essay of the christmas carol

How to Write a Perfect A Christmas Carol Essay ( OCR GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

How to Write A Christmas Carol Essay

Paper 1 of your OCR GCSE will contain questions on a modern prose or drama text and a 19th-century prose work. Section B offers you a choice of two questions about a 19th-century prose text you have studied. You will have 50 minutes to write an essay on one of the following options:

Question 1 is based on an extract from the novel or novella you have studied

Question 2 is a “discursive” essay question and doesn’t contain an extract

Your OCR GCSE exam is “closed text”, which means you won’t have your copy of A Christmas Carol with you. Therefore, it is important you know the novella really well, so make sure you are confident about the plot, characters and themes, and that you have revised a range of quotes and references to use in your essay.  The OCR examiners want to see a range of evidence from right across A Christmas Carol, even for the extract-based question: for a Grade 9 essay, your analysis should link the evidence from the extract with other parts of the novella. For some great suggestions of quotations to learn, check out our A Christmas Carol Quotations and Analysis page .

How Do I Start My A Christmas Carol Essay?

Writing a whole essay in 50 minutes is a considerable challenge, so this advice may sound strange, but instead of putting pen to paper, don’t start your essay yet . Spend at least 10 minutes making an essay plan.

The number one most effective way to get the highest marks is to plan your essay first. It is like making a map, so you know where you are going. Then, you can start writing with confidence about your overall argument and the evidence you are going to use to support it. For the highest marks in both the discursive and extract-based essays, OCR examiners look for writing that “focuses on the question”, contains a “coherent line of argument” and maintains a good “critical style”. Here is a breakdown of what those requirements mean and how you can achieve them:

Creating a plan before you start writing means that you can be certain that your essay covers all these requirements. 

Here is an idea of what your plan could look like:

How Do I Structure My A Christmas Carol Essay?

The highest marks go to students who produce a “coherent line of argument” in their essays. Making a plan is the best way to ensure your argument is logical and consistent, so use your plan to structure your essay and enable you to move from one point to the next smoothly and clearly. To get a Grade 9 in your OCR exam, you need to include an introduction , clearly focused paragraphs and a conclusion . Look again at the example plan above. It includes a “ thesis statement ” and “ topic sentences ” at the beginning of each paragraph. Here is how to include these in your essay:

Top tips for structuring your A Christmas Carol essay

Always set out a clear thesis statement in your introduction:

Your thesis statement should only be one or two sentences long

Begin every paragraph with a topic sentence:

This sentence should indicate the focus of the paragraph clearly

Your topic sentences should always link directly with your thesis statement

All the evidence (quotations or textual references) in the paragraph should focus on supporting the statement you make in your topic sentence

Finish your essay with a short conclusion:

Do not include any new evidence; just sum up how you have proved your thesis statement

How Much Should I Write?

Aim to develop your argument in two or three paragraphs of evidence and analysis. Any more than that can make your essay lose focus and wander away from the question. Remember: less is more — concise writing produces a clearer, more coherent essay.

You may have been taught a method for writing essay paragraphs. Perhaps you have been told to structure your paragraphs like this: Point, Evidence, Explanation (or something similar). 

These days, OCR examiners advise against such strict structures, because they make it harder for students to be flexible and explore different interpretations and contexts or present their own opinions. 

For an example of how to include elements like contextual analysis, differing interpretations and personal opinion in your essay, take a look at our model answers for the OCR A Christmas Carol discursive essay question and the A Christmas Carol extract essay question .

Exam Tips For A Grade 9 A Christmas Carol Essay

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Author: Jen Davis

Jen studied a BA(Hons) in English Literature at the University of Chester, followed by an MA in 19th Century Literature and Culture. She taught English Literature at university for nine years as a visiting lecturer and doctoral researcher, and gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in 2014. She now works as a freelance writer, editor and tutor. While teaching English Literature at university, Jen also specialised in study skills development, with a focus on essay and examination writing.

A Summary and Analysis of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol  in six weeks during October and November 1843, and the novella (technically, it is not counted among his novels) appeared just in time for Christmas, on 19 December. The book’s effect was immediate.

The Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle went straight out and bought himself a turkey after reading  A Christmas Carol, and the novelist Margaret Oliphant said that it ‘moved us all in those days as if it had been a new gospel’. Even Dickens’s rival, William Makepeace Thackeray, called the book ‘a national benefit’.

Both ‘Scrooge’ and ‘Bah! Humbug’ are known to people who have never read Dickens’s book, or even seen one of the countless film, TV, and theatre adaptations. But what is A Christmas Carol really about, and is there more to this tale of charity and goodwill than meets the eye? Before we offer an analysis of A Christmas Carol , it might be worth briefly summarising the plot of the novella.

The novella is divided into five chapters or ‘staves’. In the first stave, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge rejects his nephew Fred’s invitation to dine with him and his family for Christmas. He reluctantly allows his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to have Christmas Day off work. On Christmas night, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley.

Marley, bound in chains, warns Scrooge that a similar fate awaits him when he dies unless he mends his ways; he also tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits.

The second, third, and fourth staves of A Christmas Carol are devoted to each of the three spirits of Christmas. First, the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge and reminds him of his lonely childhood at boarding school, and the kindness shown to the young Scrooge by his first employer, Mr Fezziwig (whom we see at a Christmas ball).

Scrooge is also shown a vision recalling his relationship with Belle, a young woman who broke off their engagement because of the young Scrooge’s love of money. The Ghost of Christmas Past then shows Scrooge that Belle subsequently married another man and raised a family with him.

The third stave details the visit from the second spirit: the Ghost of Christmas Present. This spirit shows Scrooge his nephew Fred’s Christmas party as well as Christmas Day at the Cratchits. Bob Cratchit’s youngest son, Tiny Tim, is severely ill, and the Ghost tells Scrooge that the boy will die if things don’t change. He then shows Scrooge two poor, starving children, named Ignorance and Want.

The fourth stave features the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who shows Scrooge his own funeral taking place in the future. It is sparsely attended by a few of Scrooge’s fellow businessmen only. The only two people who express any emotion over Scrooge’s passing are a young couple who owed him money, and who are happy that he’s dead.

Scrooge is then shown a very different scene: Bob Cratchit and his family mourning Tiny Tim’s death. Scrooge is shown his own neglected gravestone, and vows to mend his ways.

The fifth and final stave sees Scrooge waking on Christmas morning a changed man. He sends Bob Cratchit a large turkey for Christmas dinner, and goes to his nephew’s house that afternoon to spend Christmas with Fred’s family. The next day he gives Bob Cratchit a pay rise, and generally treats everyone with kindness and generosity.

A Christmas Carol wasn’t the first Christmas ghost story Dickens wrote. He’d already written ‘ The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton ’, featuring the miserly Gabriel Grub. This was featured as an inset tale in Dickens’s first ever published novel,  The Pickwick Papers (1836-7).

The tale shares many of the narrative features which would turn up a few years later in  A Christmas Carol : the misanthropic villain, the Christmas Eve setting, the presence of the supernatural (goblins/ghosts), the use of visions which the main character is forced to witness, the focus on poverty and family, and, most importantly, the reforming of the villain into a better person at the close of the story.

But the fact that Dickens had already developed the loose ‘formula’ for the story that would become, in many ways, his best-known work does nothing to detract from its power as a piece of storytelling.

Like a handful of other books of the nineteenth century – Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde spring to mind – A Christmas Carol has attained the force of a modern myth, an archetypal tale about the value of helping those in need, in the name of Christian charity and general human altruism. Oliphant’s description of the novella as like a new gospel neatly captures both its Christian flavour (though its message is far broader in its applications than this) and its mythic qualities.

But there is also something of the fairy tale – another form that was attaining new-found popularity in 1840s Britain thanks to the vogue for pantomimes based upon old French tales and the appearance of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales in English – in the story’s patterning of three (three spirits visiting Scrooges), its supernatural elements, and the (spiritual or moral) transformation of its central character.

Indeed, it has almost become something of an origin-myth for many Christmas traditions and associations, and was published at a time when many things now considered typically Christmassy were coming into vogue: Prince Albert’s championing of Christmas trees at the royal court, for instance, and even the practice of sending Christmas cards (the first one was sent in 1843, the same year that A Christmas Carol was published). No wonder many people, when they hear talk of ‘the spirit of Christmas’, tend to think of goodwill to all men, charity, and benevolence.

Dickens invented none of these associations, but his novella helped to cement them in the popular consciousness for good. Even the association of Christmas with snowy weather may have partly been down to Dickens: there are a dozen references to snow in A Christmas Carol , and it’s been argued that Dickens associated snow with Christmas time because of a series of white Christmases in the 1810s, when he was a small child: memories which stayed with him into adulthood.

As with his previous novels, especially Oliver Twist , one of Dickens’s chief aims in A Christmas Carol , along with entertaining his readers, is to highlight to his predominantly middle-class readers the state of poverty and ‘want’ that afflicted millions of their fellow Britons. One of the most telling details in the novella is the revelation, following Scrooge’s conversion, that he will take on the role of father figure to Tiny Tim.

Since Tiny Tim already has a father, the point is perhaps not as clear to modern readers as it would have been to Dickens’s contemporaries: namely that the children of the poor were the responsibility of all of Britain, and if their own parents could not provide for them, then charity and generosity from the well-off was required.

Scrooge ensures this not only by improving Bob Cratchit’s financial situation (giving him a pay rise) but by becoming a friend to the family: money is needed to help fix the problem, Dickens argues, but it’s more valuable if accompanied by genuine companionship and communion between rich and poor, haves and have-nots, and if society works together to help each other.

On a stylistic note, the remarkable thing about A Christmas Carol is that it is entirely representative of Dickens’s work, even while it lacks many of the qualities that make him so popular.

In reflecting Dickens’s strong social conscience and his exposure of the plight of the poor and the callousness of those who refuse to play their part in making things better, it is emblematic of Dickens’s work as a champion of the poor. Its focus on money – and the dangers to those who place too much faith in money and not enough in their fellow human beings – it is also a wholly representative work.

But there are none of the wonderfully drawn comic characters at which he excelled and which, arguably, make his work so distinctively ‘Dickensian’. As a rule, the shorter the Dickens book, the less Dickensian it is, at least in this sense: Hard Times , A Tale of Two Cities , and the five Christmas books all lack those supporting comic characters which make his large, sprawling novels, whatever their shortcomings in plot structure, his most successful books.

But what it lacks in Fat Boys, Sam Wellers, Major Bagstocks, or Mr Micawbers, it more than makes up for in its concentrated plot structure and heart-warming portrayal of a man who learns to use his wealth, but also his sense of social duty, to help those who need it most.

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A Christmas Carol

Charles dickens.

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

A Christmas Carol: Introduction

A christmas carol: plot summary, a christmas carol: detailed summary & analysis, a christmas carol: themes, a christmas carol: quotes, a christmas carol: characters, a christmas carol: symbols, a christmas carol: literary devices, a christmas carol: quizzes, a christmas carol: theme wheel, brief biography of charles dickens.

Historical Context of A Christmas Carol

Other books related to a christmas carol.

• Full Title: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.
• When Written: September to December, 1843
• Where Written: Manchester and London
• When Published: 19 December 1843
• Literary Period: Victorian Era
• Genre: Social Commentary, Ghost Story
• Setting: London
• Climax: Scrooge realizes that he will die alone and unloved if he carries on treating people the way he does. The sight of Christmas Yet to Come awakens his sense of remorse and he is desperate to change his fate.
• Antagonist: Scrooge is the antagonist of his social circle but the villain of the story is the immoral qualities that he represents, meanness and greed.
• Point of View: A third-person, omniscient narrator

Extra Credit for A Christmas Carol

Dickens’ One Man Show. Dickens was not only famous for his written words, he also gave performances of his stories to rave reviews and standing ovations. He stood behind a reading desk and delivered all the voices of his characters himself.

Piracy Problems. Shortly after its publication, A Christmas Carol was illegally reproduced by Parley’s Illuminated Library and Dickens sued the company. But the Library went bankrupt, and Dickens unfortunately had to stump up a small fortune in legal fees.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A Christmas Carol — A Christmas Carol: Themes, Redemption, and Dickens’s Craft

A Christmas Carol: Themes, Redemption, and Dickens's Craft

• Categories: A Christmas Carol

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Words: 538 |

Published: Mar 13, 2024

Words: 538 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

The novella begins, themes of the novel, memorable characters, literary devices.

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A Christmas Carol by Dickens Essay

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A Christmas Carol by Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. Since its publication, this book, arguably one of his most famous works, has made its mark on American culture and literature. It is difficult to underestimate the significance of A Christmas Carol , which was made into numerous TV and stage versions. Some would even argue that this Dickens’s work invented or rather reinvented Christmas, while others underline the importance of his work for the development of the new forms of literature. This essay aims to discuss the theme and the characters of the book. It starts with a summary of the plot, then examines the main characters and the themes and concludes with the personal opinion on the novella.

Dickens offers a story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and selfish older man living alone in his London house, whose only concern is money. Scrooge hates Christmas and is indifferent to other people’s suffering, including his workers. However, on Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his business partner and by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. The first ghost takes him on a journey through his past Christmases: one of a miserable and lonely little boy and others of a young man, more interested in gold than in his fiancé. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge his clerk’s family Christmas, a Christmas evening of a poor, but loving family, and his nephew’s celebrations, where guests mock him for his unfriendliness and greediness. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows him his own death, which would bring more joy to people who knew him than grief. The terror of this night magically transforms Ebenezer Scrooge into a generous and good-hearted man, kind to his neighbors and eager to help those in need.

The main hero of the book, Ebenezer Scrooge, is characterized mainly by his greediness and by the fear that he creates among people who know him. Charles Dickens describes (1843, 4) him as such: “No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’clock, no man […] inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge”. Even his clerk is terrified of him and barely dares to speak in his presence.

According to Thompson (2017, 269), the descriptions of Scrooge’s personality allude to the Old Testament figure of King Belshazzar, the ruler who loves wealth and who is punished by God for his greed and pride. However, unlike Belshazzar, Scrooge takes advantage of the warning delivered by the Christmas ghosts and changes, fearing the dreadful end that is awaiting him. He accepts to change and declares: “I will not shut out the lessons that they [the Spirits of the Past, the Present and the Future] teach” (Dickens 1843, 57). Thus, he is a sinner, but the night that he goes through makes hem find the strength to change. This magical and radical overnight transformation becomes central to the figure of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Other central figures are the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first ghost to visit Scrooge; he is quite and rather compassionate towards Scrooge, to whom he shows the pictures of his childhood. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a joyful and vibrant character, wearing a green robe and symbolizing joy and happiness. The third Ghost is the most fearsome one; he wears a black cloak and remains silent during their journey. Although the ghosts have distinct personalities, their common characteristic is their role as the messengers. Their figures also reflect Dickens’ interest in “the narrative possibilities of the communication between the living and the dead” (Wood 2018, 412). Dickens’s interest in the supernatural urges him to experiment with the forms of expression and create the figures of these Spirits to deliver the message to Scrooge.

Another prominent figure is Tiny Tim, who is the most significant figure of childhood in the book. He is a son of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk. He has a disability, but is full of cheer and love and brings a lot of joy to his family. His words – “God bless us every one!” – mark the end of the novella (Dickens 1843, 92). The figure of Tiny Tim reflects the conception of childhood as the stage of innocence, although it is not the only way children are represented in the novella (Robinson 2016, 8). For instance, the readers observe frightening figures of children clinging to the clothes of the Ghost of Christmas Present. Contrary to this image of “figures which are a product of a fallen world (Robinson 2016, 2), Tim is a constant reminder to everyone of the courage in the face of difficulties.

The characters of A Christmas Carol serve to express Dickens’s Christian humanistic views and attitudes. According to Newey (2016, 12), A Christmas Carol is one of the most important works of Charles Dickens in a sense that it “brings into focus many of Dickens’s core concerns and attitudes of mind.” Dickens demonstrates the transformation of a greedy lender with no sympathy to others, which symbolizes capitalist and rationalist values, into the embodiment of Christianity and humanism.

The contrast between Dickens’s characters furthers strengthens the differences between two ideologies, the humanistic and the capitalist one. The family of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk, is a model of a loving family, poor in money but rich in heart, while Scrooge himself reflects utilitarian, purely rationalist values. The values of family loyalty, humanism, kindness, are confronted with the rationalism and greediness of the protagonist.

Another theme of the novella is the relationship between the supernatural and the living. As stated above, Dickens’s works have significantly contributed to the development of the Victorian ghost story. His fascination with the supernatural makes him create the powerful figures of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future, who communicate with the protagonist and act as the messengers of the divine. This communication between the living and the supernatural is central to the plot. This theme reoccurs in Dickens’s works, for instance, in “The Signalman,” although in total, it is present in about 18 Dickens’s stories. The critical result of the supernatural intervention is that it leads to change and transforms the protagonist.

Although often presented as a children’s story, Dickens’s novella A Christmas Carol tells a reader a lot about Dickens’s attitudes and views about the world. This novella promotes the humanistic ideology based on Christian values: love, empathy, and generosity. Moreover, the author experiments with literary forms and contributes to the development of the ghost story. The supernatural plays a central role in the transformation of the main hero. However, the idea that the protagonist needs supernatural intervention in order to change might be problematic for the humanistic perspective that is centered on the agency of human beings. The humanistic perspective stresses the inherently good qualities of human nature, which is contradictory to the idea that supernatural intervention is necessary in order to bring change.

Newey, Vincent. 2016. The Scriptures of Charles Dickens: Novels of Ideology, Novels of the Self. New York: Routledge.

Robinson, David E. 2016. “Redemption and the Imagination of Childhood: Dickens’s Representation of Children in A Christmas Carol.” Literator 37 (1): 1-8. Web.

Thompson, Terry W. 2017. “The Belshazzar Allusion in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.” The Explicator 75 (4): 268-270. Web.

Wood, Claire. 2018. “Playful Spirits: Charles Dickens and the Ghost Story.” In The Routledge Handbook to the Ghost Story, edited by Scott Brewster and Luke Thurston, 87-96. New York: Routledge.

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IvyPanda. (2019, December 3). A Christmas Carol by Dickens. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-christmas-carol-by-dickens/

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A Christmas Carol

By charles dickens, a christmas carol themes, the christmas spirit.

Above all, A Christmas Carol is a celebration of Christmas and the good it inspires. At Christmas time, people forget their petty quotidian disputes, selfish tendencies, and workaholic schedules in favor of friendship, charity, and celebration. Several representatives of these virtues stand out in Dickens's cast. Fred is a model of good cheer, while Fezziwig adds to this the dimensions of being a tremendous friend and generous employer. Tiny Tim 's courage and selflessness in the face of his ill health are also noteworthy, as is the loving nature of the entire Cratchit family. Scrooge learns the lessons of the Christmas spirit through his visions of Christmases past, present, and future; in each he sees either the ill effects his miserly nature has wrought or the good tidings that others bring about through their love and kindness.

Redemption and free will

The greatest pleasure in A Christmas Carol is watching Scrooge's transformation from money-pinching grouch to generous gentleman. His redemption, a major motif in Christian art, is made possible through free will. While Scrooge is shown visions of the future, he states (and his statement is borne out in Stave Five) that they are only visions of things that "May" be, not what "Will" be. He has the power to change the future with his present actions, and Dickens tries to impart this sense of free will to the reader; if Scrooge can change, then so can anyone.

Critique of Victorian society

Dickens blames the huge class stratification of Victorian England on the selfishness of the rich and, implicitly, on the Poor Laws that keep down the underclass. Scrooge is the obvious symbol of the greedy Victorian rich, while the Cratchits represent the working poor. But Dickens goes beyond sentimental portraits and reveals the underbelly of the city, notably in Stave Four. Even in the scene of the thieving workers divvying up the dead Scrooge's possessions, the accountability for their actions is put on Scrooge‹had he not been such a miser, they would not have resorted to stealing from him. When the children of Ignorance and Want crawl out from under the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present , the ghost sends a message to Scrooge, and the same is given to the Victorian reader: to help out those in Want, and beware of Ignorance in oneself and others.

Capitalist time and epiphanies

At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge seems aware of only the present tense, the tense of capitalism. The now is the time to make or lose money, and the past and future exist only to serve the present. Dickens's attention to clocks and bells reinforces Scrooge's mania with time.

However, Scrooge is redeemed when he learns to integrate the past, present, and future into his worldview. He steps out of the capitalist obsession with the present tense and into a timeless framework in which qualities like generosity and love cannot be quantified. His appreciation of the three tenses also comes in one fell swoop, overnight, and suggests that the epiphany, the sudden revelation of a profound meaning in life, encapsulates all three tenses.

A Christmas Carol Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Christmas Carol is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How does dickens present the attitudes towards Christmas in 'A Christmas Carol'

These attitudes are shown throughout the story. We see Scrooge's nephew Fred embrace Christmas while Scrooge begrudges Christmas. We see Scrooge's old boss Mr. Fezziwig provide Christmas cheer to his employees. There is really something in every...

Why does Scrooge hate Christmas so much?

Scrooge is alone and his hate on for Christmas is, at least in part, a defence mechanism. Scrooge became isolated as he accumulated his wealth: his rejection of friends and family for the sake of wealth becomes a theme in the story. Scrooge sees...

What kind of character designation would Scrooge be?

Ebenezer Scrooge would be your classic dynamic character.

Study Guide for A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol study guide contains a biography of Charles Dickens, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Christmas Carol
• A Christmas Carol Summary
• A Christmas Carol Video
• Character List

Essays for A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Christmas Carol.

• Have a Capitalist Christmas: The Critique of Christmas Time in "A Christmas Carol"
• Movement Within the Episodes
• Ghost of an Idea
• A Secular Christmas: Examining Religion in Dickens' A Christmas Carol
• Perceiving the Need for Social Change in "A Christmas Carol"

Lesson Plan for A Christmas Carol

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to A Christmas Carol
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• A Christmas Carol Bibliography

E-Text of A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol E-Text contains the full text of A Christmas Carol

• Stave I: Marley's Ghost
• Stave II: The First Of The Three Spirits
• Stave III: The Second Of The Three Spirits
• Stave IV: The Last Of The Spirits

Wikipedia Entries for A Christmas Carol

• Introduction

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• Thu., Aug. 29 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

An aspiring actor with severe facial disfigurement, Edward is resigned to a dreary day-to-day of infomercial gigs and pining for his next-door neighbor (Renate Reinsve of The Worst Person in the World ). Things start to turn around when he undergoes a radical medical procedure (leaving him looking like star Sebastian Stan) and wins the role he was literally born to play, only to be foiled by his suave opposite number ( Under the Skin ’s Adam Pearson). Hinging on a transformative lead performance from Stan, this incisive, hilarious, and totally original dark comedy takes a scalpel to contemporary questions of identity. (MK)

• Fri., Aug. 30 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Sometime in the first half of the 20th Century, in an unspecified European country on the brink of war, a luxury hotel concierge (Fiennes) and his bellboy protégé (Revolori) are wrapped up in a plot that involves an art theft, a large family inheritance, and romance!  Winner of four Academy Awards, Anderson’s most celebrated feature is one of the grand est entertainments in recent memory. The director’s distinct visual style is explored in a video essay by David Bordwell that will be shown after the feature.

• Sat., Aug. 31 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Life during wartime gets rather deadly for a group of British doctors and nurses stalked by a serial killer in this delightfully daft WWII-era comedy-thriller. Amidst frequent air-raids and enough romantic entanglements to power a season’s worth of soap opera plotlines, the murders pile up, and no one is above suspicion in the eyes of bomb-shy Inspector Cockrill (played to perfection by the incomparable Alastair Sim). Loaded with delicious period details, sharp, dark humor, and a bomb shelter’s worth of twists and turns, Green for Danger is a crackerjack entertainment, featuring crisp black and white cinematography and stylish direction from Sidney Gilliat .

• Thu., Sep. 5 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Me, the latest short animated film from two-time Academy Award nominee Hertzfeldt, is an all-new musical odyssey. Me (2024, 22 min.) will be followed by It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012, 71 min.), the feature-length tale of a man named Bill who, faced with dark and troubling events, confronts the meaning of life. #12 on Vulture ’s list of “Best Movies of the Decade,” It’s Such a Beautiful Day is a masterful hybrid of hand-drawn animation and experimental optical effects that was six years in the making! The program will begin with a special filmed introduction from Don Hertzfeldt.

• Fri., Sep. 6 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, Donna and Michael (remarkable breakout performances from Sciorra and Eldard) are about to get married, but Michael would much rather be hanging out with his friends than settling down with Donna. With echoes of early Scorsese and Barry Levinson, this clear-eyed, utterly charming, yet totally unsentimental comedy-drama ushered in the American-Indie boom of the 1990s. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival, director Nancy Savoca’s feature debut is a fresh-faced, foul-mouthed slice of life. 35mm print courtesy of the Sundance Collection at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. (BR)

• Sat., Sep. 7 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Pulled from a plummeting plane moments before impact, professional prizefighter, part-time-saxophonist, and hobbyist pilot Joe Pendleton (Montgomery, in an Oscar-nominated performance), finds himself at the gates of heaven fifty years before schedule. Complications ensue when the celestial Mr. Jordan (a debonair Rains) tries to set things right by temporarily placing Joe within the body of a millionaire. With a brilliantly funny, Oscar-winning screenplay from Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller and stellar supporting turns from Edward Everett Horton and a sublime James Gleason , Jordan (adapted from the play Heaven Can Wait and remade with that title decades later starring Warren Beatty) is a screwball fantasy delight. (BR)

• Thu., Sep. 12 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

This marvelously entertaining essay/memoir film by Emmy-winning television and film director Richard Shepard chronicles his youthful obsession with moviegoing in New York City of the 1970s and 1980s at beloved, now-vanished theaters. Constructed from over 200 film clips, including Shepard's early Super 8mm creations, Shepard’s story of his development as a cinephile and cineaste is interwoven with a poignant exploration of his enigmatic father. Shepard will appear in person to introduce Film Geek and participate in a post-screening discussion.

• Fri., Sep. 13 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

The third chapter in the hugely successful horror franchise continues the exploits of Jason Voorhees, the phantom of Camp Crystal Lake. Jason, here donning the hockey mask for the first time, slices and dices his way through another assemblage of not-so happy campers. The terrific 3-D effects , including a vast number of jutting blades, never looked better than in this new digital restoration. Filmmaker Richard Shepard ( Film Geek ) will be on hand to introduce this genre classic.

• Sat., Sep. 14 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

One of the most acclaimed Chinese films of all time spans 50 years from the beginning of the 20th Century to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. At the Peking Opera Academy Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) endure harsh training, developing complementary talents as they mature , with Dieyi playing female roles and Xiaolou playing male warlords . Dieyi's unreciprocated love for Xiaolou, who marries a courtesan named Juxian (Gong Li), creates a perilous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle. This recently restored version brings back 20 minutes never before seen by North American movie audiences.

• Thu., Sep. 19 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Sit in with seven psychics as they conduct intimate readings for their fellow New Yorkers in this fascinating documentary. Acclaimed filmmaker Lana Wilson takes us all the way behind the curtain, following the clairvoyants home and probing their individual personalities. Refreshingly uncynical, Look Into My Eyes mirrors the compassionate openness of its subjects, all of whom seek unknowable answers to life’s largest questions. Whether or not you personally believe in the authenticity of the readings becomes beside the point, as Look Into My Eyes convinces us that, either way, these people have something very real and profound to offer their clients. (MK)

• Fri., Sep. 20 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

San Francisco, 1963. About to be shipped off to Vietnam, Eddie Birdlace (Phoenix) participates in a cruel game with his fellow marines: whoever brings the “ugliest date” to a party on their final night of liberty wins. Birdlace settles on Rose (Taylor), a sensitive aspiring poet and folk singer, and while their time together begins unpleasantly, the evening eventually leads to a genuine and tender connection between the young couple. In director Nancy Savoca’s first movie for a major studio, “The jolt is in the intricate expressivity Savoca brings to the story , with a repertoire of precise and painterly images that highlight performances of assertive yet graceful physicality ” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker ).

• Sat., Sep. 21 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Dreyer’s haunting allegory, made during Germany’s occupation of Denmark, is a tale of witch hunts set in a small village in 1623. Powerfully ambiguous, Dreyer uses black costumes, images of fire and death, and dark, moody cinematography to conjure up an unforgettably oppressive atmosphere , a world where persecuted people could easily convince themselves of being inspired by the Devil . “ Day of Wrath illustrates how a film may fascinate us not by its clarity but by its obscurity, not by fixed certainties but by teasing questions” (David Bordwell).

• Sun., Sep. 22 | 7:00 PM Chazen

In mid-90s Beverly Hills, rich and popular Cher (Silverstone) rules her high school. When she gives klutzy new student Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover, Tai becomes more popular. Funny, stylish, and driven by its own memorable vernacular, this box-office hit was Heckerling’s second successful tour of California teendom after Fast Times at Ridgemont High . “Still the best Jane Austen adaptation” (Jane Hu, The Ringer ), Clueless is loosely based on Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma .

• Thu., Sep. 26 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Two former classmates reconnect in this perceptive and engaging portrait of a friendship that teeters on the edge of something more. Poetry teacher Mara’s settled down with a comfortable family life and steady job when her old college pal Matt ( BlackBerry ’s Matt Johnson, naturally funny as always) abruptly bursts back into her life and awakens part of her personality that’s gone dormant. Anyone can see these two have chemistry—strangers mistake them for a couple—and an impromptu road trip will test the depth of their connection. Matt and Mara perfectly captures the particular tensions and ambiguities of undefined relationships. (MK)

• Fri., Sep. 27 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Deep in the heart of Italo-American NYC, butcher Joseph Santangelo (D’Onofrio) brings home his wife Catherine (Ullman) after “winning” her in a pinochle game, only to be confronted by his mother's religiously superstitious objections. Years later, Joe and Catherine’s daughter Teresa (Taylor), dedicatedly dreams of serving God. The third feature from co-writer/director Nancy Savoca was adapted from a novel by Francine Prose into a movie that is “ Transcendent ... without a second that isn't blessed by the grace of its special humor and tenderness " (Roger Ebert). Savoca will appear in person for a special introduction and a post-screening discussion!

• Sat., Sep. 28 | 2:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Alone in her apartment, a desperate, nameless woman (Magnani) engages in a final phone conversation with her ex-lover. An adaptation of a one-act, one-character play by Jean Cocteau (later remade by Pedro Almodovar and Tilda Swinton), La Voce Humana is the first part of a two-part anthology and showcase for the great Magnani. The short film was selected for screening by filmmaker Nancy Savoca, who will introduce La Voce Humana and discuss how it provided inspiration for her own work.

• Sat., Sep. 28 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In this irreverent black comedy that’s frequently compared to The Ladykillers , the inimitable Sim plays Hawkins, a timid watchmaker and professional assassin, whose target, a pompous Member of Parliament, is accidentally protected by a bumbling vacuum cleaner salesman (Cole). The farcical action leads to a tense and hilarious climax at a dilapidated seaside hotel called…The Green Man.

• Thu., Oct. 3 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In rural Georgia, retired schoolteacher Lia sets off on a quest to bring her long-missing trans niece back home. A young neighbor informs Lia that he’s heard the runaway has landed in Istanbul, and then surprises her by tagging along for the search. The odd couple of stoic retiree and restless teen join forces to scour a foreign city’s subculture. Levan Akin’s moving followup to the acclaimed And Then We Danced boasts a pair of fantastic lead performances, and doubles as a rich portrait of contemporary Istanbul. (MK)

• Fri., Oct. 4 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

16-year-old Hayoung (Ji-young Yoo, star of Amazon Prime Video’s Expats ) seeks distraction from her complicated family life by trying to fit in with her more affluent cram school peers. With the delicate exploration of generational conflict, class, and the model minority myth in LA’s Korean American community, it is clear why writer-director So Young Shelly Yo earned the Tribeca Festival’s Untold Stories award to finance this feature debut. Presented as part of the 2024 Asian American Spotlight, with the support of Asian American Studies at UW-Madison. (ZF)

• Sat., Oct. 5 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Chaperone offers a character-driven portrait of complacent loner Misha (Mitzi Akaha), who is approaching her 30th birthday with few prospects in life. When a local high school senior unknowingly invites the older woman to a beach hangout, Misha chooses not to disclose the large age gap. Set in picturesque Hilo, Hawaii, Eisenberg's solo directorial debut captures the nuances of a flawed protagonist thanks to a dynamic visual style and Akaha’s fearless lead performance. Presented as part of the 2024 Asian American Spotlight, with the support of Asian American Studies at UW-Madison. (ZF)

• Thu., Oct. 10 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Roxy Music member; ambient music pioneer; producer of iconic records by David Bowie, Talking Heads, Devo, and more; composer of the Windows startup tone: Brian Eno’s resume rivals anyone in contemporary music. Drawing on Eno’s personal archives and conversations with the man himself, Gary Hustwit’s innovative profile emulates the artist’s forward-thinking creativity by using software to generate a different version of the movie every time it’s shown—the Eno screened at the Cinematheque will never be seen again. “There’s a pure joy to this documentary, a sense that creativity is miraculous and we ought to be grateful that we get to participate in it” ( The New York Times ). (MK)

• Fri., Oct. 11 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Turkish immigrant Husseyin (Sayyad) endures a monotonous existence as a "guest worker" in '70s West Berlin, sharing a cramped apartment and toiling in a factory. Despite saving diligently with dreams of returning to Turkey, he faces relentless racism and failed romances, finding solace only in his immigrant housemates. Directed by Shahid-Saless during his own pivotal transition from Iran to Berlin , Far from Home is a masterful, poignant depiction of the immigrant experience, rich in restraint and deeply resonant in its portrayal of everyday life. Largely unseen for decades, a newly restored 4K DCP will be screened. Presented with the support of the Kemal H. Karpat Center for Turkish Studies at UW-Madison.

• Sat., Oct. 12 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Still considered the finest movie adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of horror, Mamoulian’s version features an Oscar-winning Fredric March in the title roles of a kindly doctor transformed by experimental drugs into his alter ego: a sadistic and amoral beast. Hopkins’ sexually-charged performance as bar singer Ivy is just one of many aspects of this production that demonstrate the freedoms Hollywood enjoyed in the era before the Production Code was enforced.  A recently restored 4K DCP of the uncensored, original release version will be shown.

• Thu., Oct. 17 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Iconic surrealist Salvador Dalí gets a “real fake biopic” worthy of his mischievous legacy. Five actors swap in and out of the tiiiiitle role as the film anarchically stacks dreams within dreams, trips us up with false starts and fakeout endings, and generally has a blast thumbing its nose at every rule of conventional biopics. This daffy caricature comes courtesy of contemporary cinema’s clearest Dalí descendent, Quentin Dupieux, who proclaims it a “declaration of love to this man.” “Giddy, glitchy, and altogether delightful… a film that Buñuel surely would have appreciated” ( Variety ). (MK)

• Fri., Oct. 18 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Bresson’s spare, visionary take on the Arthurian legend centers on Lancelot's adulterous affair with Guinevere during the decline of Camelot. Unmistakably Bressonian, especially in its depiction of violent battles and a dramatic jousting tournament, Bresson's minimalist style and elliptical imagery create a haunting tapestry of love, betrayal, and spiritual conflict. A new 4K DCP will be screened.

• Sat., Oct. 19 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Tensions arise between a sophisticated wife and her simple husband when their strong-willed, modern niece enters their Tokyo household, exposing years of secrets between the middle-aged couple. Ozu’s quietly poignant depiction of an unraveling marriage is “a generous comedy that gives the main characters, no matter their failings, moments of warmth and dignity” (David Bordwell). The screening of a restored 4K DCP will be followed by David Bordwell’s video essay on The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice.

• Thu., Oct. 24 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In rural China in the 1990s, a woman’s body washes ashore on a riverbank. Setting up shop in an abandoned cinema, the chief of police begins an investigation that only grows more mysterious with each suspect, clue—and additional body. Drenched in thick neo noir atmosphere and shot on tactile 16mm, this enveloping procedural justly earned comparisons to Bong Joon-ho’s classic Memories of Murder, and became one of China’s highest grossing independent films. (MK)

• Fri., Oct. 25 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Employing a “found footage” device that predates The Blair Witch Project by 20 years, Cannibal Holocaust tells of four documentary filmmakers who meet a brutal end at the hands of a savage South American tribe of cannibals. Director Deodato’s approach to this material is so intensely graphic and realistic that he and the film’s producer were arrested upon its release, and the film was seized. Film scholar Nathan Wardinski, author of Dissecting Cannibal Holocaust , will join us for a post-screening discussion and Q&A. Viewer discretion advised.

• Sat., Oct. 26 | 6:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In 1962, teenage boys in a small, Midwestern farm town compete to defeat Sawtooth Jack, a deadly, candy-filled demon who annually rises from a corn patch on Halloween to wreak havoc. But the parents know more about this creepy tradition than they’re letting on and it’s up to rebellious teens Richie and Kelly to uncover the truth. Adapting a novel by Norman Partridge, director Slade ( 30 Days of Night , Hard Candy ) and screenwriter Michael Gilio ( Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ) have conjured up an imaginative, allegorical horror tale that combines elements of Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery.” “Buckets of gore and exceptional creature design - Dark Harvest delivers October ickiness with a crooked smile” (Matt Donato, Paste Magazine ). Michael Gilio will be on hand to introduce and talk about Dark Harvest after the screening.

• Sat., Oct. 26 | 8:30 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

A cadaverous toy manufacturer (O’Herlihy) hatches an evil plot to destroy trick-or-treating children through the manufacturing of diabolical rubber masks. It’s up to our divorced doctor hero (Atkins) to stop the madman’s plan. This is the one film in the Halloween franchise that does not feature the stalking killer Michael Myers, though series creator John Carpenter did return as producer and co-composer of the cool synth score. Original and creepy, this cult favorite will be introduced by one of its superfans, screenwriter Michael Gilio ( Dark Harvest ).

• Sun., Oct. 27 | 2:00 PM Chazen

Based on a story by co-screenwriter Yusanari Kawabata, this silent film milestone has been hailed as the Japanese equivalent of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. A Page of Madness focuses on a husband struggling to connect with his insane wife amidst the harrowing asylum where she lives and he works as a janitor. Disturbing and daring, the film was considered lost for over 40 years until director Kinugasa discovered a single 35mm print hidden in his home. The digital version that will be shown features a score by the Alloy Orchestra.

• Thu., Oct. 31 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

The self-professed World’s Greatest Assassin prepares to take on his biggest hit: a demonic crime lord lurking in a garish vision of Miami Beach. Shot entirely with infrared cameras and run through VFX that shift its color palette into a pulsing fluorescent rainbow, Aggro Dr1ft boasts a look like no narrative feature that’s come before. Still cinema’s unmatched enfant terrible at 50, Harmony Korine’s latest provocation is a fluid, wildly psychedelic dose of experiential moviemaking that must be seen to be believed. “I have seen the future of cinema, and it is Aggro Dr1ft . A hard-reset on filmmaking rules” ( Variety ). (MK)

• Fri., Nov. 1 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Told as a flashback from a news account of a young man’s suicide, the great Bresson’s penultimate feature is a rigorous depiction of a modern world that’s not fit to live in. Centered around a group of youths (all played, in Bresson’s inimitable style, by nonactors), the story eventually focuses on Charles (Monnier), who finds little happiness in chasing women, pursuing religion, furthering his education, and taking drugs. When psychoanalysis fails and some environmental documentary footage deepens his despair, everything seems pointless to Charles. “Even though Bresson has painted a dark picture of wasted youth and beauty, one comes out of the film with a sense of exultation. When a civilization can produce a work of art as perfectly achieved as this, it is hard to believe that there is no hope for it” (Richard Roud).

• Thu., Nov. 7 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In the dead of night in the Himalayas, a pair of scientists are studying moths in the wild. Standing before an illuminated sheet teeming with hundreds of specimens, their job is to make sense of an awe-inspiring array of sizes and colorings. Their lifespans may be less than a week, but moths have existed for millennia, and this documentary is a humbling reminder of humanity’s comparatively small place—yet large impact—in our planet’s history. Its subjects may fit in the palm of your hand, but the astonishing natural beauty and immersive soundscape of tiny fluttering wings make Nocturnes a definite big-screen experience. (MK)

• Fri., Nov. 8 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In a mystical forest, a cycle of insatiable consumption begins to change the ecology of the wooded area. A visionary, dark masterpiece of stop-motion animation, The Garden Sees Fire (2024, 15 min.) is the latest work from the gifted filmmaker Kiera Faber. The artist will join us in person for the World Premiere of The Garden Sees Fire and offer a retrospective that begins with her experimental short films man-i-fest (2005, 3 min.), Children of God (2006, 4 min.), Evils (2006, 6 min.), T is for Turnip (2015, 3 min.), and her other highly accomplished stop-motion gems Living Organics (2009, 10 min.) and Obscurer (2018, 19 min.).

• Sat., Nov. 9 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Kind-hearted Mija (Yun Jung-hee) is raising her troubled teenage grandson Jong-wook while coping with the early stages of Alzheimer's and studying poetry at a local cultural center. Initially inspired by nature, Mija's journey takes a darker turn when Jong-wook becomes embroiled in a shocking scandal. Winner of two prizes at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Lee Chang-Dong’s most acclaimed effort presents an “extraordinary vision of human empathy” ( The New York Times ).

• Thu., Nov. 14 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

The surprising link between American jazz and the fate of the Congo is brought to light in this riveting essay film. In the early 1960s, the US sent well-intentioned legends like Louis Armstrong to Africa as diplomatic ambassadors—and to act as a smokescreen for the coup against Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. Soon after, drummer Max Roach crashed the United Nations assembly in protest. Propelled by a killer jazz soundtrack, this invigorating montage will open both your eyes and ears. “Crackling with energy, ideas, and formal daring. Political history has never felt so energizing and dynamically alive as it does here.” ( Screen Daily ). (MK)

• Fri., Nov. 15 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (Kinski) is a music lover determined to bring opera to the jungles of Peru. His plan includes hauling a huge riverboat over a mountain with the help of the natives. Director Herzog, who actually did haul a boat over a mountain for this epic masterpiece, proves the perfect filmmaker to tell the story of Fitzgerald’s grand folly. The legendary Cardinale co-stars as Fitzgerald’s girlfriend, Molly.

• Sat., Nov. 16 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In a gender-bending version of Hecht and MacArthur’s comedy The Front Page , Russell plays a whiz of a reporter determined to give up her typewriter for a wedding ring from Bellamy. But her editor and ex-husband Grant makes it hard for her to leave. The breathlessly delivered gags and dialogue are a signature of master comedy director Hawks. David Bordwell’s personal 35mm print will be screened, courtesy of the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research. Of His Girl Friday, Bordwell wrote, “I fell in love with its heedless energy. It seemed to me a perfect example of what Hollywood could do.”

• Sun., Nov. 17 | 2:00 PM Chazen

In this haunting adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' celebrated short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", a teenage girl experiences an unsettling awakening. In her breakout lead performance, Laura Dern personifies the thrill and terror of adolescence as Connie, whose carefree summer is shattered by a menacing encounter with a mysterious stranger (Williams).

• Thu., Nov. 21 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

After a century in France, 26 royal treasures plundered from the Kingdom of Dahomey return to their African home in present-day Benin. Atlantics director Mati Diop’s visionary documentary considers this act of repatriation from myriad perspectives, including, in a surreal touch, that of the statues themselves. Dahomey ’s captivating centerpiece is a wide-ranging debate among Beninese university students about whether the return of a handful of thousands of stolen artifacts constitutes progress or an insult. Diop’s uniquely inquisitive and instructive film won the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. (MK)

• Fri., Nov. 22 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

The chaotic history of the making of Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo is the subject of Blank’s acclaimed documentary. The extremely revealing footage of Herzog shows an obsessed artist constantly battling to capture his vision on film. Burden of Dreams also includes a glimpse at the ultimately discarded performances of Jason Robards and Mick Jagger, actors who were eventually replaced by the unhinged Klaus Kinski. This new 4K restoration will be preceded by Blank’s short film, Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980, 22 min.).

• Sat., Nov. 23 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

Fiorentino gives the performance of her career as one of the cinema’s most memorably merciless femme fatales in this devilishly twisty neo noir. Wrapping every man in sight around her finger and playing them against one another, she stops at nothing in her quest to be rich and rid of them. Director Dahl’s followup to his cult favorite Red Rock West is another wicked blast. “Four stars. Not only ingenious and entertaining, but liberating, because we can sense the story isn't going to be twisted into conformity with some stupid formula” (Roger Ebert). 35mm print courtesy of the Sundance Collection at the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

• Fri., Dec. 6 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In his stark final film, master filmmaker Bresson intensifies his austere blend of spiritual contemplation and formal precision. Inspired by a Tolstoy novella and re-set in contemporary Paris, L’argent tracks a counterfeit bill used in a schoolboy prank that ultimately is given to a young truck driver, leading to imprisonment and violence. Working in his 80s, Bresson crafts a compelling, yet unforgiving vision of a cold, dehumanizing world.

• Sat., Dec. 7 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

In the most British of the cinematic Carol s, the power of Sim compels as Charles Dickens’ iconic miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Prodded to rediscover his humanity during a harrowing series of ghostly visits on Christmas Eve, Scrooge must find out if he still has the capacity for love and generosity, or if it is, in fact, too late . With less emphasis on Tiny Tim and more on Scrooge’s relentless rise through the world of business, this version is perhaps darker, more adult than most, nonetheless it is a first-rate holiday entertainment. Featuring excellent support from Mervyn Johns as the long-suffering Bob Cratchit. 35mm print from the collection of Chicago Film Society . (BR)

• Sun., Dec. 8 | 2:00 PM Chazen

In contemporary Los Angeles, a failed actress (Weld), descends into madness after the dissolution of her marriage to a self-obsessed director (Perkins). Writer Joan Didion, known for her exploration of California landscapes and mythologies, wrote the screenplay, an adaptation of her own novel about the dark side of tinseltown. Never released on home video in any format, an excellent archival 35mm print will be shown.

• Fri., Dec. 13 | 7:00 PM 4070 Vilas Hall

After experiencing a tragedy on December 31, Broadway actress Sheila Page (Leslie) is magically allowed to relive the previous year of her life, but will she be able to avoid the fateful mistakes that led to the disastrous New Year’s Eve? Repeat Performance was singled out by David Bordwell as “one of the few time-travel dramas of the forties” and part of a cycle of movies that “become fascinating, surprising variants of changes that were rippling through Hollywood cinema.” 35mm print Preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive. Preservation funding provided by the Film Noir Foundation and the Packard Humanities Institute.

• Sat., Dec. 14 | 2:00 PM Marquee

Highlighting works produced in Communication Arts Media Production courses at UW Madison, this program is curated by the instructors of documentary and narrative production courses and gives new filmmakers the opportunity to present their films on screen for the first time.

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