I won't waste my time recapping such a well-known story. Surely most everyone has seen at least one or two other versions of this Christmas classic, which range from the nearly unwatchable, to the cheesey to the near genius. I hadn't seen this version untilr recently, but upon watching it I will take the risk and say it falls into the latter of the three categories.
George C. Scott is brilliant as Scrooge, with an ominous and foreboding presence through out the movie that convinces the audience that this Scrooge will never see the err of his ways. Scott seems to hold onto his repugnant character a little longer and a little more tenaciously than the Scrooges in many other versions, making the transformation and redemption that much more surprising and heartwarming.
Perhaps the highlight of the film came from the three spirits that visited Scrooge through the night. Often they are shown as purely kind and compassionate beings, interested in gently showing Scrooge the error of his ways.
The spirits, under Clive Donner's direction play a much harsher and more malevolent role as they possess a more commanding presence, using their power and terror to get Scrooge to see his mistakes. The spirits often becoming angry with him and his refusal to change, and strike terror in Scrooge's hardened heart.
Donner's spirits seemed to better fit Dickens' original vision of the spirits in his classic tale, and transformed the film from the benign children's tale its become to a much more serious and more meaningful film.
As much as I love 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol, Clive Donner created a version of A Christmas Carol that I'm sure Dickens would approve of. The dialogue is lifted nearly verbatim from the original story, and the character portrayals are outsanding and true to the feel of the original text.
For accuracy, and faithfulness to the message and feel of Dickens' masterpiece, this film gets an A+. The only (minor) detractors to the story being the at-times decidedly low-budget, low-tech special effects and somewhat theatrical over-dramatic acting at times. However, George C. Scott and crew carry the story so well and engross the audieence so thoroughly that most viewers will scarcely notice.