The familiar Dickens story gets a lavish, pull-out-the-stops musical treatment here, as an effectively cranky Albert Finney gets to put his spin on one of the great characters in literature, greedy & grouchy loner Ebenezer Scrooge. He is visited by a succession of spirits one eventful Christmas Eve, who show him the past, the present, and his possible future.
While this viewer still prefers the stark atmosphere, and grandiosity of Alastair Sims' memorable interpretation of Scrooge, in the 1951 adaptation, it's hard to deny the pleasures of this tuneful version. Granted, the songs are decent if mostly unremarkable, save for the show-stopping "Thank You Very Much"; "I Hate People" also has its amusements. The art direction and widescreen photography are simply first-rate as we get to see an incarnation of "A Christmas Carol" in great eye-popping colour.
Even if not a very faithful adaptation of the novel, it does retain its essence and spirit. The oddest touch is actually showing Scrooge what could await for him *after* death. Another unconventional element is Alec Guinness' rather offbeat interpretation of Jacob Marleys' ghost. But this viewer didn't mind these things too much, as they help to keep this adaptation unique among the many others over the decades.
Scripted by Leslie Bricusse, who also wrote the music & lyrics for all the songs, this was directed by Ronald Neame, who had previous experience with Dickens having produced the 1946 version of "Great Expectations". It features a superb British cast including Dame Edith Evans (the Ghost of Christmas Past), Kenneth More (the ghost of Christmas Present), Laurence Naismith (Mr. Fezziwig), David Collings (Bob Cratchit), Anton Rodgers (Tom Jenkins), Gordon Jackson, Roy Kinnear, Kay Walsh, and many other talents.
This is certain to put a smile on numerous faces; while it goes on rather long at just under two hours, it proves to be hard to resist.
Seven out of 10.
While this viewer still prefers the stark atmosphere, and grandiosity of Alastair Sims' memorable interpretation of Scrooge, in the 1951 adaptation, it's hard to deny the pleasures of this tuneful version. Granted, the songs are decent if mostly unremarkable, save for the show-stopping "Thank You Very Much"; "I Hate People" also has its amusements. The art direction and widescreen photography are simply first-rate as we get to see an incarnation of "A Christmas Carol" in great eye-popping colour.
Even if not a very faithful adaptation of the novel, it does retain its essence and spirit. The oddest touch is actually showing Scrooge what could await for him *after* death. Another unconventional element is Alec Guinness' rather offbeat interpretation of Jacob Marleys' ghost. But this viewer didn't mind these things too much, as they help to keep this adaptation unique among the many others over the decades.
Scripted by Leslie Bricusse, who also wrote the music & lyrics for all the songs, this was directed by Ronald Neame, who had previous experience with Dickens having produced the 1946 version of "Great Expectations". It features a superb British cast including Dame Edith Evans (the Ghost of Christmas Past), Kenneth More (the ghost of Christmas Present), Laurence Naismith (Mr. Fezziwig), David Collings (Bob Cratchit), Anton Rodgers (Tom Jenkins), Gordon Jackson, Roy Kinnear, Kay Walsh, and many other talents.
This is certain to put a smile on numerous faces; while it goes on rather long at just under two hours, it proves to be hard to resist.
Seven out of 10.