Film Review
One of the most successful of all British film musicals,
Oliver! continues to be a fond
favourite and the reason for its enduring popularity is not hard to
divine. A lavishly staged production, the film offers some juicy
performances and some even juicier musical numbers, which include such
delights as
Food, Glorious Food,
Pick a Pocket or Two,
I'd Do Anything,
Reviewing the Situation and
Oom-Pah-Pah. Based on the
phenomenally successful stage musical by Lionel Bart (who supplied the
music and the lyrics), the film is the unlikeliest to have been
directed by Carol Reed, who is best known for his gritty
thriller-dramas of the 1940s, most notably
Odd Man Out (1947),
The Fallen Idol (1948) and
The Third Man (1949).
Given Reed's penchant for gritty realism, irony and sombre
introspection, it is surprising his version of
Oliver! is not a lot darker than it
is. The film does have one or two fleeting forays into the abyss
(Bill Sikes' murderous attack on Nancy continues to shock, no matter
how many times you watch the film) but overall it cannot elude the
saccharine sweetness of the original stage version. The horrific
social injustices that Dickens so eloquently describes in his novel
Oliver Twist, and which David Lean
powerfully evokes in his classic
1948 film adaptation,
are shamelessly glossed over in an all too obvious attempt to deliver a
good-natured piece of family entertainment. It hardly registers
that the story is about the neglect and abuse of children by society
and unscrupulous individuals. Everyone appears to be having such
a jolly time...
Of the child actors, only Jack Wild makes much of an impression, a born
scene-stealer who is magnificent as the Artful Dodger. Mark
Lester was presumably cast for his angelic looks, but he just
seems to be out of place and has next to no impact. (Carol Reed
must have been delighted do discover that not only could Mark Lester
not act, he could not sing either; all of his songs had to be dubbed by
Kathe Green, the daughter of the film's musical director Johnny Green -
a fact that was not disclosed until 20 years after the film was
made). The adult protagonists are far better cast, and it is hard
to imagine a more inspired cast line up than Ron Moody, Oliver Reed and
Shani Wallis for the roles of Fagin, Sikes and Nancy.
Ron Moody absolutely revels in the role that has become his most
celebrated, that of the pickpockets' leader Fagin, combining a
mischievous sense of fun with a hint of pathos and something far more
sinister. Oliver Reed is at his most deliciously vile as the
irredeemably bad Bill Sikes - judging by the eagerness with which he
throws himself into the part you can't help feeling he must have
derived enormous therapeutic value from it. Short of biting
off Mark Lester's head and spitting it at the camera, it is hard to see how Reed
could have made his character more unpleasant. As the ill-fated
Nancy, the one sympathetic character in the film, Shani Wallis is a
delight, pure and simple. The supporting cast includes a brace of
talented British comic actors - Harry Secombe, Peggy Mount, Leonard
Rossiter, Hylda Baker, etc. - something which can only add to the
film's lustre and enduring appeal. The most charismatic performer
on screen is none of the above, but the ugly pooch who plays Sikes'
mongrel Bullseye - in just about every respect he seems to be Oliver
Reed reborn in canine form.
Released at a time when the film musical was just beginning to go out
of fashion,
Oliver! bucked
the trend and proved to be a major critical and commercial success.
It took 40 million dollars at the box office worldwide (recouping its
production cost four times) and was nominated for eleven Oscars in
1969, winning in five categories (Best Director, Best Picture, Best Art
Direction, Best Music and Best Sound), plus an Honorary Award for
choreographer Onna White. It also took two awards at the Golden
Globes, for Best Picture and Best Actor (Ron Moody) in the
musical-comedy genre. It is a sad fact that many film musicals of
this era now appear tired and dated (and quite a few have been all but
forgotten). Miraculously,
Oliver!
has retained its capacity to enchant and entertain, for all age groups
- a timeless classic.
© James Travers 2012
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Carol Reed film:
Night Train to Munich (1940)
Film Synopsis
England, in the 19th century. Oliver Twist is one of numerous abandoned orphan boys who live a
wretched life in a provincial workhouse. When he
dares to ask for some more gruel, Oliver so incenses the workhouse
governors that they agree he must be sold into work. The boy does
not take to his new home, with the mean undertaker Mr Sowerberry, and
he is soon on his way to London, to make his fortune. Not long
after reaching the capital, Oliver meets another young boy who
introduces himself as the Artful Dodger and invites him to join a gang
of pickpockets in the employ of the fence Fagin. The latter's
main source of income is provided by Bill Sikes, a thuggish burglar who
lives with a kind-hearted prostitute named Nancy. Oliver's first
experience of pickpocketing ends with the boy being arrested and
brought before a magistrate. Acquitted, Oliver is adopted by Mr
Brownlow, the gentleman he was accused of robbing. Fearing that
Oliver will betray them to the police, Sikes and Fagin agree that he
must be separated from his benefactor and returned to their gang.
Nancy has no choice but to lend her support to the scheme, although she
soon realises her mistake...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.