 Based on the acclaimed author Charles Dickens' book from the 19th century (1843 to be exact), this is just one of several adaptations of what is perhaps the greatest Christmas story of all time. And while many gravitate towards the Muppets' version of the tale (and don't get me wrong, I absolutely love that version too), I will forever and always claim the 1951 version of the story, also well-known as simply 'Scrooge', as, by far, the best version of the classic story apart from the book itself... which is actually a bit of a chore, if I'm being honest.
Unless you've been spending a lot of time under a rock, chances are you've seen some version of this and, therefore, know the basic story. But since I have a whole review to write, let me just give my audience a brief synopsis. Ebeneezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is a greedy old miser of a man with no Christmas spirit. He treats the poor with little to no respect and is rather ignorant of the concepts of family and friends and loved ones visiting over the holidays. He has a cold numbness towards it all, often being quite harsh about it. One Christmas Eve, Scrooge returns home from a meal to find the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern), who was just as miserly and miserable as Scrooge was in his life, haunting his home. Having passed seven years ago that night, Marley has since been constructing and linking heavy chains as punishment for his life's wrong-doings, and he warns Scrooge that he must change his ways or suffer the same fate. To achieve his salvation, Scrooge is to be visited throughout the night by the ghosts of Christmas Past (Michael Dolan), Christmas Present (Francis De Wolff), and Christmas Yet to Come (Czeslaw Konarski). This movie is still quite an amazing film by today's standards as far as good storytelling, a likeable cast of characters, and I might even argue a few of the effects which mostly include the transparency of the spirits against some backdrops and set pieces that really set the mood the film is going for at any given time. But what really sells this movie above everything else is Sim's portrayal of Scrooge. This man's range is remarkable, and I hate to say it, but I find that he's more impressive than many big-time recognizable actors from a more present time, like Michael Cain or Patrick Stewart in the same role. The big stand-out performance considering Sim's range is what I like to call "the morning after scene." I would consider this a spoiler that is no longer a spoiler, considering the story's overall fame, but this is the scene when Scrooge has learned his lesson and does a complete 180 in his behaviour, becoming pleasant, cheerful and charitable as a result of his visit. Not only will he make you laugh out loud with his behaviour, but he may even bring tears of joy. He sincerely sells how much he has been changed, and it leaves one with the warmest of feelings deep down inside. There have been so many remakes of this story; it's kind of insane. But to this day, I still claim this version to be the Golden Standard for the story's adaptation, and that's for several different reasons, not the least of which is the "morning after" scene that I just described. The film's music, contrasting acting, and moody sets give it a classic feeling and take us back to the time and place the story was written, the 1840s in London, England. It strikes me as a Christmas movie one should watch next to a roaring fireplace with all the lights off. As far as the classics go, this one should be on everyone's list who prefers the classics to anything present-day. I also think this is a version of the story that everyone needs to see if they haven't. It may feel dull at points, but stay focused on Scrooge's progression and enjoy Sim's portrayal, and it will all come together in the end. It's one that hits every emotion, and in the end, a Christmas movie so beautifully done that leaves you with a warmth I could only compare to 'Wonderful Life'. 5/5
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 Regarding the list of Golden Christmas Classics, it's easy to see why this is one of them. It didn't seem to be one we visited much while I was growing up, as the big names in our household for the classic era were 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'A Christmas Carol' (1951, specifically). So, I only actually saw this for the first time, maybe about a decade ago. Over the years, it has grown on me as something to add to the "Golden Classics" category that delivers that good old "Christmas magic" I love so much in a good Christmas movie.
There are a few different ways to tug at my heartstrings enough to reignite my love for Christmas every year, and one. However, it might sound very strange to some, is to reinvigorate my belief in Santa Claus, and 'Miracle on 34th Street' is a beautiful example of one such movie that can do that. But I should probably clarify that by saying that, I don't speak of a physical being who can fly around the world in one night, fit down chimneys, consume half of the snacks we leave out for him and leave gifts for us in our stockings and under our Christmas trees. I'm talking about a symbol, but I'll get to that later. The story here involves Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn), who comes to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan only to find that the Santa they have hired is a disgraceful lush. He then voluntarily replaces him for the parade and does such a good job of representing Santa that he is later asked to be the Santa Claus for Macy's department store, which he agrees to. He's such a good Santa that he even gives parents advice on where to shop instead of Macy's for bargains and deals, which, in turn, gives Macy's loyal customers for their Santa's honesty! Meanwhile, Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), the coordinator of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, is raising her daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood), to not believe in such "nonsense" as Santa Claus, fairy tales or anything of the like. However, her attorney neighbour, Fred Gailey (John Payne), cares a lot for Susan and believes that her upbringing is taking away her childlike sense of wonder (which I tend to agree with). So, one day, Fred takes Susan to visit Santa at Macy's, and after a little conversation, Susan becomes pretty convinced. The rest of the film leans heavily on Kris, a very sweet, kindhearted old man who believes he is Santa Claus and how people treat him like he's gone off his nut. After he starts to send Macy's shoppers to other stores to find what they're looking for at a bargain, the whole thing turns into Kris against the world as some aim to have him committed for believing that he is actually Santa, which many people find preposterous and even potentially dangerous, especially in an era where mental health was looked at much differently than it is today. Going back to this talk about Santa being a symbol, this is essentially what I was taught upon finding out the truth about things. He might not be real in the physical sense, but Santa, at least to me, represents joy, happiness, the spirit of giving and even some of the mystique and excitement we experience on the night of Christmas Eve. When one thinks of all the stress that Christmas brings, one can look to Santa to remind them that there's still a lot to love about Christmas that isn't material and doesn't cause you enough stress to rip all your hair out for a partially bald Christmas morning. That's really what 'Miracle on 34th Street' is all about. It's a very warm and sweet film that does an excellent job of reinvigorating the true spirit of Christmas in the same way 'Wonderful Life' reinvigorates a positive outlook on life, or 'Christmas Carol' reinvigorates a spirit of giving. It may not be at the top of my list as an annual go-to, but it's still undeniably a sweet movie that puts the warmth of Christmas back into my heart when I watch it. And indeed, in its own way, it reminds me that, at least symbolically, there is still a Santa Claus in my life. 4/5 |
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