Jeffrey Young
It's not easy to choose which of the many film adaptations of 'Scrooge', or, "A Christmas Carol" is the best. It's better to say, which does a fan like the best. For me I like this 1970 adaptation the best followed by the 1984 version and the Patrick Picard version. I do not include the animated cartoon versions for comparison.
I am not a trained psychologist for starters although I have read something of human psychology in college and on the Internet.
Fans throughout the ages pondered just what was the problem with Ebenezer Scrooge's pathological greed? The answer is in the word, 'pathological'. When applying the psychology of the malevolent personality 'Dark Triad' to Ebenezer Scrooge, the man's pathology reflected mostly narcissism and probably some nonclinical sociopathy. In all the film adaptations you clearly hear Scrooge openly think of himself as a generous, honest man who is taken advantage of by thieving, cheating humanity, whom he despises, being the consummate misanthropist.
But the catalyst of Scrooge's personality neuroses is his 'fetish' with money. His obsession with wealth overextends to the actual physical possession and touch of gold specie where it has now become a fetish. You see Scrooge constantly touching and counting gold coins far beyond the necessary time to handle it.
Indeed, Scrooge's classic greed is just the overt manifested system of neurosis, narcissism, nonclinical pathology, fetishism, misanthropy, and ultimately his own unrecognized self-hatred projected and channeled externally onto others as their fault, not his. Therefore the one tragic scene where Ebenezer coldly breaks up with his fiancé, Isabel, is not a tragedy at all. It was the best thing that could happen to both people. Ebenezer was already down the dark rabbit hole when Isabel (never dismiss woman's intuition) realizes for both of them that happy marriage is an impossibility. The breakup between both people no doubt prevented future misery, unhappiness and possible tragedy. Isabel was smart enough to call it quits and Ebenezer, in his last act of unknowing compassion let her go. Ebenezer's final redemption and rebirth into humanity and compassion is his successful psychological therapy which restored the benign personality of his youth. Of course there's much more to that as the original intent of, "A Christmas Carol" was spiritual and Christian. Applying 21st century psychology to it makes Scrooge more understandable even if not more sympathetic.
TheMegaCritic2000 .
Being in my 50s now, I regard this as one of the best Christmas movies. I grew up with it every year on the TV. It rivals 'Oliver' as arguably the best musical family entertainment yet made. They simply don't make movies like this anymore. It takes the when known story of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' and adds the whole musical element. It sticks quite faithfully to the original novel, but adds a couple of twists along the way. The acting is top-notch from the entire cast, who are a 'who's who' of the British film industry of the period. Albert Finney is brilliant in the lead role, which is quite feat considering he was only 34 when he made this movie. All the ghosts are well-portrayed, but Kenneth Moore is the standout ghost, with his larger than life Ghost of Christmas Present. Alec Guiness' Marley is a superbly acerbic vision from Hell. David Collings' Bob Cratchett is excellent and the child actors all do a good job. And Anton Rodgers deserves a special mention for singing one of my all-time favourite musical numbers, 'Thank You Very Much', which is a rollicking sing-along song.We get this DVD out every Christmas Day, even though the kids are grown up now, and watch it again with as much pleasure as when I was a child watching it. The DVD version we have is very good audio and video quality and played through an upscaling BluRay players, the quality is superb.If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for!
SimonJack
This 1970 movie, "Scrooge," is the first and best movie musical made of "A Christmas Carol." At 113 minutes, it is a very good telling of the story, with most elements included. As with all versions, this one has its changes or extensions. Here, that is the music and an added sequence toward the end with the Spirit of Christmas Future. This film received high praise when it came out, but had some criticism of the musical score. I think the music is weak in the first half of the film. Nor are the tunes and lyrics very good or catching. Thankfully, that turns around in the second half, which has wonderful rousing and catchy tunes, as well as a couple of very good dancing\\\e scenes. Rather than debit this film for a weak start on the music, one should consider the story itself without the music. It has more depth than almost all other films in the various minor characters. A good amount of time is given to Scrooge's early love life. Albert Finney excels in the role of Scrooge. As he is taken on his trips to look into the past, present and future, he becomes immersed in the scenes. The spirits explain that these are only shadows of reality, so he isn't really there and the people can't see or hear him. But, Finney's Scrooge can't stay back as an observer. He becomes eagerly, emotionally, and energetically involved. This happens in the scene of the break-up with his fiancé, Isabel Fezziwig (played by Suzanne Neve). It happens with the party at nephew Fred's home. And, it happens in the futuristic street scene of people cheering Scrooge for the gift Tom Jenkins (played by Anton Rodgers) says Scrooge has given them. All of this makes and shapes Scrooge's character. So, each time he finds himself back in bed, he's a little less convinced that it was a dream. And, he's a little more inclined toward being able to change. I think this film shows that better than any other, including the excellent 1938 and 1951 films. My DVD of the 1970 film has the full movie, which includes a significant added sequence in the graveyard toward the end. This addition more directly and clearly depicts the moral implications of the story. It has some nice humor and cynicism amid the moral messages. Scrooge falls into his grave, spirals downward and wakes up in hell. The ghost of Jacob Marley (played excellently by Alec Guinness) is there to greet him, "because no one else wanted to." Marley tells Scrooge that Lucifer was so pleased with how he lived his life, that he was making him his personal clerk. "A singular honor," Marley says. "You will be to him, so to speak, what Bob Cratchit was to you." Scrooge says, "That's not fair. It's... It's …" Marley finishes his sentence, "Diabolical. I must confess, I find it not altogether unamusing." What great humor. But, besides the humor, this and the rest of the scene of Scrooge in hell are enough to put him over for conversion. So, when he awakens sitting on the floor at the corner of his bed with bed sheets twisted around his throat, his conversion is imminent. Finney's horrified, injured and weeping portrayal here is so sincere and real that the horror of the added sequence can be seen as the final push for his conversion. His dialog changes and his character changes as he reflects. "Perhaps it didn't happen after all. Perhaps it did. But I'm alive. I'm alive. I've got a chance to change, and I will not be the man I was. I'll begin again. I will build my life. I will live to know that I fulfilled my life. I'll begin today." The marvelous conclusion has more elaboration on the events after Scrooge's conversion, and this is where the very good musical parts come to a crescendo – tunes and dance. Besides Albert Finney's outstanding portrayal, other members of the cast excel, and all others are very good. Guinness's Jacob Marley's is by far the biggest ghost role in any films, and he nails it perfectly. The one role that I think most movies have always filled very well is the Ghost of Christmas Present. But, Kenneth More in that role here sets the standard as a head above all others. Edith Evans, a former first lady of British stage, is superb as the Ghost of Christmas Past. She isn't schmaltzy but rather direct and matter-of-fact. David Collings is superb as Bob Cratchit, Frances Cuba is spot-on as Ethel Cratchit, Michael Medwin is excellent as Nephew Fred, and Anton Rodgers plays Tom Jenkins superbly as a debtor of Scrooge. In general, this movie did more than any others to flesh out the circumstances of who Scrooge is and what he has lost in the past. Specifically, he has romantic scenes with Isabel, and we see him contacting a number of men and ladies who owe him small debts. We get the feel that besides his big business deals, he also loaned to individuals in their small businesses, probably at usury levels of interest. In the end, with the scenes we see here, Scrooge's conversion is all the more believable, realistic and exuberant. So, all of this adds up to making this 1970 musical film of the Dickens classic one of the best, if not the best. I have all the live action films in my library. But for those who don't want or can't afford that many, I recommend the 1938 (Reginald Owen), 1951 (Alastair Sim) and 1970 (Albert Finney) films. These are clearly heads above all the others.
Ben Larson
Nominated for four Oscars for set design, music and costumes, it garnered a Golden Globe for Albert Finney for Best Actor.I was leery of Scrooge as a musical, but it is a story that I love, and it had great special effects.Dame Edith Evans is the Ghost of Christmas Past, and she really brings something to the role. In fact, all three ghosts bring something to the role that is lacking in earlier productions.Every thing is great about this film, from Albert Finney to the huge turkey.Maybe they could have left out the songs.
