1951 / 86m - UK
Fantasy
2.0*/5.0*
Scrooge poster

Watches

December 13, 2020

2.0*/5.0*

Broadly touted as the definitive adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's a story I never encountered during my childhood, but the last couple of years I've been doing some catching up. Can't say this was my favorite version, but it has some interesting touches that makes it stand out.

The story should be familiar to anyone who's ever seen one of the many adaptations. Scrooge is a grumpy old man who detests Christmas. One Christmas day he is visited by four different ghosts, who show him his past, present and future. A reality check that is powerful enough to make Scrooge a different man.

Hurst's version is surprisingly dark and depressing. It might be due to the stark black and white cinematography, but the first hour or so doesn't feel like a very Christmas-y film at all. Alastair Sim does a pretty great job as Scrooge and the ending is quite uplifting, but it feels more than a little outdated and the story gets a bit stale after having seen so many adaptations.