“I have not lost my mind. On the contrary, I have. ~ Ebineiser Scrooge The story of Charles Dickens “Christmas Song” was filmed already by 1951 a considerable number of times, however, this version was the first to rightfully deserve not only praise from critics, but also the love of the audience, which today, watching it, will pay tribute not only to an assessment on any movie site, but also simply be grateful for an excellent retelling of the handwritten story, made in the format of a small timekeeping, but at the same time fully revealing all the main themes of the original and addressing the viewer with a considerable charge of Christmas atmosphere.
The story is not just an unshakable classic. It has all those moments that are interesting to the reader and plays them perfectly: memorable characters, their history, their development, instructive conclusion, as well as an incredibly remarkable atmosphere expressed in the holiday of Christmas, which is synonymous with the words “miracle”, “dream” and “desire”. The film by Brian Desmond Hearst transfers all these features to the screen very carefully, why again as the final product we see an excellent picture, which, as well as its printed progenitor, has all those interesting features for the viewer, thanks to which it is not only remembered, but also makes no-no-yes reconsider itself.
Yes, of course, there are a lot of possible interpretations of the Dickens story on the screen, and there are both animated representatives and in the format of the film - this is what I am talking about at the moment. It is worth admitting that many, it is even worth saying that most of these adaptations were not quite successful in the first place due to their frivolous, or not fully serious approach to the original. They were trying to introduce something new that a text like this didn’t really need. Why? Because everything that needs to be revealed to this story, he reveals. And the version of the 1951th year with its unobsolete charm only proves that a competent approach to the original source, high-quality work of actors and the revealed title idea are the fundamental dogmas for Dickens’ text, expressed in the format of cinema.
Alastair Sim created such an image of the miser Ebineiser Scrooge that involuntarily in my head for some time let the thought of his not the best motives come up even after the re-education of the miser. However, after a couple of seconds, thanks to the beautiful play of not only Sim, but also the environment that reacts to uncharacteristic dances and shouts of him, which is more than just shocked, you perceive the character completely differently - this is the magic of cinema, which here does what it should: it makes the viewer believe in the action on the screen literally demonstrating this action for only a couple of seconds. Therefore, I repeat: this film has excellent actors who play their roles appropriately.
At the same time, it is worth mentioning their excellent interaction with the difficult for that time effect of semitransparency of physical bodies, by which ghosts were created - due to the atmosphere and, again, reactions to these disembodied creatures, there is no sense of deception, you are really convinced of truthfulness, and this conviction persists throughout the timekeeping. Just as through the whole picture, the “thread” of the entourage of a beautiful holiday is similarly passed, and this mood is transmitted to the viewer by showing atmospheric snowfalls, smiles and full of goods. I do not know what it looks like in “color”, because I watched the black and white version, but even in monochrome form I was moved by this celebration and its mood, so I do not think that the brightening of the picture can destroy its atmosphere.
In the end, I am very happy to have met this 51st year film. It is attractive with characters, setting, history and the main idea that edifyingly says that a person is able to change at any age, that kindness and sincerity are subject to all years, how they are all able to bow to faith in a miracle, in obligatory magic, which simply must occur on a holiday like Christmas. And I believed, and will continue to believe in this, and at the same time urge you to believe, because it makes us people.
P.S. Thank you very much.