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Sunday, December 19, 2021

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984)

Acclaimed made-for-tv version of the Dickens perennial disappoints.  You see what they were aiming for; a nastier, more realistic Scrooge in gravel-voiced George C. Scott setting up a bigger spiritual comeuppance, reclamation in sharp relief.  Fine as theory; in practice, not so effective.  Perhaps with a less generic production and more specific direction than Clive Donner is able to muster.  Here, Yuletide-crowded London streets & Christmas Carolers look fit for a catalog.  (The overly bright look necessitated by tv picture resolution standards of the day also no help.)  The simple special effects aren’t a deal breaker, but why so many miscast principals?  David Warner too assertive as Bob Cratchit, his family as tidy & neatly turned out as the Von Trapps; Frank Finlay missing every laugh & fright as Jacob Marley’s Specter; and a .333 batting average on the Three Ghosts.  Things improve for the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Scott attuned to Fear Factor elements after shortchanging the pleasures & regrets he samples in the first two rounds.  It pays off anyway; Dickens always does.  But this Christmas Pudding is both over and under-cooked.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Top recommendations remain with Alastair Sim in 1951, finally restored to do it justice; and John Gielgud’s remarkable 70" audio abridgement, released in 1987.   https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-carol-scrooge-1935-1938-1951.html

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