Sample Page: A Christmas Carol

From Metapedia

1 "Look Upon Me" - Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol and 3D Storytelling
2 Other Zemeckis Films and 3D
- 2.1 Polar Express
- 2.2 Back to the Future
3 Other Jim Carrey Films and 3D
4 3D Storytelling and Virtual Reality
5 References

"Look Upon Me" - Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol and 3D Storytelling

Going to the movies as often as I do, one begins to memorize the featurettes that theaters show before the previews. For about a month I saw a featurette for Robert Zemeckis' 3D, digital adaptation of A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey. Carrey and Zemeckis discuss the film, and Carrey states (paraphrased):

"We think this is how Charles Dickens wanted the story to be told."

Now, my first thought is that this is rather presumptuous. After all, Charles Dickens likely wrote the story in the manner that he wanted it to be told, and didn't need another telling to accomplish this. Every telling thereafter is the way that the adapter in question wants the story to be told, not Dickens - Dickens' version already exists. While he may have enjoyed various interpretations of his work, he was probably personally satisfied with his own version from the get-go.

That aside, Carrey's statement is very interesting to consider in the context of this particular adaptation being in 3D. While 3D is a technology that allows for greater audience immersion with its all-encompassing character, it is these same characteristics that make the technology very demanding in regards to what the audience notices and experiences within a given narrative.

Scrooge points and demands attention from his audience (a cheap 3D trick?)

Now, any film is one that tells audiences what to notice in a story - after all, the audience only sees what the filmmaker arranges for them to see. 3D itself, though, seems a bit more commanding in that the movie thrusts itself upon the audience. It brings certain objects to the forefront and rescinds others to the back with more than just camera focus and editing; it literally brings certain objects forward and outward. The narrative itself becomes more controlling in regards to audience experience. Will audiences jump at the crack of a whip as Ebenezer runs from the Ghost of Christmas Future? How about if that whip shoots out directly at the audience - maybe they'll jump now that their involuntary defense system is put on alert by an object literally flying out at them. By creating an immersive narrative in the form of a virtual 3D space, the filmmaker in question - in this case, Robert Zemeckis - also creates a shared immersive experience that reaches out and influences the audience, perhaps exerting more control than 2D narratives of yore.

As the Ghost of Christmas Present demands that Scrooge look upon him, so does Robert Zemeckis demand that audiences look upon, and experience, the narrative as he wishes Perhaps, then, Carrey's sentiments ring a bit truer than one initially thought. After all, authors often wish that their stories be experienced in the manner that they imagine as they write the story. Ultimately, though, once the story is out of the author's hands, it is subject to audience interpretation. While Dickens can dictate certain aspects, the story will still be received and experienced differently across audiences. Films themselves exert a bit more control over their narratives by showing visually the characters and actions; 3D adds an extra layer of control by claiming more authority over what is experienced by the audience, and how the audience sees the narratives as they come to life, so to speak. However, all that considered, this is still the story as Robert Zemeckis wants it to be seen, and not necessarily how Dickens wanted it to be told.

Scrooge, and the audience, peer through 3D layers at the Christmas festivities below

Indeed, the vision Zemeckis presents is rather extraordinary. Like Avatar, the 3D in A Christmas Carol is at its best when it is used to add layers looking inward as opposed to strictly having items pop out from the screen. Some of the best moments are when Scrooge flies in his home through the Christmas present and looks below his translucent floor, creating multiple windows of vision for the audience to experience. The digital imagery also allows for more freedom for the supernatural characters to be seamlessly integrated, with only the computer's limitations to dictate their appearance - and no longer with a 2D screen to contain them from the audience. Whether or not this is the way Dickens wanted the story to be told, it may be a version he would have enjoyed, especially with the 3D technology bringing his story to life in a manner that is distinctive from 2D adaptations of the past.

All A Christmas Carol images from Christmas Carol Gallery - All Movie Photo

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