchit and is far too glamorous to be a believable downtrodden housewife struggling to support her family on her husband's meagre salary, while David Warner is such an assertive personality you feel his Bob Cratchit would just tell Scrooge to stuff his job, Christmas or not, and succeed in finding work elsewhere.
On the subject of Mrs Cratchit, I have often wondered how she really reacted when Scrooge's prize turkey turned up in the middle of Christmas morning: "You expect me to have that thing ready for three o'clock? It won't even go in the ****ing oven!" But I digress...
George C Scott's Scrooge? Perhaps a more believable whole than others, not a staggering change from hateful skinflint to ebullient lover of life, just more thoughtful about what really matters in life and more open to making the best of his time on earth. Unfortunately, that staggering change is what the character needs (and what Alastair Sim, of blessed memory, gave him). Dickens is showing us that if Scrooge can change so radically, surely we can change a little to make life better for ourselves and others.
The production values of the film are very good, but the photography is rather dark and murky a lot of the time, perhaps to contrast with the crisp sunshine when Scrooge reforms.
All in all a worthy effort, but not deserving of its reputation, and still far short of the great 1951 Alastair Sim version.