"A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sims (1951)

As we ramp our way up towards Christmas, I always take the time to pause and really enjoy this old film. I have reviewed it here before, so any other words would be superfluous on my part. Here is my review from the last few years;

This is the cream of the Christmas movie crop. The one I look forward to every year. The 1951 British version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" will stand the test of time as the penultimate version of this tale. With flawless direction by Brian Desmond Hurst, this well-known story of a miserly Counting House owner; and the effects his mean spirit have on all those around him; come alive with the incredible acting of Alistair Sim. No one comes close to portraying the mean spirited Mr. Scrooge, as well as his unbounded joy upon his redemption, as well as Mr. Sim.

Noel Langley did a wonderful job of turning one of the very best Christmas books into a faithful adaptation for the screen. The 1935 British version, as well as the later American version, both lacked that indefinable something which makes any artistic endeavor worth the effort in the first place. And the movie has been done several times since, but this is the version I would choose over any other.

Britain, at the time this movie was filmed, was still in the throes of the aftermath of the Second World War. They were still using ration books for food and sweets, as well as gasoline. Remember, the British took a hell of a hit before we joined the war in December of 1941. I mention this only as a possible explanation for the remaking of this film in the first place.

When I watch this film I tend to think of the Three Spirits as being allegories for what Britain had been before the war; what she endured during that war; and her hopes for a better future. Is that simplistic? Maybe.

I also watch this film with a copy of the book by my side. It's so loyal to the original prose, that there are whole pages where you can read along with the movie. It's then that you see, and feel, the brilliance of Mr. Sim's remarkable performance. To have the ability to act out the words, just as the author intended, is a joy to watch. I have to wonder what Charles Dickens would have thought of Mr. Sim's giddy version of Scrooge on Christmas morning. I suspect that he would deem it perfect.

Of course, no version of "A Christmas Carol" would be complete without a good Jacob Marley, and to that end this film gives us Michael Hordern as Scrooge's deceased partner. And he does a credible job as the Ghost of Marley. This scene used to scare the hell out of me when I was a kid. Now, I am more focused on what he is saying, "Mankind WAS our business!", as he shakes the shackles that bind him. Here is that scene, courtesy of good ol' You Tube;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGGohTPuOeQ

If I had only one holiday movie to choose from, this would be it. The lessons penned by Dickens so many years ago, still resonate today, when the world is still full of Ignorance and Want, mankind’s two worst enemies. I didn't say it - Dickens did. I just happen to agree.

"Billy Liar" with Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie (1963)

Tom Courtenay gives one of his best performances in this off beat comedy set in 1963 England. Billy is the complete antithesis of Michael Caine's "Alfie." Rather than a predatory womanizer, Billy is a victim of his own overly imaginative mind. He cannot do anything without turning it into fantasy and self glorification. As a result he has a low level job at a mortuary, 2 fiancees, for whom he has only one ring, and who each believe that he is on the verge of a big breakthrough in show business as a writer in London. These exaggerations have earned him the nickname Billy "Liar" among his friends.

Living at home with his "mum" and dad complicates things even more for Billy, as he struggles to find a place for himself in the adult world. There is however, one friend who really believes in him. Julie Harris plays the carefree, purse swinging young woman who travels to London, has lovers and pursues whatever she desires. She is the penultimate "free spirit." She continually encourages Billy in his quest to embrace himself. Can she do it? More importantly, can he allow it?

As the noose tightens around Billy's neck, life, and his own fantasies are slowly strangling him. He has told so many lies, and stretched so many truths, that living is becoming somewhat of a mine field for him to navigate on a daily basis. When a family tragedy intervenes Billy finds his hand forced. He must choose between what is expected of him, or take a chance on finding the real Billy. With the help of Julie Christie he comes to a point where a decision must be made.

This is a delightful, and off beat film along the lines of "Morgan" and "Alfie", which all reflect the cultural changes taking place in Britain at the time. These changes grew largely out of the devastation of World War Two and the feeling of isolation many of the younger generation were feeling.

With the glory of the war behind them, and the pressure of their parents for them to "make something of themselves", this generation would embrace the arts and entertainment to effect a change from what they felt had become a staid society. This is the environment in which all of the major British artists of the 1960's were raised. The devastation of World War Two is clearly evident in many of the background shots in the film. This was a country that had been bombed, but never bowed, in the midst of rebuilding. That same spirit would lead to a renaissance in music, art and film. This film is one of those efforts.