A Christmas Carol 聖誕夜怪譚

The film is a fun little ride, which labors in painstaking detail to capture the atmosphere of 19th century London. This US$175 million interpretation, directed by Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump” and “Back to the Future”), adds modern thrills to a familiar narrative, with rich images of Scrooge soaring over snowy spires and spookier-than-ever-ghosts.

In spite of the newfangled look, the story of redemption and social responsibility is a well-worn one, and this version hews closely to the 1843 novella. Miserly financier Scrooge cares only for money, cruelly indifferent to the welfare of others. The ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come transport Scrooge on a supernatural journey, forcing him to contemplate his miserable life. Scared silly, Scrooge emerges from the magical night transformed.

While the plot itself contains no surprises, “A Christmas Carol” does provide a feast for the senses. Every hair, pore and wrinkle of Scrooge's permanent grimace is rendered in startling anatomical detail. The film's computer animated textures are luxurious to look at: leather squishes sumptuously, bathrobes' quilting looks soft enough to squeeze, a puff of soot rises from a London chimney, a young woman's golden tresses curl softly down her back. The sound editing is equally striking, with iron gates screeching open, hooves thundering down cobblestone lanes and Jacob Marley's chains clanking heavily with amazing fidelity.

Even the light looks fantastic: when Scrooge heads to bed on Christmas Eve, the old man, holding a single candle, is lit in dramatic chiaroscuro as he creaks up the stairs. Marley's sunken face glows a sickly green; the jolly Ghost of Christmas Present fairly sparkles in room of glittering holly garlands.

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