Of the half dozen or so filmed versions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, this one from 1951 with Alastair Sim as Scrooge is the most faithful to the spirit of the book.
In the case of the present film, I much prefer the film's original black-and-white, and, more important, I like VCI's new transfer. Since the darker tones of the B&W version look more appropriate for the mood and atmosphere of the picture than the colorized hues due, it's only proper that VCI should bring out these contrasts more prominently in their present remastering. Where before things were slightly faded, the blacks are now far more solid and set off the lighter portions of the screen much better. Moreover, there appear to be fewer flecks and specks than before. Not that this is a frame-by-frame, fully restored print or anything, but VCI did go to the trouble of cleaning it up a bit more than before. Still, the overall image is rather on the soft, slightly blurry side; perhaps that will be the next improvement the studio makes; we'll have to wait and see.
I also watched parts of the colorized version and did not feel entirely betrayed. Of course, the computerized-color version is not as vivid or sharply delineated as a real color film would be, and the black-and-white account, as soft as it is, is nevertheless relatively crisper and clearer. Perhaps that made the difference in my greater enjoyment of the B&W. The visual presentations in both instances were better than I have ever seen them on tape or TV broadcasts or VCI's previous DVD edition, the B&W deriving from the same recently found print as before, but now not appearing as worn as it did, with occasional flecks and scratches largely eliminated. Certainly, the lucidity of DVD reproduction makes every flaw, no matter how petty, that much more noticeable, so every care that can be taken in spiffing something up for disc reproduction is appreciated.
Of course, if you already own the previous VCI edition, I cannot recommend that you go out and buy this new one; you might not find as much difference as I did. But if you don't already own the movie, you might consider doing yourself and your family a favor by checking it out.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural sound seems identical in both the B&W and color versions of the film and pretty much the same as it was in the previous edition, somewhat limited in frequency and dynamic range and a little noisy, but fairly respectable, nonetheless. Dialogue is the main thing here, and one can easily overlook the slight background clatter.
Extras:
In addition to the main feature, VCI give us director Max Fleischer's 1944 Technicolor cartoon "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It shows its age by being a bit darker in color than it should be, but it's in reasonably good condition otherwise and makes an appropriate companion to "A Christmas Carol." To round off their presentation, VCI also provide an introduction by actor Patrick Macnee; some production notes; a number of cast biographies; English and Spanish subtitles; an optional narrative for the blind; and twenty scene selections.
Parting Thoughts:
"A Christmas Carol" is a holiday tradition. If viewed back-to-back with "It's a Wonderful Life," also available on DVD, I guarantee there won't be a dry eye in the house. I could hardly recommend a film more highly. "And so, as Tiny Tim observed, 'God bless Us, Every One!'"
I also watched parts of the colorized version and did not feel entirely betrayed. Of course, the computerized-color version is not as vivid or sharply delineated as a real color film would be, and the black-and-white account, as soft as it is, is nevertheless relatively crisper and clearer. Perhaps that made the difference in my greater enjoyment of the B&W. The visual presentations in both instances were better than I have ever seen them on tape or TV broadcasts or VCI's previous DVD edition, the B&W deriving from the same recently found print as before, but now not appearing as worn as it did, with occasional flecks and scratches largely eliminated. Certainly, the lucidity of DVD reproduction makes every flaw, no matter how petty, that much more noticeable, so every care that can be taken in spiffing something up for disc reproduction is appreciated.
Of course, if you already own the previous VCI edition, I cannot recommend that you go out and buy this new one; you might not find as much difference as I did. But if you don't already own the movie, you might consider doing yourself and your family a favor by checking it out.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural sound seems identical in both the B&W and color versions of the film and pretty much the same as it was in the previous edition, somewhat limited in frequency and dynamic range and a little noisy, but fairly respectable, nonetheless. Dialogue is the main thing here, and one can easily overlook the slight background clatter.
Extras:
In addition to the main feature, VCI give us director Max Fleischer's 1944 Technicolor cartoon "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It shows its age by being a bit darker in color than it should be, but it's in reasonably good condition otherwise and makes an appropriate companion to "A Christmas Carol." To round off their presentation, VCI also provide an introduction by actor Patrick Macnee; some production notes; a number of cast biographies; English and Spanish subtitles; an optional narrative for the blind; and twenty scene selections.
Parting Thoughts:
"A Christmas Carol" is a holiday tradition. If viewed back-to-back with "It's a Wonderful Life," also available on DVD, I guarantee there won't be a dry eye in the house. I could hardly recommend a film more highly. "And so, as Tiny Tim observed, 'God bless Us, Every One!'"
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]12967[/release]