1

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol Adaptations on screen

Charles Dickens classic tale is a simple story but a challenging text - although its simple allegory can be easily understood by all of those who have read or seen it. As Dickens himself wrote in the Preface: I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.1 And indeed, since its publication it has never lost its power to delight and it has been adapted in numerous ways and for a great variety of media, which is around every Christmas celebration.2 I dedicate this work to show two famous adaptations of this classic novella on the screen, which are Scrooge (1951) and Disneys A Christmas Carol (2009), with a general comparison both to the original text and to each other. In my analysis, a general Dickensian approach of establishing some Christmas traditions will be pointed out as well. Before reading or watching the Carol, some background information on Dickens will be of great help understand the story and its allegory, because Dickens had a hard life in his childhood and he never forgot that. When he was twelve years old in 1824, his father was sent
to debtors' prison. The family suddenly became poor therefore Dickens had to leave school and

go to work.3 It was a severely traumatic period for him and later on, in many of his writings (eg. Hard Times), he drew peoples attention to the poor and to a more generous attitude to poverty. This happens in A Christmas Carol as well and it is highly attributable to the authors own life and social context.4 Now that I have introduced the time and the social context, lets say a few words about the plot. As one of the movie titles shows, Ebenezer Scrooge, an old, cold-hearted, miserly man is the main character. He is visited by his dead partner Jacob Marley to inform him that three ghosts (or spirits) will visit him during each of the next three nights. The first one is the Ghost of Christmas Past who escorts Scrooge on a journey into the past to previous Christmases. Invisible to those Scrooge watches, he revisits his childhood school days, his apprenticeship with a jolly merchant named Fezziwig, and his engagement to

1 2

Dickens 1843 [1991] ix Dickens 1843 [1991] v 3 Penguin Readers 2000 v 4 A Christmas Carol Teachers Edition

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

Belle (named Alice in the movie Scrooge), a woman who leaves Scrooge because a golden idol has displaced her in his heart.5 The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge through London to unveil Christmas as it will happen that year. Scrooge watches his clerk, Bob Cratchits large family, and discovers his crippled son, Tiny Tim, whose kindness warms Scrooge's heart. Scrooge also witnesses his nephew's delightful Christmas party. At the end of the day, the spirit shows Scrooge two starving children, Ignorance and Want, to beware them both6. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge his own grave and headstone. Seeing this, he promises to give up his insensitive ways and to honor Christmas with all his heart.7 As the years went by, Scrooge was better than his word and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well.8 Considering my chosen movie adaptations, both of them are quite faithful to the original plot and text. The dialogues and conversations are very often word-by-word quoted and apart from a few sequences, which are either changed in their order, or introduced freely from the novella, the course of the plot is the same as well, especially in the Disney adaptation. Lets see the very beginning of the tale as a first example in which Scrooge is faithful to words; and A Christmas Carol is faithful to actions in their onsets. In the adaptations, we can observe the clear resemblance not just to the original text, but to each other as well being almost completely true to the classic novella. Original text Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial [] Scrooge signed it: and Scrooges name was good upon Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.9
Scrooge 1951

A Christmas Carol 2009

Yes. Quite dead. As a doornail. (Scrooge is signing the certificate of death)

Old Marley was as

dead as a doornail. [] The registry of burial was signed by Scrooge and Scrooge's name was good on the London Exchange for anything he chose to put his hand to.

5 6

Dickens 1843 [1991] 27. Dickens 1843 [1991] 49. 7 Dickens 1843 [1991] 62. 8 Dickens 1843 [1991] 68. 9 Dickens 1843 [1991] 1.

3 In the following, I would like to introduce some major strong and weak points of both adaptations. Scrooge is regarded as the best film version even up until today of the tale with Alastair Sim (shown in the picture) showing the broadest range of any actor to ever fill the role of Scrooge, and also turning the tale into a brooding meditation on mortality that doesnt let up until the finale.10 However, for some reason, this is the only adaptation that

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

omitted Scrooges very famous remark on Christmas having a disagreement with his nephew: If I could work my will, said Scrooge, indignantly, every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas, on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buries with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!11 Anyway, Alastair Sim could eventually get the chance to say it in the animated 28-minute TV short A Christmas Carol in 1971 as the voice of Scrooge.12 As far as the screenplay is concerned in the case of Scrooge, some minor and major changes were made, naturally. Major changes include some added scenes, especially from Stave II when the Ghost of Christmas Past appears. As the Did you know? section of the imdb.com entry mentions as well, the movie added the scene where Scrooges mother dies giving birth to him; or even created a new character, named Mr Jorkin, not appearing in the book, but created to have somebody (after Mr Fezziwig) who employs Scrooge.13 Many other interesting interpretations were added as well. These scenes involve, for instance, Scrooges sister, Fans death (shown in the picture), who is portrayed to be older than Scrooge, although she is younger originally; and the take-over of Mr Fezziwigs Warehouse, explained how Scrooge and Marley's company became majority owners of Mr Jorkin's business after they bail the

10 11

Moviezeal.com Dickens 1843 [1991] 3-4. 12 Imdb.com 13 Imdb.com/trivia

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

company out. It is so well-built in the plot as it were written by Dickens himself, but it is totally made up.14 The makers of the movie seem to have a deep concern in portraying the deaths of those people who were somehow significant in Scrooges life, and for this reason they made up the scene in which Marley dies as well (shown in the picture). It is worth taking a closer look in these shots because Marley had already tried to say important things to Scrooge before he came to warn him about the visits of the ghosts:
Marley: Scrooge: Marley: Scrooge: perfect. Weve been no worse than the next man. Or better, if it comes to that. You mustnt reproach yourself, Jacob. Marley: Scrooge: Marley: Scrooge: dies] We are wrong. What? Save yourself. What? Save myself from what? Hmm? Speak up [Marley [lying on his deathbed] theres still time Time? Time for what ? We were wrong. Wrong? Well we cant be right all the time. Nobodys

This scene helps the understanding of Scrooges cold-heartedness and strengthens the relationship between Marley and Scrooge who once were good friends and business partners. But before Marley dies, according to the screenplay of the movie, Scrooge does not even show a little remorse or grief, in spite of the years spent together. Still, seven years later, Marley returns to Scrooge, which is now part of the original story, to warn Scrooge that he has yet a chance and hope of escaping his fate. He says: You will be haunted by Three Spirits. [] Without their visits, you cannot hope to shun the path I tread. 15 This scene of

14 15

Funtrivia.com Dickens 1843 [1991] 15.

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

Marleys last words just as well played brilliantly by the two actors and fits in the story as if it was written by Dickens a century ago. I mentioned before that there are minor changes as well in the movie. For example, the Ghost of Christmas Past is depicted with a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm16, but it is eliminated from the movie, but apart from this change, the spirit corresponds well with the description of the book. Writing about a film that was made more than 50 years ago, it has some weak points, though. Being black and white, it might be less enjoyable for some viewers. Due to this early techniques of filming, there are some cases when a staff member or equipment is visible in mirrors and windows, like in the scene when Scrooge comes to his senses after the visits of the ghosts and wakes up in his bed, runs to the mirror to see himself several times, and the reflection of a staff member can be seen twice. Another interesting thing is the use of optical printers instead of digital composition by computers, but the modern technology with computer graphics has fully displaced optical printers by now.17 Because of this technique, the actors of Scrooge and Marley never actually played together on the set apart from the added dying-scene, nor did Scrooge and The Spirit of Christmas Past.18 On the other hand, Disneys A Christmas Carol from 2009 incorporated the latest technologies putting the classic on screen. Actually, this is the first Disney animated movie to release in IMAX 3D.19 The film utilizes the motion capture technique20, a process by which movement is digitally recorded. Therefore the computer animators can make non-human characters more life-like. During filming, an actor wears markers on specific points on his body. Then each marker is encoded manually (or by algorithm) into the computer.21 One might rightfully think that Disneys version is a darker adaptation of Scrooge and the original text, the resemblance is so evident. It is darker because although it was intended to be a childrens movie, I would not advise it to children without their parents for the reason that it is scary and terrifying for the young ones, can be creepy for older ones as well. Especially the visits of the three spirits, because the special effects sometimes proved to be too frightening. As an example, the death of the Ghost of Christmas Present is really scary with the loud sound effects and
16 17

Dickens 1843 [1991] 18. Wikipedia. Optical printer. 18 Imdb.com/trivia 19 Imdb.com/trivia 20 Disney.wikia.com 21 wiseGEEK.com

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

dark settings. The creepy laugh of the Ghost as he is dying (shown in the picture), the echoes of embodied Ignorance and Want quoting Scrooges comments Are there no prisons? and Are there no workhouses? are certainly cannot be understood by children in their original depth, and as the wind blows away the bones of the spirit, the shadow of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is about to take Scrooge for the third experience into his future. If the previous scene was not frightening enough for the viewers, the imagery of this spirit will certainly be - as the future of Scrooge is really dark just as well as its representation. In the future scene, the horse chase through London and Scrooge becoming smaller to a size of a rat (shown in the picture) is not in the novella - but undoubtedly spectacular in 3D for the movie fans. In Disneys interpretation22, the phantom horse just moved up to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come segment, because in the novella, Scrooge encounters a separate ghost riding a horse before his visit with Marley (Scrooge thought he saw a locomotive hearse going on before him in the gloom.)23 As I have mentioned it before, Disneys adaptation remained very faithful to the Dickensian text just as well as Scrooge, sometimes even word-by-word. We have already seen the resemblance in the very beginning of the tale, so let us just see the ending of it again through the last dialogue between Scrooge and Cratchit in the office. Original text -Hallo! What do you
by Scrooge 1951

A Christmas Carol 2009

-Cratchit! Youre late. What do -What do you mean you mean by coming in here this time of the day hmm? -Im very sorry sir. I am behind my time, sir. coming here at this of day? -Im very sorry, sir. I am a bit

mean by coming here

time

at this time of day? -Im very sorry, sir. I am behind my time.

behind in my time.

-You are? Yes. I think you are. Step this way,

22 23

-You are indeed!

-You are indeed. Step in here.

Step this way Mr Cratchit,

Disney.wikia.com Dickens 1843 [1991] 9

7 if you please.
a year, please. -Its only once a year, sir. It wont be repeated. I was making rather merry yesterday, sir. -Hmm hmm hmm hmm! Im sure you were!

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

-Well, its only once sir. It shall not I was making rather yesterday. -Now Ill tell you Mr Cratchit. Im not to stand this sort of thing any longer.

-Its only once a year,

be repeated.

sir. It shall not be repeated.

merry

I was making rather merry yesterday, sir.

what,

-Now, Ill tell you what,

going

my friend. I am not going to stand this sort of thing

And therefore

Well, we wont beat about the bush, my friend.

any longer. And therefore, your I am about to raise your Christmas salary! A merry Christmas, Bob!24

I am about to raise salary! A merry

Im not going to stand

this sort of thing any longer. Which leaves me no alternative but to raise your salary.

to you, Bob.

The chosen excerpts hopefully showed the faithfulness to the original Victorian text. No wonder about that it was written by one of Englands greatest and most popular novelists, and excellent narration and speech do not need much alteration, although it was written in 1843. Since its publication, it helped create our modern idea of Christmas in many ways, and with its adaptations, it still popularizes such basic ideas, that we should hold Christmas as a family celebration by all our heart and love, gathering around a great dinner. We should not forget about the poor who need caring people the most at this time of the year so giving money for good causes at Christmas is our public duty by the generosity of our spirit. And if it is just a nice gesture towards our acquaintances, say Merry Christmas to them, because this idea was popularized mostly by Dickens as well.25

24 25

Dickens 1843 [1991] 67. A Christmas Carol Teachers Edition

Fruzsina Lgrdi 01-12-2012

All in all, it is a beloved story and an important part of every Christmas holiday. The heart-warming journey of Scrooge is still entertaining and enjoyable one and a half century later which is shown by its uncountable adaptations. Whether it is an old-time black and white classic from 1951, whether it is a modern animated retelling of Dickens tale, the viewers will certainly enjoy these adaptations if they enjoyed the original book, because the castings are excellent and their faithfulness to the text and to the actions are both a guarantee that the movie will provide the joys of watching these for any pleasure not just around Christmas time.