Oliver!

Not all films stand the test of time, but those that do... become classics - well, many. And some of the ‘older’ films are amazing to visit time and again - like old friends you enjoy spending time with. Oliver, the 1968 classic, based on the Charles Dickens novel, is among the best. It’s not just a great film, but as a musical, stands among an elite group. With a stellar cast of theatre and film great, this film is like going home for me... I first (and many times) watched it with my dad, so for me, it is going home. Among the amazing actors and voices are Ron Moody as Fagin, Shani Wallis as Nancy, Harry Secombe as Bumble, Mark Lester as Oliver, and two of the best, Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes and Jack Wild as The Artful Dodger. As amazing group fo talent that bring to life a story of love, family, and home... I was thrilled when Amazon had a great deal on streaming and so grabbed it (I have it on DVD, but streaming is so easy I can now watch it whenever). Oliver is a wonderful story, lots of meaning, and lots of love... not to mention outstanding song and dance numbers that are not only memorable, but are the reason so many of us love musical theatre.

This movie is one of my all-time favorites even though I'm embarrassed to say so. Primarily because I'm Jewish and Dickens' original tale of Oliver Twist is one of few in classic literature that firstly portrays Jews at all, and worse, with such anti-semitism. Written in 1837, anti-semitism was ingrained into English society and manifests itself in Dickens' depiction of "Fagin the Jew" which is littered within the original works. There is some debate, however, if Dickens himself was actually a racist. Although it would appear so obvious, the "conventional wisdom" of the time, the money-grubbing Jew, was permeated within the culture. It's not an excuse, but not surprising for people who succumb to such racism, not meeting or interacting with Jews socially. To his credit, he went on to write "Our Mutual Friend" and created the positive Jewish character of Riah. And in 1867, he re-edited Oliver Twist in an attempt to remove the racist references of "Fagin the Jew". I've read portions of the novel and just found it too disturbing to read it all. Having said all that, this is still one of my favorite movies. Mostly because Fagin's character is barely associated with anything that would be considered stereotypical. Ron Moody sings and dances with a certain Jewish ethinicity, but for all his wickedness, he comes across just as equally lovable. The real story is poor Oliver, destined to live as a poor child on the streets who ends up miraculously finding his rather wealthy family and home. Besides, the real villian is focused on Bill Sikes, brilliantly portrayed by Oliver Reed, who is as menacing as he is heartless. You laugh, you cry, you cheer. It's a good time. The music became classics of their own accord. We were taught these songs in choir as a child, as well as hearing them on the radio. "Where is Love", "OomPahPah" to which we played a hand clapping game, "Food Glorious Food" and "Consider Yourself" are just a few of the more popular. For the price of this DVD along with the soundtrack, even if you never listen to it (it's fabulous btw), this movie is a must for your collection.

GREAT ACTING, SCRIPT, SINGING, AND SONGS.

"Oliver" is a remarkable achievement for a musical. Each scene expertly envelops the listener and viewer into a feast of a visual and audio masterpiece. For those who hate musicals or are at least less partial, the Dicken's story will quell some of the sentimentality associated with this genre. The rough atmosphere helps with some of the songs and invites those who would have a cursory interest to join in for the fun. The characters are engaging enough to begin with, but the performances are superb. Ron Moody's Fagin is masterful, especially that he can take a hardened character and make him seem likable. An emotional connection is easily made with every character: We like Dodger (Jack Wild), love Nancy, root for Oliver (Mark Lester), and sneer at Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed), a nuanced and menacing enemy. The technical achievements are also hallmark. It is no small thing that the camera angles are expertly framed for the wide view as well as for the intimate, closer shots. (Take a look at the first "Annie" movie and see if you don't agree.) The editing, too, is great, making the scenes unfold with grandeur and a timing that is as close to perfect as a musical movie gets. The songs are great, also, even if they sometimes linger too long, especially "As Long as He Needs Me," but at least it gives the audience a moment to pause and catch its collective breath. Some are sing-alongs, like one would expect at a lively pub, including "Oom Pah Pah," "Consider Yourself" and "It's a Fine Life". Then, there are songs with the grandeur of "Who Will Buy?" Variety is enhanced with other songs, like "Boy for Sale," which seems rooted in opera. This movie makes one believe it could be made today; it is so timeless. Yet, it draws so much from the old musicals and innovates with new elements, that it could only have been made in this place and time (England, 1968). It is hard to find anything (except maybe "The Sound of Music" or "An American in Paris") that matches the quality of this film. It is heart-warming, suspenseful, and engaging throughout.

Brilliant in every way, Oliver! is a classic based on a classic--perfect cast, catchy, timeless songs by Lionel Bart (with additional score by John Green), and beautiful set design. Highly recommended.

Die Jahre 1968 bis 1970 markieren einen gewissen Wendepunkt in der Oscargeschichte. Während bei der Oscarwahl 1969 das opulente Musical "Oliver" von Carol Reed zum großen Sieger erklärt wurde, ging der innovative Konkurrent "2001 - Odyssee im Weltraum" mit nur einer Trophäe für die besten visuellen Effekte nach Hause. Er wurde damals auch nicht in der Kategorie "bester Film" berücksichtigt. Der Oscar brauchte eine Verjüngungskur, denn die Academy versuchte damals althergebrachte Erfolgsmuster weiter am Leben zu erhalten. Die 60er Jahre brachte alleine in der Kategorie "Bester Film" vier Musicals als Sieger hervor: West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music und Oliver. Die Oscarnacht 1970 brachte dann eine Überraschung zustande: "Hello Dolly" mit Topstar Barbra Streisand wurde in dieser wichtigsten Kategorie von einem sehr düsteren Film geschlagen, denn John Schlesingers "Asphalt Cowboy" gewann diesen Hauptpreis. Und "Easy Rider " ein Film der 68er Generation erhielt immerhin 2 Nominierungen. "Oliver" brachte dem britischen Regisseur Carol Reed ein echtes Comeback, denn seine größten Erfolge wie "Ausgestoßen" und vor allem "Der dritte Mann" lagen schon lange Jahre zurück. "Oliver" basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Bühnenmusical von Lionel Bart, ein Adaption des berühmten Romans "Oliver Twist" von Charles Dickens. Dieser düstere Roman über ein Waisenkind, das im Armenhaus groß wird wurde mehrfach verfilmt. Die Versionen von David Lean aus dem Jahr 1948 und von Roman Polanski aus 2007 sind nahezu perfekt. Bei Reeds Muscialversion muss man sich vielleicht daran gewöhnen, dass viele Szenen gesanglich und tänzerisch sind. Dennoch ist Carol Reed ein bezaubernder Film gelungen mit sehr vielen klasse Szenen und genauso guten Darstellerleistungen. Gute Kasse machte das Musical auch und landete mit 74 Millionen Dollar auf Platz 5 der Kino-Jahrescharts. In einem Arbeitshaus in Dunstable wird den Waisenkindern der tägliche Haferbrei serviert. Eine Gruppe von Jungen ziehen Lose, wobei der kleine Oliver (Mark Lester) als einziger den verhedderten Strohhalm zieht. Dies zwingt ihn dazu aufzustehen und Mr. Bumble (Harry Secombe) und der Witwe Corney (Peggy Mount) um ein weiteres Tellerchen Brei zu bitten. "Ich will noch mehr, bitte Sir" wird aber als solche Frechheit angesehen, dass der Junge verkauft werden soll. Mr. Sowerberry (Leonard Rossiter) kauft den Jungen, weil er ihn besonders für Kinderbeerdigungen als Bestatter brauchen könnte. Sowerberrys etwas älterer Lehrling Noah Claypole (Kenneth Granham) schikaniert den Neuling wo er nur kann. Als er Olivers Mutter, die bei der Geburt starb, aufs übelste beledigt, kommt es zum Rinkampf der Beiden und anschließend wird Oliver in den Keller gesperrt. Er kann fliehen und versucht in London ein neues Leben zu beginnen. Dort trifft er auf den Artful Dodger (Jack Wild), der ihn sofort unter seine Fittiche nimmt und ihm auch ein Quartier zum Schlafen anbietet. Das befindet sich bei Fagin (Ron Moodey), Der jüdische Hehler verköstigt Oliver und Fagin hat eine ganze Meute von elternlosen Jungs bei sich beherbergt. Alle diese Jungs wurden von ihm zu versierten Taschendieben ausgebildet. Artful Dodger ist der Beste von Ihnen. Noch ehe Oliver die Kunst des Stehlens erlernen kann, wird er bei der Diebestour - ohne Dieb zu sein - fälschlicherweise dafür gehalten und verfolgt, er kommt ins Gefängnis. Doch als das Opfer Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Connor) sich sicher ist, dass der Junge nicht der Dieb war, nimmt er ihn bei sich auf. Eine Wendung, die sowohl Fagin noch dem äusserst brutalen Eigenbrötler Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed), mit dem Fagin Geschäfte macht und dessen Freundin Nancy (Shani Wallis) Sorgen bereitet. Denn der Junge könnte der Polizei zuviel von den kriminellen Machenschaften erzählen, das Versteck der Diebesbande ausplaudern, so dass Fagin und Sykes am Galgen enden. Bald schmiedet Sykes einen Plan, wie er den unliebsamen Mitwisser aus dem Wege räumen kann... Am Ende ist es Sykes Hund Bully, der die aufgebrachte Menge zu seinem Versteck führt. Anders als im Roman kommt der Gauner Fagin in der Musical Version mit dem Leben davon und endet nicht am Galgen. Gemeinsam mit Artul Dodger tanzen sie durch eine Gasse im nächtlichen London, bereit für einen neuen Anfang und damit auch für weitere Schandtaten. Der Kinderdarsteller Jack Wild liefert eine überzeugende Darstellung, für die der damals 15jährige Junge eine Oscarnominierung bekam. Auch Ron Moodey als Fagin wurde in der Kategorie "bester Hauptdarsteller" berücksichtigt, unterlag jedoch Cliff Robertsons Leistung in "Charly". Neben der Auszeichnung als bester Film gab es weitere Oscars für die grandiose Ausstattung, die Choreographieleistung von Onna White wurde mit einem weiteren Oscar bedacht. John Greens Musik gewann in seiner Kategorie, das Shepperton studio Sound Department durfte den Preis für den besten Ton entgegennehmen So auch der Regisseur selbst. Das British Film Institute, die Reeds Meisterwerk "Der dritte Mann" zum besten britischen Film aller Zeiten wählten, erkannten auch die Qualität seines Musicals und setzten "Oliver" in der gleichen Umfrage der All Time Top 100 auf Platz 77.

Buen musical

This Blu-ray edition of Oliver! is everything I hoped for: crisp picture, clear sound, and enough charm to make you forget you’ve probably had “Consider Yourself” stuck in your head since the 1960s. The story still holds up—equal parts heartwarming, dramatic, and cheekily mischievous. The performances sparkle, the musical numbers burst with energy, and Fagin remains one of the most unforgettable characters ever to shuffle across a stage (or screen). Watching it in high definition feels like rediscovering an old friend—you notice little details in costumes and sets that DVD never quite captured. Plus, it’s family-friendly, which means I can share the magic with kids who are usually glued to animated films, and they’re still humming the songs days later. If you love musicals, classic cinema, or just want a feel-good film that combines Dickens with dance breaks, this Blu-ray deserves a prime spot in your collection.

Pour montrer aux enfants car c'est un film éducatif s'il leur est correctement présenté. Par ailleurs c'est du beau cinéma qui fait honneur au 7 ième art, il ne paraitra jamais ''vieux film'' si on reste à la fois dans le contexte du roman et de l'époque du tournage.

Oliver was among the very last of the big musical extravaganzas produced by a major studio (that studio being British in this case). It garnered just about every award imaginable. In this film's case, those awards were well deserved. This film is also notable in that it played in many cinemas for months at a time, a feat that hadn't been equaled since The Sound of Music. At first blush, a musical based on Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens would seem unlikely source material, especially as the transformation of stories like The Phantom of the Opera & Les Miserables into modern operas was still decades in the future. However, just as with those stories, the people who created Oliver created something entirely sublime. And time has not dimmed that brilliance at all. It goes without saying that Oliver Twist is one of English literature's seminal works. Dickens was a master storyteller, a writer who was able to catalogue, in detail, all of the hypocrisy, greed, indifference & calamity that was Britain during the Industrial Revolution. There was no such thing as a social safety net. If you fell on hards times, you had extremely limited options, sometimes only a choice between slow starvation, or the horrors of the Work House (where you effectively sold yourself into slavery to pay your debts (see A Christmas Carol). Charity, such as it was, was relegated to either churches or other "Christian" institutions. The degradation associated with such "charity" is on ample display in Oliver & encapsulated in the famous phrase "Please Sir, can I have some more?" When Oliver moves to London as a member of Fagin's gang of nascent thieves & pickpockets, he is literally jumping from the fire into the frying pan. Whitechapel encompassed some of the worst slums in the world. It was not for nothing that Jack The Ripper would stake out this area as his hunting ground. Although you know the young thieves who serenade Fagin with "I'd Do Anything For You," aren't really as grimy & ill kept as they appear, the denizens of Whitechapel those characters are based on were that dirty & ill kept & diseased and, . . . well, you get the idea. This musical manages to transcend that reality though. One among its many attributes are the large scale musical numbers that, in an age before CGI, are as intricate as a 19th Century time piece, but still wildly entertaining. For instance, pay attention to Oliver's first morning in his well to do digs far from Whitechapel. As he stares about, the square before him comes to life, starting with a single voice selling bread. By the time this number has finished, Oliver, & us too, have witnessed the wonders that can be had when you're on the right side of the tracks. Britain was at the zenith of her power in this period, the home of the Industrial Revolution as well as financier to, & workshop of, the world. The sun never set on Victoria's dominions & all that wealth & privilege is on display, for the taking, for those "Who Can Buy This Beautiful Morning." Since the cast of this movie is English, the acting, singing, what have you, is flawless. Ron Moody effectively steals (no pun intended) the show as Fagin, a conniving career criminal who still manages to make you smile, especially when he explains his philosophy of life to Oliver with the song "You Gotta Pick A Pocket, Or Two." And no great work is complete without a great villain. In this case, it's Bill Sykes, as portrayed by Oliver Reed. Reed was usually typecast as the bad guy. Here, he gives Sykes a smouldering violence that can, & does, erupt without warning. This man has no morals - he can't afford any. His world is literally dog eat dog & you do unto others first, before they can do unto you! Reed owns this role. He makes sure you have no doubt about who you're dealing with when you deal with Bill Sykes. And carrying the whole movie, he's in almost every scene, is young Mark Lester. Fortunately, Lester is equal to the task. He manages to instil into his interpretation of Twist an innate innocence & nobility. No matter what trials he faces, Twist remains pure at his core. When the movie ends, & Twist returns to that magical square, you feel he's finally going home to a place where that purity & innocence belongs. (A contrast to Twist is Jack Wild's Artful Dodger, the young thief who introduces Oliver to Fagin & his crew. The Dodger is content with his lot. He's a nascent Fagin & that's alright with him. Posh environs are okay for Twist - the Dodger is content in Whitechapel.) So, if you'd like to watch some wonderfully presented Dickens, without having to read the book, then this movie is for you. Butter up the popcorn & settle in a for a great time.