A CHRISTMAS CAROL

This is without a doubt one of the very best adaptations of the classic Dicken's Christmas story ever made!

The casting is brilliant, topped by veteran actor George C. Scott in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Scott nails the character perfectly and displays a wealth of emotions throughout from anger and sarcasm to (ultimately) remorse while not since PATTON has he grumbled and growled with such ferocity on screen!

Also of note is Frank Finlay's cameo as the ghost of Scrooge's long-dead business partner Jacob Marley. His is a genuinely eerie performance, all screams and rattling chains displaying a bitter and tortured soul, accompanied by unnerving close-up facial shots complete with glazed, unblinking eyes!

The rest of the cast do well too. Edward Woodward has a great time - much at Scrooge's expense! - as the giant Ghost Of Christmas Present while David Warner brings warmth and humility to the role of Scrooge's mild-mannered clerk, Bob… more »

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

This is without a doubt one of the very best adaptations of the classic Dicken's Christmas story ever made!

The casting is brilliant, topped by veteran actor George C. Scott in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Scott nails the character perfectly and displays a wealth of emotions throughout from anger and sarcasm to (ultimately) remorse while not since PATTON has he grumbled and growled with such ferocity on screen!

Also of note is Frank Finlay's cameo as the ghost of Scrooge's long-dead business partner Jacob Marley. His is a genuinely eerie performance, all screams and rattling chains displaying a bitter and tortured soul, accompanied by unnerving close-up facial shots complete with glazed, unblinking eyes!

The rest of the cast do well too. Edward Woodward has a great time - much at Scrooge's expense! - as the giant Ghost Of Christmas Present while David Warner brings warmth and humility to the role of Scrooge's mild-mannered clerk, Bob Cratchit.

Much attention has been paid to the location set designs, which are excellent, from the dingy slums to Scrooge's cheerless office and dusty chambers. This is certainly a rather bleak look at Victorian London!

All in all this is a faithful adaptation of the story and includes scenes seldom seen in other versions. The dead body on the bed (a test of Scrooge's resolve) and grotesque children Ignorance and Want are cases in point.

One minor niggle is that the DVD contains no extra features whatsoever, which is rather disappointing. However, the picture and sound quality for this production (now more than twenty years old) is crisp and clear and, on the film's merit alone, it is an outstanding purchase.