A Christmas Carol (2019) ANALYSIS | GUY PEARCE AS SCROOGE

Here we close out the season with the most controversial Christmas Carol ever. The production of the Scrooge story starring a truly great and underrated Guy Pearce, but written in a very dark and unconventional way. It's one that had everyone talking last year when FX first announced the twisted, dark retelling of the Charles Dickens' classic. It has since become one of the most contested and discussed Christmas films, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting an approval rating of 54% and an average rating of 6.19/10 from 24 critic reviews. Was this re-imagining too much? Did it go too far? How the heck does Andy Serkis never get the attention he deserves? Let's take a look at A Christmas Carol, 2019.
Patreon: / ramblingdirector
A Christmas Carol is a British dark fantasy miniseries based on the 1843 novella of the same name by Charles Dickens. It began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 22 December 2019, and concluded two days later on 24 December 2019. The three-part series is written by Steven Knight with actor Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott among the executive producers. This adaptation was meant to present a darker take on the classic story, one aimed for an adult audience. The mini-series involves adult language, horror elements, implications of child molestation, forced prostitution, and a depiction of a child drowning.
Filming locations include Rainham Hall in East London and Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick. Cast members include Guy Pearce, Andy Serkis, Stephen Graham, Charlotte Riley, Jason Flemyng, Vinette Robinson and Joe Alwyn.
#christmas #merrychristmas #achristmascarol #guypearce

[@ginostroffolino8940]

Actually Marley died the year before the start of the story in this version, not 7 years before as in the book. His tombstone shows 1842. Many people seem to have missed this.

[@chrisischannel]

laying in a coffin in total darkness for even 1 year without sleep company is suffering horribly

[@andiemorgan961]

​@@chrisischannel In the intro the narrator misses this fact! Stating how gaunt and what state of decomposition he should be after 7 years.

[@jayxavier6930]

51:50 This is possibly a shout out to Oscar Wilde: "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing."

[@jayxavier7357]

54:29 The thing about change is that it's hard and slow... so one intermittent breakthrough for Scrooge is both psychologically plausible and also makes for better drama: less is more.

[@shaereub4450]

I think what Past ment was: It's not about you or your forgiveness. It's about the people who are effected and who suffer from your actions.

[@bean-xq7xj]

thats how I took it too. And I really liked that.

[@thomaspotts1801]

Great video, thank you for that. I remember absolutley loving this productions version of the morning after scene. Rather than the immediate joyful, bellowing laughter streaming out if Scrooge, we instead see the ice around his heart slowly begin to thaw. His newfound appreciation for Christmas and the people around him is still being filtered through his overly logical mind, which I actually find really beautiful. His response to someone saying "Merry Christmas" being "It is. It is", almost as if he alone understands the enormity of a statement which may well be a thoughtless, throwaway, yet still friendly greeting, never fails to bring a year to my eye.

[@AxelEztudio]

Each Christmas Carol version must have a personal message of their creators, for the adaptation on this great story … And we all must struggle and if we can conquer our own Scrooge , not just for the sake of Christmas , but to save the must precious gift we can have , that is love for life and respect of others as well .. that action takes always a great set up in our past , to lead us a very great deal to consider in all our in decisions in the present , that will be our future always since there are no guarantees in life other than what you do with what you have … merry Christmas to everybody, I did enjoy the power of summoning the spirits , since we all do each time we watch A Christmas Carol …

[@LilStJames-dm7yc]

best review and analysis of the entire themes of A Christmas Carol out here on YT. You need twice as much subscribers and 10x as much more views.

[@thomastesh1639]

"Outstanding" All Actors-Tremendous!!!!=Guy Pearce-Joe Alwyn-Andy Serkis-Stephen Graham-Charlotte Riley-Jason Flemyng-Vinette Robinson-What GREAT Acting!!! Thank You.

[@jayxavier7357]

36:45 It's must been shown that victims of abuse and trauma sometimes, if not often, can come to identify with their abusers -- they may even become abusers themselves. It's a coping mechanism: they've formed the belief that their abusers were omnipotent, and thus wish to become just as powerful, as a safeguard against ever being hurt again... Of course, coming to terms with one's pain is what therapy is for... which is what Scrooge is put through by the Spirits. But, until then, it comes as no surprise that this sexual prey becomes a predator in his own right.

[@rong7496]

Christmas Carol is basically “Scared Straight: Supernatural Edition.”

[@chloetaylor7476]

Thank you for making this. This is honestly one of my favourite adaptations of A Christmas Carol and recommend it to everyone at Christmas time. May be a controversial thought but I felt that certain themes and scenarios in this version seem to fit better/more to the time the story is set. Incredible version.

[@mazzarouni5608]

This version with Guy Pearce is excellent. I loved it and because it helps to answer possibly why Scrooge was the man he was. You don’t become a cold hearted skin flint for no reason. I also like the increased insight into Marleys and Scrooge underhand business affairs. It definitely would have been the case bearing in mind their thirst for money. I also liked the realism. It wasn’t comforting but cold. Scrooges metamorphosis is far more realistic and without sentimentality.

[@rafmeinster]

"...it helps to answer possibly why Scrooge was the man he was. You don’t become a cold hearted skin flint for no reason." Doesn't the original story answer that?

[@primepm8861]

Mary's black!? I couldn't fucking tell! It was so Goddamn dark!

[@moonstonepearl21]

It was like the later Harry Potter moves to the upteenth degree in some parts. At least here, there was a reason for it to be super dark in those moments. You also didn't really need to see in detail to know what was going on. I think they used the darkness well to highlight the horror, like when Scrooge hears someone in his house. So, I'm split on whether I consider this an issue or not. The bigger issue was it being too soft in some parts. I don't know if anyone else had this problem. Sound people. What the heck?

[@SamuelBlack84]

Cratchit wouldn't have had a black wife in those days

[@DetroitHomeInspector]

I think I have also seen every version. My two favs are the musical with Albert Finney and the FX version. Total opposites, one is light and one is very dark still my two favs.

[@chrisischannel]

laying in a coffin not rotting is suffering if your awake in total darkness with nothing to talk to or see

[@Cat_festation]

Best version ever; it’s my go-to christmas movie now. Dark & visceral, showing Ebenezer’s back story. Love it ❤

[@treenugs117]

I didn't see it until this year, It was a great first watch. I agree, it'll be added in rotation each year. It's comforting, yet chilling at the same time

[@edbelle1168]

I love this FX version And also the 1984 George c Scott version I actually like everything about this fx version I feel Mary was some kind of witch Even though not said , I feel it's implied once angered she will have vengeance Remember the old saying Hell has no fury like a woman scorn I say why can't she have the power to summon the spirits because we're talking about a movie that has spirits taking scrooge through time to expirence all his wrong doings The movie already has all these super natural over tones so why can't Mary have them to The only thing I don't get is her last line That there's much more work to be done She ain't getting anymore out of scrooge I took it as she will send spirits to other people like scrooge so they may be also somehow redeemed Regardless I really like this version

[@gsmooth4279]

The thing with the social experiment that never worked was that, it would have never accomplished anything. A woman engaging in this act only proves that people are willing to break moral rules in order to save the ones they love, not out of greed or malice. The fundamental idea was flawed.

[@bean-xq7xj]

This is one hundred percent my favorite adaptation. I love the acting, the writing, the cinematography, the special effects! But I also one hundred percent agree with all your comments. I think you also had some really great ideas for the general world of Christmas Carol adaptations! Something you didn't really mention is the anti-capitalist message of the film. I think, like most problems this adaptation has, the anti-capitalst message or theme is really strong and powerful for the first half but really falls off/is entirely dismissed in the later half. You're also so right about the awful scene with Martha. I always skip it when I rewatch the adaptation. In reality its just a Black woman's trauma that is narratively being used as an example of Scrooge's "lessons" and his horrible cruelty while also being an opportunity for him to unlearn those lessons. I think your version of a better scene is way way better. I also love how this adaptation tackles redemption and Scrooges idea of it. Amazing analysis!!! Thank you!

[@bean-xq7xj]

also I just pretend the last line doesn't exist lmao.

[@JAPelicano1]

The point that sullied this version for me was actually Tiny Tim's "death". Scrooge was supposed to feel remorse for Tim's death because his lack of compassion and not paying Bob fair wages resulted in Tim not getting the medical care he needed to survive; however, in this version Tim dies in a skating accident that Scrooge IN NO WAY was responsible for. That's on Tim's parents, period. Now, the movie doesn't flat out tell us this, but perhaps it was the post-Christmas conversation the parents had regarding Scrooge's experiment on Mrs. Crachitt that made them less attentive to the whereabouts of their son, but again I argue...Scrooge was not responsible for Tim's death in this one. It really bothered me. Why did he ALL OF SUDDEN care about Tim when he went under the ice. Hundreds died in that mine, in that fire that he WAS responsible for...but one boy in the ice did it? No.

[@andiemorgan961]

Perhaps, the message was that because he was showing compassion for a tragedy he wasn't responsible for, reveals a greater significance. The acquisition of pure altruism. To feel sympathy towards another whose plight is the result of factors beyond your control and who you don't personally know requires a greater degree of empathy and compassion. This adaptation wanted to reveal Scrooge's social responsibility, like everyone else's, goes beyond those we have caused immediate harm to and those we intimately know. When he sees his own gravestone he doesn't want redemption for his life's misdeeds, he believes he deserves his fate of death without forgiveness. All he wants is for Tim to survive. A true gesture of goodwill without reward. It fits with what he later says about sprinkling gravel over the snow. An act of genuine kindness, done not for gratitude but for the safety of complete strangers. It's a rather big concluding message but, it's the only way that helped me make sense of that scene.🤗

[@benjalucian1515]

@@andiemorgan961 Except the social responsibility storyline was directed toward the wealthy. Scrooge and Marley were extremely wealthy. They CAN afford to work toward helping society.

[@kylejohnson8447]

I just watched it for the first time and I was extremely impressed. I thought the creative liberties taken were not in vain because of how compelling it made the story. I almost feel like the writer had their own new story to tell and used A Christmas Carol’s format to do so. Also good video, I enjoyed your analysis.

[@Andygroo]

The whole Cratchit thing pays off in the cemetery…”Nothing sinks them, because they have…”

[@89Awww]

I literally just watched this FX version of A Christmas Carol on cable tv and I didn't hate it but I was somewhat disappointed by the production. Maybe it just boils down to taste. Many creative liberties were taken from the 1843 novel which made the FX version confusing (Scrooge & Marley's business practices changing, many collateral deaths because of them, young Ebenezer Scrooge getting molested, his sister becoming the ghost of Christmas present and her name being changed from 'Fran' to 'Lottie' among other things). Scrooge's sexual manipulation of Mary Cratchit made me cringe and it seemed out of character for Scrooge (I agree with you that he's not a villain but an antihero-turned-hero). However, I appreciate the new backstories provided for Jacob Marley, Mary Cratchit and their associations with the three spirits of Christmas. Like you, I think Guy Pearce did a phenomenal job with his compelling take on Scrooge and this production would've warranted a worse review if it weren't for him (L.A. Confidential, Momento and The Proposition are my favorite films of his btw). I would've appreciated seeing Scrooge become like a second father to Tiny Tim and visit his nephew Fred's Christmas dinner but it was interesting to see him reunite with Marley and their urine covered gravestones. Overall I would grade the FX version of A Christmas Carol with a B- or a C+. I like your reaction on this cynical interpretation and thank you for your insight!

[@bean-xq7xj]

You are so right about the ghost of Christmas Past! I was so disappointed with his appearance.

[@Balrog-tf3bg]

Past is the one they can have the most fun with.

[@GESSO217]

The Special has some great acting, great scenes. But I hated how depressing it is. In every version, even in the original source material, you have lighter moments that complement the darker ones. But here it's one dark moment after another. Removing elements of Christmas and replacing it with stuff like "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" hurts the film. They could be wishing each other Happy Halloween and it wouldn't make a difference. You mention the Jaw, why they always mess with Marely's Jaw. Well that's because in the story after Marley removes the Handkerchief from his head his jaw drops down on his chest. Like a corpse. So Marely is speaking to Scrooge with his mouth hanging open until he ties the Handkerchief back around his head to close his mouth before he departs. The 1971 cartoon is the only version that gets it right. Mrs Cratchit someone how able to summon spirits makes no sense at all. Marely's supposed to arrange the intervention for Scrooge, so how is she able to do it? Is she a Voo Doo Child? That whole scene with her and Scrooge should've been left out. If the idea was to establish further what kind of an A-hole Scrooge is ....Well if the audience hasn't figured it out by this point you've pretty much lost them. The Ghost of Christmas Future .... Yeah I agree with that. That Picture in the promotional was the reason I wanted to check this special out in the first place. It was the Network version of click bait.

[@Luvie1980]

How are your Christmas holidays? I find Christmas very depressing.

[@rosies14]

Guy Pearce version is my favourite. I absolutely loved it.

[@moonstonepearl21]

I'm so sorry you have had to deal with that all too common trauma. There is so much abuse, coming in so many forms out there, especially against children. I hope you are doing well. Sending love across the internet

[@Coolyguy27]

Yea I thought that was kind of unusual. Scrooge not visiting his nephew at the end. You see his sister but not his nephew

[@QueenBoadicea]

37:20 Here, you make a mistake. That is NOT what Mr. Scrooge says to Mary. He states that if she comes on Christmas and does whatever he asks of her, he'll give her the money as a gift. (That's not the definition of a "gift", by the way. That's payment for services rendered. But I digress.) He doesn't ask her to have sex with him; that is merely her assumption. He makes her state her intention and watches her strip. He doesn't tell her what to say or do. As he states, he has no interest in her; he merely wanted to see the price of her so-called honesty and virtue. That was, indeed, the nastiness of the bargain, that he would entice her into tarnishing her own supposed decent nature while assuming the worst of his.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

The filmmakers fundamentally either no not understand and/or respect Dickens. Much to their folly.

[@anitarichmond8930]

When you talk about a Christmas Carol it excites me to know end, story has everything. Oh,oh are you familiar with Dickensian? It was mini series based on a Christmas Carol.🎩

[@davidleonard6593]

A very good production, better in ways than many other filmed versions of a Christmas Carol but it deviates so far from the source material that it shouldn't have been called A Christmas Carol.

[@Sharpe1502]

As a woman, I summon spirits all the time. We’re not supposed to talk about it.

[@code-52]

Ridiculous.

[@kylekullin2520]

Do you like Tom Petty?

[@shockbladezed2352]

Thanks for talking about it ❤

[@southernfriedmedia3968]

who made a big deal out of that scene? a rich man propositioned a poor girl for sex....shit happens all the time

[@michaelwalsh9616]

I think it's less of 'a rich man taking advantage' and it being 'EBENEEZER SCROOGE takes advantage'. It's harder to redeem the eponymous miser when he commits adultery

[@landandtreesproject]

IMO, I think, that this is the best version of A Christmas Carol ever produced, and I have seen them all. Guy Pearce was absolutely awesome. He played Scrooge very well. The whole cast were also great. I really doubt another remake of A Christmas Carol will even come close to how good this version is.

[@SWEETHEAD1000]

I too have always had an long standing affinity with the story, since I first stumbled across it at the back end of the 1970's. Likewise, I have seen many different film versions over the years and have a fair few of them in my DVD collection. This film however, Which despite having some likeable elements, I see more as a plagiarism than a version of Dickens novella. Like "An American Christmas Carol" or "Scrooged" before it, takes the idea and gives it its own spin. The former however, do not claim to be anything other than that, with different settings, name changes etc. and of course a different title. Were I Charles Dickens, I would have felt that my grave was being pissed on, in how my work was being misrepresented in this film. With that said, Lenny Rush who plays Tiny Tim was brilliantly cast. For the first time, the Tiny character is actually played by a tiny actor and it must be said brilliantly. He (Tim) is in my mind, the highlight of this film. The only character who is true to to the book and accomplishes what is expected of him. Interestingly as an aside, it was a surprise to see, that Scrooges offices were based on premises that I had chanced upon and decided to use (as a green screen background) a year or so earlier, in my own no budget, very amateur excuse of a film version. I thought at the time "Chances of that". The buildings are the grade 1 listed premises 56-58 Artillery lane. Great review though, I did enjoy it and could agree on a lot of points, except the point about Marley's jaw. Dickens like many Victorians had a dark side. He spent many an hour visiting cemeteries and even morgues it is said. It is also reported, that during his readings women would pass out. Even throwing up post performance was not unknown. While we think of "A Christmas Carol" as being primarily a story, it would be more accurate to call it (from Dickens perspective and intention) a parable. He wrote the book in place of publishing a leaflet, because he felt that it would have more impact (he referred to it as a "hammer blow" which would have 20 times the impact). That he did so, indicates that it is not about Scrooge at all, but the reader. That for me, is where this BBC version really fails, you do not identify or feel an affiliation for any of the characters, with the exception of Tim of course who as I said earlier was "right on the money"

[@Nightman221k]

I cannot understand anyone enjoying this joyless version. I think they fundamentally misunderstood everything in Dickens’s story. Cratchit was so flagrantly insubordinate that I’m shocked that we were supposed to see Scrooge as a bad employer since their back and forth was so full of hatred. But Scrooge being molested by the schoolmaster at the behest of his father and broken out of it by his guntoting sister. It’s insane. Nephew Fred was meaningless and Belle was an afterthought. It’s like every moment of tenderness was left out even the Fezziwigs. And it crossed the moral event horizon when Scrooge played that sexual mind game with Mrs. Cratchit. That is so evil and cruel that I don’t think it could ever repair the rift between the boss and the family whose patriarch Scrooge employed. The one thing I did think was interesting was Tiny Tim being a dwarf.

[@kaylynnbuente4535]

Yeah this thing was ruined when she said, “there is still much to do”. I was shattered.

[@Orion_TheyThem]

I'm sorry, what??? How does that ruin the whole thing for you?

[@moonstonepearl21]

OMG! I saw those promo images too, and for some reason it didn't sink in that the character design for The Ghost of Christmas Future was so different in the movie. Yea that kind of thing happens sometimes. It's a bit annoying, but there was probably a reason for the change. Also, as far as him communicating telepathically, I can't remember all the thoughts he gave, but I don't necessarily see this as a contradiction. Sometimes he needed to communicate in some way. I can see whoever is in charge of the spirits being okay with him giving small bits of information, but he just can't speak as loosely as others can. The writing with this is really amazing. This is the kind of movie you can watch over and over again and realize more details each time. We really feel Scrooge's pessimistic words because there is a ring of truth to it. Why can't people be kinder to each other most of the time? Him pointing out the flaws in humanity is valid, but humanity doesn't always have flaws. It's a mix. There is a lot of bad, but there is a heck of a lot of good as well, and us, like, Scrooge, all struggle to remember that sometimes with life just being life. Overall, I really enjoyed this version. I agree that it is not dark just for the sake of being dark like some people think it is. I was fine with the content. The main issues I have are with the pacing and abandoned plot points. It was already an almost 3 hour movie, so some of it could have been time issues. I wouldn't have minded it being longer to get in more info. We are shown Elizabeth and know that she must have been someone he was romantically involved with but get nothing else. We needed something else. We also have no idea what happened with his relatives. The ending with him walking away was nice, and that would have taken away from that, but it does feel like an unresolved plot thread, and not him just deciding to stay away. We needed to see his decision. We didn't even go see his nephew and his family. It was a bit of a waste to have him show up once, and that's it. It might have even worked better to just leave him out entirely, though the lines and interaction he does have with Scrooge were great. Yea, I'm also a bit iffy on the religious ideology they present here. It is completely unfair to have one person's redemption tied to if someone else repents. Also saying it isn't about his forgiveness and redemption is a bit contradictory, not only to Christian ideology, but also the story in general. However, I do actually like what they are saying, and it can work. He does actually get redeemed and likely even forgiven by God or the powers that be in this universe because in the end he becomes more concerned about others and those that he wronged than he is concerned about his own redemption and forgiveness. After all, saying you're sorry and asking to be forgiven are not always the same thing. Telling people they always have to forgive every type of transgression like Christianity and some other religions do is a controversial idea. Not demanding people forgive you is a modern idea that I can understand. It's more relatable to many peoples' mindsets. He also had a healthier mindset of not fixating on his mistakes but just trying to do better now. The sexual exploitation with Mary plot line wasn't a deal breaker for me. The only thing that was a bit much was what that one guy was doing with the graves. I think the point was showing that it is possible even for people who cross certain lines to be redeemed, even when so much of society doesn't think so. It's unfortunate that Mary puts the blame on herself, but that's common. She obviously did not do anything wrong. She took the only opportunity to save her child's life. Even for the 1800s, if Bob ever found out, I don't think he would be that upset with her. He, however, would possibly murder Scrooge like Scrooge mentioned in his philosophical musings. Maybe that was due to his guilty conscience. Yea the Mary summoning the spirits plot line was a bit weird. It doesn't ruin it for me or anything, though. I get the worries that it may be a bit racist or sexist and maybe, but I think some are just reading into it too much. The problem lies in them not explaining it completely, like with other plot points and concepts. We needed a bit more of an explanation for how she was involved, and it could have been interesting because we would see the inner workings of how the Christmas spirits redemption program works. There likely is some kind of waiting list because I believe there were a few years from the alleged contact of the spirits until when they actually appeared before Scrooge. I'm sure there are plenty of messed up people on the wrong path to help. Maybe it got triggered by Jacob repenting since they have a joint liability. Maybe some people are born sensitive to them and are used to help recommend people for the program. It's a cool concept that would be really interesting if explored. i think I'm in the minority with that, though. I didn't really think of The Ghost of Christmas part of arrogant, but I can see your point. Then again, he is this old, supernatural being who has a job of making especially sinful people seeing the error of their ways. Still, it's not like he's God himself. There were a lot of heartwarming and funny moments as well. Him getting to live his childhood fantasies and well as do something he just said was impossible and ride camels in the snow was really nice. Plus, we get that funny line, "No, I've never ridden a camel before!" We also get him talking to the carriage and saying, "You are an opioid." The I need thicker socks line you mentioned was another one. These lines became extra amusing because he is such a serious character. I too loved the church scene. With the music and the light in the church behind him, it made for a strikingly beautiful scene. Anyway, despite some issues that I feel in part were due to time constraints, I really liked this. That's for sharing this really cool in depth analysis :)

[@ikkespillendekarakter3924]

Black people in Victorian England :D

[@Arcueid_Brunestud]

Yeah, makes no sense. Stuff like that just ruins the immersion.

[@moonstonepearl21]

There were all different types of people all over the place. It's not as unusual as some people think it is. Also, she is mixed race and not even super dark.

[@vashna3799]

Loathsome woke adaption. Avoid

[@tonyplyler6203]

I love A Christmas Carol and I love this version. I'm sorry bro, but I have to say that it is the most current version of the story. It reads well for today's audience.

[@ramblingdirector446]

Hey bro, never apologize for your opinion. That's one of the great things about KZbin as a medium. We get to have these great conversations with people who disagree with us. But I love pretty much all of this version, as I stated at the end of the video. There's just three or four big components that really left me mixed on it. But overall I really like it a lot. :)

[@milesB4Isleep]

I haven't seen this entire analysis of this film. But I did go to the end to see your concluding thoughts and your thoughts about how the film ends. I see and agree with much of your concluding thoughts about the film and ending the story sooner. But when I interpret this full story version, the ending takes more license than you realize. It appears to me that Bob Cratchit's wife did indeed summon the ghosts to haunt Scrooge. It turns the entire story around to realize he has been under some kind of curse as payback to what he did to her. It reframes the function of the supernatural and reveals how this story derives its generally dark tone. He literally thanks her for the beating she put him through yet she is unmoved. The story is not about redemption but revenge. This version is born of the fault-finding, bitter, judging, hopeless socio-political ethos of our current times. She takes his money but gives him absolutely nothing in return. And that last line appears to be a sad attempt to open the door for a sequel. The film is excellent in many aspects of cinematography, acting, editing, directing and production design. But the soul of a film is its story and the voice that inspires it. Charles Dickens would hate this film.

[@shockbladezed2352]

48:23 The spirit had told him, that it's not about him (Scrooge), but about Mary. Scrooge asking "so I am forgiven then?" is very selfish of him, thinking only for himself. Also, Mary said she'd say a prayer for him, which is why it makes sense that she knows about some power of justice or sth (not sure how she knows particularly about past, present and future though), but she could've considered that when she saw Scrooge's changed. It's also never mentioned, that it's about her being black... I agree, though, that the "I am a woman and I have the power to summon such spirits" part is complete trash.

[@bean-xq7xj]

Exactly!

[@vherak05]

I absolutely love this version of A Christmas Carol. I love your enthusiasm in this review!! I do agree on almost every point you've made except 1.) I love the Jacob Jaw effect 🤣. I don't usually like gross things as 'scary' things but this one worked for me lol. It just added an element of horror in a way that anyone would be horrified to find a human mandible on the floor. Also 2.) The way Lotti talked about her dad being gone gave me the impression that he was dead and that either she or her mother made him that way 👀. But I am glad to find that I am not the only fan of this version. I hope other Dickens novels are produced in this style. I absolutely love it.

[@ButterCookie1984]

I also felt that Lotti and her mother killed their father.

[@benjalucian1515]

I liked it. I liked that the ending wasn't as joyous as others, because Scrooge may have been shown the error of his ways and is a changed man in that regard, that doesn't mean the scars of his life aren't still with him, that's reality, despite his claim that his only concern is the future. So he has to work up to the joy. I did miss his reconciliation with Fred though. The Mrs. Cratchett thing didn't bother me but I knew it would destroy the storyine of Scrooge becoming a 2nd father to Tim and becoming the best boss in the world to Bob. No way they could ever have a cordial relationship after that. As for her invoking ghosts, she might have invoked those spirits originally but she has no idea if they actually happened. She may just assume they did, and so invokes them again. But we all know they never came again for Scrooge. So her invoking them isn't really the cause of the ghosts appearing to Scrooge. It's Marley doing that.

[@christhornycroft3686]

Yes, it was dark, but the Alastair Sim version was darker, especially in black and white. Guy Pierce is good as Scrooge, but nobody touches Alastair Sim. Unfortunately, the kids won't watch anything made before they were born because they have the attention span of a gnat. That's why I never had kids. Dogs are much better.

[@benjalucian1515]

Yes and I love Guy Pearce. Very underrated but superb actor.

[@jamesalexander5623]

Two Words : Alistair Sim .......

[@michaelpescatore17]

Could not agree more. His brilliant performance as Scrooge is one which all others aspire to, but never surpass... George C. Scott's effort notwithstanding.

[@BassGoBomb]

I saw this when originally broadcast (along with millions of others, btw) and have since seen it 4 times on DVD .. so I've had the luxury of taking my time, repeats and rewinds .. Subjectively I have to ay this is brilliant. I have read the original story many times (and all Dickens books save for one (the 'industrial town one .. can't remember it's mae of the top of my head) and a few of the other Christmas Carols (Yes, there's more than one..!!). It deals not only with greed, the ignorance (ignorance, as in to 'ignore' and be unaware of society's realities as per Greek suare definition) of the rich (Dicken's main theme througout his books).. but also the ego-centrism of such greed and money grubbing. So, "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU." may not be in the original but it might well have been .. and is Ssssooooooo poignant in today's RW-Neo-Lib religi-driven) 'mememe' society driving us on to 'needing' charity once more .. and doffing out caps to our our 'alleged' betters .. 'cos they deserve it' ... 'Live wiv it' and all the err stuff we've had over the past decade or so. Time for change, me thinks.. and not an 'orange' one cos' that's just an extreme version of that which I have just outlined.

[@candaceclarke4756]

Today was our second time watching this version of the Christmas Carol - it's become our favorite. The new character development and backstories made the film compelling. This is an adult version, dark with mature humor. We are used to the general story line presented in the other movies, so this is a departure. The opening dialog between Scrooge and his employee Cratchit gave a forthright introduction to what was to come. Scrooge's OCD comes out immediately as does Cratchit's well spoken intelligence. It reminded me of the new versions of Sherlock Holmes. This takes a deeper dive into motivations and consequences. However, that said, it seemed to end suddenly without the usual outcomes. For instance, we normally see Tiny Tim's life or death due to his illness. Scrooge and Cratchit part ways. We don't know what will become of Scrooge.

[@billpenrod6415]

Have you ever watched the stingiest man in town ? Didn't here on you tube.

[@glynischapman3044]

I stil have it on an old video tape ! It is wonderful

[@mikerobinson9339]

While I "appreciate" this version of the story - the acting, staging, effects, and direction are all superb - I find that I do not "like" it. The story is entirely dark, and does not give you nor Scrooge any way out. None of the expected "lighter moments" are there. Scrooge is, in fact, a person who would force a peasant woman to disrobe herself, fully expecting to be raped (he doesn't ...), just in order to prove to himself that he had such power over her. I don't want the character of Ebenezer Scrooge to be THAT dark. (But, as I remember both the actor and the actress in that scene, I was astounded at how well each of them played it.) There are many original ideas: that Scrooge and Marley owned a coal mine which collapsed because they would not approve the money to shore it up. Entire scenes and settings proceed from this idea, and all of them are completely convincing. Yet there is no corollary in the Dickens novel to most of the things that you see here. This is "A Christmas Carol in name only." Each of the three "ghosts," and Jacob Marley, are all very imaginatively depicted - "you've never seen anything like this before, folks" - and each of the actors makes the very most of his part. In fact, every single member of the cast AND crew did an excellent job. This is an ambitious project and certainly the first of its kind. I simply do not ... like it.

[@sodoffbaldrick3038]

Thank you for stating so well exactly what I was thinking.

[@littlevivz1684]

As an adaptation I give it 2/10, but even as its own thing I wouldn't give it more than 4.5/10. One of the things that botherd me the most was the info dumping, spoon feeding, telling instead of showing. Like "oh a white mouse, let me tell you all about my past and how I feel about this mouse" even though it makes no sense to tell yourself all about your own past and feelings in that much detail even if you do talk to yourself. Show us at least some sort of flashback. I felt like the whole him talking to himself but really to Jacob thing was an excuse to fill the story with info dumps. And then we have stuff like: *Mary sees Ebenezer* Ebenezer: "I think she can see me" Fan/Lottie: "she can see you" *incert infodump about why here* Thanks for spoon feeding us the same information three times! They really are talking down to their audience at this point *Sees spirit mouth is sawn shut* Ebenezer: "your mouth is shut so you can't talk" (well, obviously) *Goes on to give us a reason as to why, that is pure speculation on his part, it never gets confirmed, and that we as an audience easily can interpret ourself* Fan/Lottie: I'm a scientist Ebenezer: You're really smart Me: BUT WHY? Why do we need this information, it never goes anywhere, and it never SHOWS us she's actually more intelligent then the rest. The story would be exactly the same without this addition! I like the way the original story gave information that blended seemless in with the story. When we need to know we are at the time he was an apprentice at Fezzywigs he tells the spirit because he's so excited to be back. And it never over explained itself. I like how we can interpret the story in our own way, I keep speculating if the spirits were real or if it was indeed a vivid dream, since no one acknowledge that he knows more than he should about the present, and he changes the future, so who knows if the future would happen. This version shoves every one of their own interpretations down our throats, and I don't like it.

[@littlevivz1684]

And it was ALOT more! I will mention some. I love a christmas carol, and really like the idea of a darker and creepier version. I liked some of the parts they added, but the book has so many elements that could easily be made really scary, but they didn't use it. I was more scared the first time I watched the 2009 animation, and it still managed to have christmas spirit. A three hour film don't have any business leaving so much out of the story. Not to mention the dispropotionate use of time. I already wonderd how they would split a five part story into three parts, and they made it worse than I could ever imagine! Chapter two going all the way to the last episode. And then there are abandoned plot points I feel like. We meet Fred, but he isn't important later. We are shown the importance of the church in the woods, then that it has deteriorated, so I naturally expected him to help the people he hurt keep the church alive instead of the original Fred plot point, but no. I could really go on and on. But you mentioned many of my problems with it too. The only things is I actually liked his jaw on the floor, that was more like what I expecting when they said dark (I think I interpreted dark wrong, was not preapred for sexual trauma and swearing left and right)

[@scottaznavourian3720]

Imo but this was trash. Scrooge isnt just a greedy cheap mean old man...hes a sociopath and pervert...even the flashbacks to him as a child somehow dont make him easy to root for...

[@eenelso]

A VERY DIFFERENT VERSION ! Indeed ! The only objectionable thing I found was the multiple uses of the F Word. totally ruined the movie from being a classic.

[@moonstonepearl21]

For me, I could have done without what the guy was doing to the graves. I felt that crossed a line. You don't desecrate graves. I don't care how horrible someone was in life. The F word didn't bother me. I don't think it was overused. Past eras like this were not as "pure" as some people think they were.

[@Orion_TheyThem]

I'm sorry......fetish???? As in you're sexually attracted to A Christmas Carol??

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

Fetish doesn't necessarily have to be sexual in nature as a niche indulgence that caters to some honed proclivity for which idiosyncratic pleasure is derived.

[@brownmut5518]

This version and of coarse Micky's Christmas Carol are my two favorites

[@adamr3028]

yes,the best version as of yet.very dark side of things,raw,real,uncut.

[@nothing2seehere34]

Just finding this in 2023: I had really good hopes that you would be okay with the story about your Mom despite the fact I could tell you were young and usually should be ignored but by the very end I found that I was wrong and you should be ignored... but you need to remember 46:20 and watch the end again, that comment is made clear at the end if you pay attention to it. 46:20 like the added c$@, the early victim mentality narrative, and the indecent proposal are a modern addition but unlike the others that went too far (sort of like the casting imo) it fits the story if you pay attention and take everything into context and it won't be seem stupid to your "precious moments" mind.

[@letspretendsomemore]

Why does that last line seem like sequel baiting? Lol Still one of the best adaptations of the material and the closest this has felt to the power of the material of the George C Scott version (perhaps even surpassing it), the ending needed to be dark though, this Scrooge needed to change without asking for redemption because he was right, personalities like him would use that redemption as an excuse to return to old behavior so it works (the last line is dumb though lol)

[@SevenEllen]

I LOVE this version of A Christmas Carol! ^_^

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

The filmmaker eutger fundamentally don't understand Dickens or are vying to totaly disgrace his legacy. It's like Dickens via Dawkins. Total rubbish.

[@bobbyjosson4663]

A nihilistic, grim and misery-laden woke version. Just what the world needs, a film made by sociopaths.

[@stevenleabon8032]

But to dark. Its to much swearing love story of Christmas carol, but i prefer the more purer versions 😊

[@rong7496]

He pulled a Sallieri on Cratchit’s wife.

[@littlevivz1684]

42:15 waitwaitwait! He made her strip and then told her no one, including him, would want her in that way. That's just as bad!!! He should be greedy, not pure evil.

[@tabbyreed8925]

Pure evil is how men were back then.

[@edwarddotson3626]

I found this film to be virtually unwatchable. It looks as though they used a flashlight for lighting. The script was overwrought and pointless. I understand the desire to set a dark mood, but what is the point in a film you can't see?

[@aruglaempire2518]

This version was the worst. Absolute worst. A bunch of woke bs. ALL THINGS WOKE TURN TO SHIT.

[@tabbyreed8925]

How was it woke?

[@jarrodedson5441]

@@tabbyreed8925 it wasn't

[@leoharrison7449]

This version is definitely not perfect, it’s a bit of a hot mess but it was genuinely unique and had some great moments

[@PeteMachini6732]

I saw the vincent feagan Christmas carol, and it wasnt good. But this was good. But I wish bob cratchet was nicer.

[@johncole4183]

So I just watched this movie and I was on board until they made scrooge a sexual pervert who propositions the wife of his employee with money for sexual favors. Not at all in spirit with the original versions so f ing stupid

[@tabbyreed8925]

Scrooge is supposed to be an unfeeling monster and he was. Does the evil acts he commits in the different movies matter?

[@leoharrison7449]

Did you not watch the scene? He explicitly says he has no sexual interest in her at all and that it was about testing the limits of her morality

[@kimberlee9858]

Hate this version the most.

[@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus]

Well, I'm happy to go against the grain and these comments. I thought this version was absolutely disgusting! And I'm sure glad that I didn't have my children watch this. I didn't even want to watch this. I saw about two-thirds of it and just stopped. No, thank you. Leave it to the BBC, to ruin yet another Christmas classic. 👎👎👎👎

[@moonstonepearl21]

Why would you? It says it's rated MA. It's not for kids. You're being so overdramatic in calling it disgusting. It is not that intense. How did it ruin it? It is literally the most redone story of all time. It's fine if there is a lot of variation in some of them. There are plenty of others.

[@zachflag6506]

“I sure am glad I didn’t make my children watch a TV-MA program” Here’s your parent of the year trophy 🏆

[@thepokemontrainer6094]

I have no idea why theirs so much hatred for this version sure it isnt as good as the animated or old version but it makes it even more epic by keeping the original story and adding some stuff that didnt happen in the original story.

[@greenghoul157]

I don't like this movie at all, the only things I like are the great performances, Scrooge being horrible near irredeemable in this version so he has to work harder at earning redemption though the extortion scene with Mary Cratchet was unnecessary and disgusting and how in this version Marley was able to get some rest from his torment by helping his friend to change, this is by far one of my least favorite adaptations but it's not terrible 😕

[@stormhawk3319]

Wokest version that’s for sure.

[@ramblingdirector446]

Care to elaborate? I don't like woke-ness myself, but I don't think this was particularly "woke."

[@stormhawk3319]

@@ramblingdirector446 well the diversity casting of Mrs Cratchit with a black actress when mixed race marriage was practically unheard of back in Victorian times and that it showed other black actors as supporting characters as part of Victorian society when they made less than a fraction of percent of the population at the time. The casting of Tiny Tim with a disabled dwarf child, in books he had a limp that he recovered from. Making Scrooge a victim of sexual child abuse and also of him paying Bob Cratchit’s wife for sexual favours completely turns the best loved Christmas story into a sordid cynical 21st century reboot by writer Steven Knight who given permission by the equally woke BBC to trash the work of Charles Dickens. (Mainly because he’s a white man ) That’s the very definition of Woke.

[@code-52]

This was the worst. It was nothing but political propaganda.

[@kevinkane2162]

What a piece of trash this version of a great classic is.It looks nothing like A Christmas Carol that I'm furmiler with. Let me tell you something about A Christmas Carol, the story is actually part, a Horror story ! That's rite . And this version hasn't got all the the wonderful things that Scrooge does that make you like him at the end of the movie. In my opinion the Scrooge I love the most is the one with Alistair Simms. His rendition shows how much contempt he has for his fellow men, how mean he is. So at the end you can't help but feel happy for his redemption in his behavior. Perfect seen for this is when Scrooge steps inside his nephew's home asking his nephew's wife, can you forgive a pig headed old fool for having no eyes to see with and no ears to hear with all these years . A great seen in a great movie. This is my favorite story of all time. This is Charles Dickens at his best, but not the only story that he does a great job of telling us about. He is my favorite writer. Thank You Charles Dickens.

[@zachflag6506]

Lmao what even

[@robertwalker951]

I stopped watching as soon as the whole teacher abusing boy came in !!!!!!pathetic woke re write nothing in the original about that !!1i hated it