A Christmas Carol (1984), and The Idea That A Character Can Always Change

My rendition of the late Jacob Marley

A Christmas Carol is, without a doubt, one of the best stories ever written. There's no point writing who it's by and what it's about, since if you are reading this - and happen to be an adequately functioning  Homo Sapien that's survived at least one December - then you already know this information.

There are countless ways in which someone can be introduced to this story, be it through literature, music, serious on-screen and on-stage dramas or Muppets. It's almost fairy tale-like in it's legacy, transcending genre and media and been parodied many times, but the most important aspects have always been kept true throughout the ages. It even transcends Christmas. It's the story that shows that even the most unappealing of characters can change, and how important perspective can be for human relationships and also for self discovery. It's timeless, personal and incredibly poignant.
As an avid fan, I've seen many great versions of this tale. Recently, I've downloaded a bunch of great versions and I've got to see a great selections of interpretations and adaptations. One of these that I have seen has been the fantastic 1984 TV movie A Christmas Carol starring George C Scott. WOW does this version differ from the Muppets Christmas Carol.

From the get go, this film is bleak. the Victorian London is realistic, while at the same time rather exaggerated in its use of lighting. This is particularly impressive in the scene between Scrooge and Jacob - Jacob's pale blue make-up strongly contrasts with all the reds on the set. It's almost stage-like, and would probably work very well as a theatre production.
This is actually an incredibly atmospheric film; I only realised it was probably a TV movie because of the dated 80's effects, and some of the stage-like compositions of shots. The film started by stating and showing that Jacob Marley is dead, and how important that is for the story.
George C Scott plays Scrooge, and plays him in a way that I don't think I've seen before. Other versions of the character I've seen have portrayed him as an immovable, grumpy object. He is closed off and always thinking about business, constantly ignoring the needs of others at the priority of bookkeeping and money. When I usually watch Scrooge being established, he seems to still be preoccupied by his journey to succeed in business. I watch a character who is as financially unsatisfied as he's always been, and acts stingy with his money because it's 'every man for himself' in this race. Scott is fantastic in the role, playing Scrooge as 'nasty' more than 'grumpy', in the way that he is smug in his selfishness. He laughs and he smiles, but in a cold, superior manner. The world he lives in is still 'every man for himself', but  This Scrooge doesn't act as if he's still on a journey of business. He instead acts as if his character arch is already over. He feels he is better than others, and everything he does is almost a lesson for other characters to learn.. He is in control and successful, projecting his success in every way he can. He isn't thinking of the past, present of future, because as far as he's concerned, he's already won the game.

This idea of Scrooge already being a completed character arch, is easy to believe, since Scrooge is an old man, and his ignorance of others allows him to feel complete within his small world. He isn't lost in time or place, and he acts as if people rudely enter his comfort zone, as opposed to him leaving his own.
In terms of the ghostly visits, Scrooge is very matter-of-fact about them - he doesn't seem to take the first two seriously at first, and seems to rather enjoy revisiting his the childhood. However, he reacts to the past defensively, his regret symbolised not through the emotions he shows, but through the act of extinguishing the ghost of Christmas past. Suddenly there's a sense that Scrooge isn't as complete as he likes to believe.

While The Ghost of Christmas Past seemed cold and distanced away from responsibility (since she can't be blamed for things that have already happened), The Ghost of Christmas Present has a more instinctual nature, touching upon emotions not seen from the other spirits. He shows Scrooge different perspectives on how Christmas is spent, and tries to actively engage Scrooge in learning the errors in his ways. He tells Scrooge off, and calls him out - acting like there is no time to do so like the present, funnily enough.  And while there is no time like the present, he also flashes him:

Bizarre, yet effectively creepy. Anyway, He leaves plenty unanswered for Scrooge, as the present is a time for questions and actions. Because of this, he doesn't merely wait for the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, he demands its presence. Scrooge still hasn't learnt a great deal, but for the first time, he seems to be cracking in this adaptation.
The Past told him what he already knew, and the Present left him with unanswered questions.  Enter The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, who is as spooky as ever. Silent and imposing, it leads Scrooge down a potential future, though without explicitly telling Scrooge that this is only potential, it allows the fear of things to come to sink in. Scrooge is now the one trying to engage the supernatural for reassurance, but since the future doesn't exist, he can get no answer. All he is witnessing are consequences of his current actions, but again, he can't know for sure. The last Ghost has no voice, and essentially just lets Scrooge get on with it, while constantly reminding him of the inevitable: reaching the conclusion that his actions and inactions will pave the way for suffering of not just himself but others too, and that all that will be left is a legacy of gloom and selfishness.

 That's what's great about this character: he's so sure of how things are, that it takes a lot to make him change. Because the things he needs to see in order to change his ways are so intense, you only see how greedy and mundane he is compared to the extreme ends of the spectrum. To the audience, Scrooge becomes rather transparent in his repressed emotions, but we're shown that it doesn't matter if he's secretly a tortured soul, because nobody liked, likes, or will like him. And the only way people will like him, and more importantly, that he manages to change his ways and mean it, is if he comes to terms with his regrets and shortcomings all by himself.

If you want to see a much bleaker version of this classic story, then I highly recommend this. It's cold and creepy, rich in it's performances yet simple in it's presentation. I'm personally still waiting for a version of this story that features talking dogs, but until then, this'll have to do.