It’s the quintessential Christmas story, one that has been told many, many times throughout the years, and each and every retelling has its rabid fans. There have been dramas, comedies, cartoons, and even gender bending adaptations, but for me the very best of them is this pitch black 1970 musical starring Albert Finney and directed by Ronald Neame.
The moment the film begins with its eerie picture-book opening credits, we get a sense of the haunting mood of the piece, and indeed this film is a work of art. Everything about it is utter perfection. From the unforgettable music to the evocative set design, from the first class directing to the flawless performances, this film production is impeccable.
The phantasmal atmosphere is so absolute it practically oozes from the screen enshrouding the viewer in a melancholy dread that never loosens its grip. Albert Finney vanishes into the role of miserly old Scrooge, slipping into the character’s coiled bitterness with skillful conviction. This is the Scrooge by which all others should be judged. He’s ancient, sour, and so spiteful his very physicality has contorted to reflect his inner turmoil. He hates the world and everyone in it, scoffing any ounce of merriment around him with demonic conviction.
Everyone knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the malicious malcontent who dismisses Christmas as an infernal and worthless celebration in part exploited to rob men such as himself of his pennies. After mistreating his employee Bob Cratchit and the many poor souls who are indebted to him, he is visited by the eternally suffering ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley. The visit is to counsel Scrooge regarding his sinful deeds, to show him his everlasting fate should he remain the miser he is. It is also to warn him of three more visitations he must suffer in order to drive the message home. Ebenezer must change or suffer in Hell draped in the heavy chains crafted from the ethereal viscera of his transgressions. In fact, the unedited version of the film has a scene in Hell.
Ronald Naeme’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic is a moody horror film, drenched in shadow and bathed in melancholy. Though we all know the uplifting finale, the journey to Scrooge’s redemption is the darkest it’s ever been. No other variation had dared embrace the gothic terrors of “A Christmas Carol” quite like this one. It’s also never been so grandiose, everything about this nightmare is epic in proportion. The special effects, that were spectacular in their time, still hold up amazingly well today.
This is the most nightmarish version of the tale ever produced, a staple of the holiday season everyone should see but horror fans absolutely should not miss!
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