MovieChat Forums > Carol for Another Christmas (1964) Discussion > why is no one really talking about this ...

why is no one really talking about this tale?

posted 11 years ago by TanteWaileka
13 replies | jump to latest

It is interesting to me that no one wants to discuss this movie. Well then let me start.

This is a 'you should feel guilt if you are an american' movie. Why? I don't feel guilty because I am having a good life. Why should I? I also don't feel guilty because someone living in a third-world country is NOT having a good life. What the heck, we all end up the same way. DEAD.

So enough of this 'do gooder, bleeding heart' movie. I have better things to do, like getting a good night's sleep before my dental appointment tomorrow morning. As for Rod Serling, he smoked himself to an early grave. As for Sterling Hayden he was a well-known communist, a BAD father and an even worse husband who kidnapped his kids from the woman he couldn't stop from marrying, divorcing, remarrying, re-divorcing, and generally making her and his kids' lives hell. So who cares about both these guys, they are DEAD.

As for the nuclear bombing of Japan that ended WWII, although there was 'collateral damage'... as it is stated in the movie, killing 100,000 in Nagasaki saved the lives of approximately 500,000 americans and a couple million Japanese. SO BE IT. It doesn't matter anyway, eventually all people die. Eventually entropy overcomes Sisyphus, and that is that.

This movie didn't make me feel guilty, just very very lucky. Thank you Jesus for my wonderful life (to date). So sorry others have not enjoyed the life that I have, but I don't really mean that. You know us virgo's, we like to speak the truth, after all.

Now, talk amongst yourselves. I'm going to eat a persimmon and hie me to bed.

Life is a journey not a destination. Fear nothing.

[–] Col_Hessler 11 years ago

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic.

I do know Hayden was a good little commie. Also, for all of Serling's skill, he was something of a secular humanist.

As for Hiroshima, Japan did bring it on themselves.

http://booklocker.com/books/6520.html

[–] HoferPM-1 11 years ago

Just saw the last half hour of this TV movie. I never heard of it before. From the few movies I've seen Sterling Hayden in, I thought he was such a handsome man. Then I read his bio. Marrying and remarrying ? And the rest of it !!!!! Interesting movie though ! Is it the shape of things to come ??????

[–] xdayton 11 years ago

SHape of things to come, uh, when? The movie was made nearly 50 years ago.

[–] kibellus-182-690653 11 years ago

50 yrs is just a blip in the big scheme of eternity. Very interesting film that should be seen by all. Even if much of it made me angry. Can't believe the left hasn't pulled this out of the archives and pushed it. But of course it is in BW and so ancient that it wouldn't hold the interest of most young people today.

[–] VelvetVoice 11 years ago

I thought this was fantastic! Like a lost TZ. I was especially intrigued by the future portion. "Let's kill the enemy and then we will kill each other!" And everyone cheered. Since I am a fan of Dickens, of the Christmas Carol incarnations, and post-apocalyptic visions, so this film satisfied me on many levels.

I don't know if I'd call this overly political. I think that evil exists in man, and we can't help being greedy and selfish. What were some of the themes that you found disturbing? The Shape of Things to Come, a take on HG Wells, was very similar to this. Discuss!

Velvet Voice

[–] whitelion43 10 years ago

I agree. It does feel like a lost Twilight Zone episode, with the quality of acting and writing and the use of small sets. And I didn't know it existed until it started to come on TCM tonight.

Oh GOOD!,my dog found the chainsaw

[–] andrewgage 10 years ago

From the comments I'm reading, it doesn't seem that too many people are looking at this as a cold war movie. Heck, it was made by the UN to promote the UN, and Xerox sponsored it. If I hadn't seen Rod Serling's name in the credits I would probably have guessed he wrote it. It has all of the hallmark Serling touches. Near-future nuclear disaster, time travel, US moralist propaganda, odd story twists. A Christmas Carol was a perfect vehicle for him to re-imagine.

Like you, I saw this as a Twilight Zone Christmas Special. It was fun. But then I grew up during the Cold War, so I understand its relevance given when it was filmed and the "present" which it portrayed. America was still coming down off of its high from winning the war. We were still militarized. We still carried the memory of both World War II and the Korean War in our daily dealings. The fear of the Russians bombing us with nuclear bombs permeated the culture - from the Civil Defense signs posted on public buildings, to air raid sirens, commercials on television, and school bomb drills. Many Americans had built bomb shelters. And Rod Serling was the voice of doom and gloom in the early Atomic Age. It's what he did. And he did it best!

I enjoyed this movie for what it was, for who was in it, and of course, for who wrote it. I wish it hadn't been buried for so long. Although the nature of the threat is different today (terrorists instead of Russians), there definitely are subtle messages we can pull from it and use. I want to see this every Christmas!

[–] toolkien 11 years ago

It's hilarious about how they go about skewering individualism and championing the cause of the collectivists, and here we stand now on the brink of collective ruin with THE WE/US driving ourselves so far into debt, THE WE/US fighting two hot wars and about three cold wars simultaneously, and the near future being mapped out in Cyprus as we speak - the beginning of the confiscation by the First Among Equals of THE WE of the wealth of the individual, big AND SMALL.

Such nobility these asshats had, so superior, so condescending to anyone who thinks they own themselves and have the right to carve out a life for THEMSELVES out of the material world without self appointed superiors rearranging everything by their so superior system of value. Ultimately Statism is all one in the same - royalism, communism (in its practical sense), fascism, utilitarianism, theocracies - all based on a self deluded, self appointed "betters" who know what's best for everybody. And here we sit - one hundred years on - in a noisome vat of corpora-fascism - the end result of collectivism launched by the likes of Serling and his merry band. Perhaps not their full intention, but then again when you roll the Statist die there's no guarantee what the outcome will be. Just the guarantee of the ever increasing use of Force against the individual and their property. And the thugs in charge fighting their turf wars and chewing up individuals in the process. And no one with a brain should be fooled that any sort of permanent collective of thugs (such as the UN) is going to make anything better.

And, of course, such strident anti-individualism isn't likely to see the light of day very much. It has to have a little more finesse. You have to hook people into dependency, you aren't going to impress the masses by calling them idiots as this movie deems to do.

Some people are afraid of the unknown. I don't know why, and it scares me.

[–] whitelion43 10 years ago

hmm I think you may protest too much about feeling guilt. Ok lets discus it. I feel its a great reminder especially at this time of year that We Who have a little extra need to help others who do not have so much. The only thing to feel guilty about is if you feel you haven't done or is in no position to help.

I don't think trying to kill the message by going after the messager helps anything. The Truth is that talking and trying to connecting to your fellow person is better than just argueing and putting up barriers which leads to useless fighting.
Notice I said Useless fighting. There are times when fighting is a necessity, But only as a last resort. in the case of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, yes by using the bomb we saved about 500,000 American and Russian lives plus 2 million Japanese lives. However We should not casually put aside the over 100,000 lives lost in those two cities as just "collateral damage" as you put it and not feel bad about the decision.

I pity you for not feeling Guilty about all this because feeling guilty is part of being Human

Oh GOOD!,my dog found the chainsaw

[–] whiskeyTango-06 10 years ago

"don't kill the massager"... got it... i love a good rub-down (it's a *guilty* pleasure).

always loved the "dog found the chainsaw" bit -- very funny!

[–] Enigmatic-Ocean 10 years ago

This movie was a bit to much UN socialist propaganda for me. Yes, it was horrible what happened to Japan, but when they bombed Peal Harbor they took out 75% (yes, you read that right) or our Navy. It was a shame that so many innocent Japanese civilians died due to the bomb being dropped, but don't tell me that if their military had that bomb that they wouldn't have dropped it on us first- They would have. Their government was also warned that we had that bomb and they were told exactly what we were going to do with it if they didn't surrender. Well, their leaders didn't surrender. So, the bomb was dropped. After it was dropped their leaders still refused to surrender and due to their stubbornness another bomb was dropped. Then and only then did the evil people who were in charge surrender. They are the ones who were to blame not the innocent people who were killed. This is an unfortunate example of what happens when evil people are placed in charge. I feel for the civilians- I really do. It was terrible, but it saved billions and it was what needed to be done to end that war. Therefore, all of this anti American guilt is a real problem for me. We are the only nation in the world that went in and rebuilt the countries that waged war on us (Japan, Germany) and we rebuilt them. That includes rebuilding their cities, nursing their sick, rebuilding their economies and then we left without turning them into our servants or a US territory. Now ask your self this- if the results were reversed do you really think that Germany or Japan would have done that for us? If your answer is yes you are a clueless dolt.

Memories, you're talking about memories.

[–] whiskeyTango-06 10 years ago

not only was hitler working on The Bomb (and a "missile" to deliver it to the US), but as the war concluded in europe, germany was shipping (e.g., via submarine intercepted to portsmouth, NH) nuclear material to japan for a try at a dirty bomb if nothing else.

i think we agree here... what did i get wrong?

[–] Enigmatic-Ocean 10 years ago

We are in agreement. I was responding to the thread as a whole and to the people who say that we (as Americans)should be sorry for ending that war. This movie was pure UN propaganda. No wonder it is hardly ever shown.

Also, I know that Hitler was very close to having a nuclear bomb. If he had succeeded in building it before we did the world would probably be a very different place right now. Certainly a lot worse than it is now... and that's saying a lot considering that it's gotten pretty bad as of late.

Memories, you're talking about memories.