jellopuke
Classic performance by Sim and a well shot, if leisurely paced, stately version that does the tale proud. A Christmas tradition!
Stevieboy666
Christmas isn't Christmas without an annual viewing of this, arguably the best adaptation of Charles Dicken's classic tale "A Christmas Carol". Brilliantly filmed & acted, not just by Alistair Sim as old Scrooge but also by George Cole as the younger man. It has tons of atmosphere, a great score & is a very effective ghost story. Just don't bother with the colourised version, this was meant to be seen in black & white. Humbug!!
Emil Bakkum
"A Christmas carol" by Dickens has been molded into a film version many times. However this version from 1951 stands out for several reasons. At the time most people were still religious, so that they were sensitive to the sincere and supernatural connotation in Dickens' story. The film producer realizes this. In 1951 Scrooge is an evil man, he is evidently a sinner, but he is not yet a caricature. He is not a guy who reverse charges his obscene telephone calls. The black-and-white images fit in with the atmosphere of the nineteenth century, and this is reinforced by the sometimes gloomy music. This is Scrooge as Dickens meant him to be. Later versions suffer from the fact, that people have become agnostic (because atheists do not have holidays). Christmas has been transformed into a rather sentimental feast, with delusions about world peace. It must also be remembered, that Dickens portrays the real spirit of businessmen in olden times. It is the flourishing period of Manchester capitalism, and of Malthusianism. In a sense Scrooge is even engaging, because at least he abstains from a decadent lifestyle. He is simply a skillful investor, who knows the risks. He is indeed a man of rare gifts. He is the type who stuffs a pair of socks in each pocket, when he sends the pajamas to the laundry. Since the financial crisis of 2008 the personality of Scrooge has again become recognizable. Finally, it must be remarked that only true believers will be able to accept the sudden conversion of Scrooge. Indeed the intervention of God is needed in order to change a seasoned investor into a philanthropist, within a single night. It is a bit like your mother-in-law. You did not believe in Hell until you met her. The Bible is replete with such events. But modern psychology tells us that a protracted therapy would be required. Nevertheless, the film is worth watching, on Christmas day and beyond.
bkoganbing
Looking at this version of A Christmas Carol back to back with the Reginald Owen one done in Hollywood by MGM and probably the most frequently run on television J. Arthur Rank sacrificed traditional sentimentality for class warfare. Odd considering that Mr. Rank in life was a most conservative gentleman.It was the dog eat dog world of capitalism that turned Ebenzer Scrooge into the miserly individual he was. At least that's what it seemed to be to this viewer. Look at how Scrooge turns on his initial benefactor Mr. Fezziwick, look also how the firm of Scrooge&Marley was born, to save Mr. Jorik from prison and ruin. Their actions made Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern as Scrooge and Marley both wealthy men, but at a price. When Hordern's ghost comes calling Sim you see exactly how those chains were formed that he now carries.Rank put together an impressive list of players to support Sim as the man who learns the welfare of mankind not only is his business, but the government's as well. Better to vote for elected officials intent on keeping Christmas's spirit. No accident that this film was done during the reforming Labour government of Clement Attlee. That government essentially remade British society to what it is today. The welfare of British mankind was most assuredly its business.An interesting and alternative look at A Christmas Carol.
AD
