A Christmas Carol (2009)
There are three key elements to Disney’s 2009 3D computer-animated adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Firstly, director Robert Zemeckis clearly seeks authenticity and hence includes a lot of original dialogue from the novel, as well as a bleaker depiction of the period. Secondly, he uses the digital production tools at his disposal to create sweeping vistas of 19th century London as well as highly stylised caricatures of the central characters. Thirdly, as this is a Disney production, there is an occasional lapse visual humour and levity that is required by their business model. Sadly all of these aspects of the production make for strange bedfellows that are at odds with each other. The result is a visually sumptuous film that loses its way as it lurches between bleak drama, odd humour and CGI driven spectacle.
Produced via motion capture, a technique used in his previous films The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007), Zemeckis presents the viewer with a very traditional looking Scrooge, whose dour demeanour and gruff voice is effectively provided by Jim Carrey. Carrey also provides the voice acting for the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present. The story starts with Jacob Marley lying in his coffin and Scrooge quickly establishes his miserly credentials by taking the pennies off his late partner’s eyes. Due to the stylised nature of the character design, Bob Cratchit is diminutive and nephew Fred is rotund and ruddy cheeked. The story does much to highlight the social disparity between rich and poor. Oddly, despite attempting to explore and depict the events of the book in an authentic fashion, the emotional focus upon Tiny Tim is somewhat lacking in this adaptation and his character is used sparingly.
Yet despite a robust cast of fine voice actors, including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Bob Hoskins, they have very little to do. Hoskins as Fezziwig has no more than four lines. The early focus upon drama and providing a true reflection of the social injustices of the period, soon gives way to the most indulgent visual spectacle once the first spirit arrives. The viewer is presented with expansive recreations of the London skyline and the British countryside and the camera swoops and soars interminably through these virtual environments. Towards the end of the film there is also an tedious and utterly unnecessary chase scene involving Scrooge and a phantom hearse. One gets the impression that the director was a little too enamoured by the potential to craft such CGI creations and lost track of the central story. Or perhaps there was pressure from the studio to add some “action” to the film to pander to a wider demographics.
However, the use of motion capture and immersive 3D environments are not all overblown. There is a especially creative montage involving the Ghost of Christmas Present and mankind’s children, Ignorance and Want. The emaciated waifs morph into their potential future selves; one a violent robber and the other a drunken prostitute. It is quite a shocking scene and bold in its artists scope. But it also highlights the bleakness of this adaptation, which sits awkwardly with the Disney brand. Marley’s ghost is especially terrifying with his bottom jaw becoming unhinged at one point. And so to counter such ghoulish imagery, there are bouts of humour and thus Marley secures his jaw with a handkerchief but ties the knot too tight, thus preventing him from talking. Such japery tends to confuse rather than amuse.
This particular adaptation of A Christmas Carol was not a financial success at the box office and it is clear to see why. It tries to be too many things and by partnering with Disney Studios, Zemeckis is forced to make some concessions to the film that are a poor fit. Hence the story shifts tonally and does not have a coherent vision as to what it exactly wishes to be. The viewer is left with some dark scenes, frenetic chase sequences, an incessantly laughing Ghost of Christmas Present and a display of sentiment at the film’s conclusion that seems incongruous given Scrooge’s scant interaction with the Cratchit household and Tiny Tim. Furthermore, the final scene between Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is virtually identical to that in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Overall, it may have been wiser to take the cast and the budget available and made a more traditional live action version of this classic tale, focusing on the story and atmosphere, rather than production design and visual effects.
