Lo schiavo dell'oro

If I could take only ten movies to a desert island, this would be one of them. This movie captures all the things that "A Christmas Carol" is supposed to be. Watching Alastair Sim interpret the role of Scrooge and then looking at other actors, I see his incredible facial expressions, the loss of soul that haunts him, the vulnerability (yes, I mean it; he is actually pitiable at times), the loss of love from his once betrothed, and the terrible loneliness suffered at the hands of a vengeful father and the loss of his kind and loving sister, Fan. Then there are the wonderful images and the haunting music. The excellent supporting cast. Mervyn Johns is an excellent Cratchett, multi-dimensional and fun loving. Michael Horden as Jacob Marley (definitely the best performance as the ghost). Scrooge is shown to be calculating at every juncture, but seems to know that in many ways he is wrong. His avarice becomes his mistress and he can't forsake her. There are wonderful little scenes that I remember. When he stops to have dinner at the restaurant and is told more bread will cost extra, he decides to deny himself a little bit of warmth. There is the scene where Fezziwig loses his business to Scrooge (not a part of the original book but it works fine in the film). Scrooge hesitates for a moment and then barges on, and shows his insensitivity by retaining a worker at a reduction in salary. The scene where Marley is dying and Scrooge waits till the end of business. He then comes to the house and asks "Is he dead yet?" We all know the ending, but there is a joy, a blissful excitement not found in any of the other films. This is all attributable to Alastair Sim. He carries every moment. He shows us what real acting is all about. I treat myself to this movie a couple times a year and it never tires me. See it if you never have.

Best version on film of the timeless Dickens story. There are other versions I enjoy as well, and some more so for sentimental reasons. But, objectively, I believe this is the best version on a technical and artistic level. The production is first-rate. The cast is excellent. Especially Alastair Sim, who is perfect casting as Scrooge. He adds little touches to the character that sets his performance apart from the countless other Scrooges. As for the story, well unless you have been living under a rock or weren't raised in an English-speaking country, then you should know the plot to this classic. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve to show him the error of his ways. Obviously I recommend the book because it's a seminal classic. But, as far as film versions go, this is the one everyone should see first.

I am sure Charles Dickens would be more than pleased with the film adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol'. A truly remarkable film that never fails to delight me. There are so many poignant scenes. When for instance Scrooge asks his nephew's wife for forgiveness for being a 'pig headed old fool' it never fails to have me reaching for the nearest tissues. However, the one scene that sticks in my mind is where Scrooge is settling down to eat his bowl of soup in his dressing gown and slippers in front of the fire. The expression on his face on hearing the voice of Jacob Marley, and subsequently dropping his spoon and its contents into his soup bowl, is for me a cinematic treasure.

The blatant plug first: If you haven't seen this film, you have deprived yourself of one of the great performances of all time. Do not miss the opportunity, order it, buy it, or just plain rent it at once.

When I was a boy my father introduced me to this version of Scrooge. I can remember how we had to all sit very quietly whilst he recorded the soundtrack from our TV using a mike onto his tape recorder. From there on in, every year at Christmas the tape would come out and we would listen to the soundtrack complete with the introduction music to the adverts. Eventually the tape became a cassette and then we had the video.

Now I am the owner of this magical film on DVD and there has not been a year pass me by that I haven't sat and watched the film at least once.

The joy of watching this version has never left me, and as other commentators have remarked, Alastair Sim as Scrooge, seems to provide everything that you could want in the part. The transition from miser to benefactor is handled well, with Sim fighting the spirits all the way: "I'm too old to change". The dizzy happiness of the final scenes in stark contrast to the character in the opening of the film.

Everytime I see this film I find myself captivated by the way Sim manages to find an inner character to Scrooge, one that has not previously revealed itself. The young Scrooge played by George Cole, may not be the nasty money grabbing character whilst interacting with his sister, working for Fezziwig, or courting Alice, but he doesn't have that intoxicated happiness, there is still something sour about him.

Perhaps that is what truly makes this film. If the novel is about redemption and a rediscovery of humanity, then Alastair Sim finds it in abundance within his portrayal.

I cannot reach the end credits without undergoing some form of renewal myself. The characterisation carries you with it. I have seen and heard this film at least 50 times and I still smile to myself whilst waiting for the words : "Cratchit! you're late." the attempt to keep up the old Scrooge breaking down very quickly.

Perhaps some more people in the world could do with a revelation such as this Scrooge undergoes. Would it be so bad if we all felt at times that: "I don't deserve to be so happy".

The other part I have always enjoyed is that of Kathleen Harrison as Mrs Dilber. Throughout she plays the put upon house keeper with great style. The comments she makes at Old Joe's are telling in their rightness and her initial reaction to the transformed Scrooge is bewilderment and terror in equal measure.

I am relieved to read that I am not alone in this world in being able to quote almost every line, and some of the these have become catch phrases in my family: "I always know" seems to be a favourite of my father :-)and a meal cannot pass without "ha'penny extra" being put forward if more bread is requested.

So to finish - let the enthusiasm of the other contributors and myself encourage you to at least try this film. And now to get this in the post: "I'll send it to Bob Cratchit. Label, label, label, label, must have a label."

I hesitate to add to the avalanche of praise bestowed, on this site,

on this perfect picture, the definitive Scrooge of all time, which I

have watched, spellbound, every Christmas since I was three

years old and will continue to watch as long as I am breathing. I

endorse the review already placed here by "jackboot"; and I have

also been particularly touched by that small scene between

Scrooge and the maid, with not a word spoken, that "Seashell 1"

mentions. Two points I would like to underline here which I have

not seen mentioned by others: First, this is about the only

"Christmas Carol" movie that remembers to be a GHOST story as

well as a Christmas story. The superb camera work by Pennington-Richards and the powerful score by Richard Addinsell

help to make this movie rather scary in places, as it should be.

Nowhere else have I seen the grim bleakness of the grimier side

of Victorian London so immediately conveyed. The scene where

Marley's ghost is caught out in the snowstorm with a multitude of

other wailing spirits is truly horrifying; and there are many such

moments, such as the one where the Spirit of Christmas Present

suddenly reveals to us the personifications of Ignorance and

Want; they really scared me as a kid, and they should scare us all

as adults now. Secondly, and above all, I think that the reason why

Alastair Sim succeeds so brilliantly here in a role which has

defeated so many is that he was chiefly a COMIC actor. Ebenezer

Scrooge has from the beginning an underlying humor which

makes him human; by allowing it to come out he makes the

transformation plausible, by making you understand that this

humor was dormant in him all along, just waiting to be awakened.

It just isn't Christmas without Sim.