A Christmas Carol films comparison

The two different films portray Scrooge differently. In the 1999 version, starring Patrick Stweart, Scrooge seems more sure of himself, and just plain hostile and cheap, whereas in the 2009 animated version, Scrooge seems more like a shrivelled up old man, but just as hostile and cheap. At the beginning of both films, they show Jacob Marley in his coffin in what appears to be a cemetary office. However, after, the animated version shows a panaromic view of the city, and different scenes during Christmas Eve. Both films show the elapse of the 7-year period of time with the sign of ‘Scrooge and Marley’ decaying and breaking down. In the office, the positioning of Scrooge and his clerk, Bob Cratchit are also different. In the Patrick Stewart version, Bob Cratchit is located near the window, with Scrooge at the back, while this is reversed in the animated version. Both films follow and use the dialogues from the book directly. In both films, in the entrance of the two charitable men, the word ‘liberality’ is replaced with ‘generosity’. In the animated version, it shows Bob Cratchit going home, and the christmas spirit, while the Patrick Stewart version skips directly to Scrooge going home. Also, the house of Scrooge looks different in the two films. The effect of Jacob Marley’s face on the doorknob seems to have a greater impact on Scrooge in the animated version than in the Patrick Stewart version. Moreover, the animated version skipped the part with Marley’s face appearing on the tiles at the fireplace, while the Patrick Stewart version did not. In the animated version Marley’s ghost appears more ghost-like than in the Patrick Stewart version, floating and with elongated words. Also, the ghost appears to be dragged down with just heavy boxes, but with no books as in the Patrick Stewart version. The ghost also appears to be in more pain and frustration in the animated version. There is more comedy in the animated version than the Patrick Stewart version. The first ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Part, appeared more like a man in the 1999 version, while in the animated version the ghost seemed more like a spirit and a candle. In the animated version, the characters fly through space and time, while in the Patrick Stewart version, the background and space changes while the characters remain standing.  At the school, Scrooge ages in the boarding school at the second scene with his sister visiting in the animated version while in the Patrick Stewart version Scrooge appears to be the same age. In the two films, Scrooge’s breakup with Belle is set in different places, in the park in the 1999 version and in Scrooge’s office in the 2009 version. Both films skip the scene with Belle and her future family. In the animated version, it looks like the room is moving with the Ghost of Christmas Present while in the Patrick Stewart version the scene changes around them. Moreover, in the 1999 version the Ghost of Christmas Present put little sprinkly stuff in the food of the christmas shoppers, while in the 2009 version the ghost didn’t. In the animated version Martha looks much taller than in the 1999 version. Also, in the animated version, it skips the games in the house of Scrooge’s nephew and only shows the guessing game. The animated version also skips the scenes of christmas in the prisons and at the lighthouse. Also, the two representations of ‘ignorace’ and ‘want’ change in age and talks to Scrooge. Also in the animated version, Scrooge is chased by a carriage driven by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and is shows all the different ghosts and poor of the city, and changes in size. In the Patrick Stewart version, Scrooge does not have a housekeeper while in the animated version he does. The transformations between the ghosts in the two films are different in both films.