Oliver Twist

OLIVER TWIST films live or die by their Olivers and this ultra-faithful six-hour British mini, dies with two inadequate Olivers. Not that the rest of the cast does much better. No one seems able to sustain the heightened characterizations Dickens needs, giving us a sort of loud, generic hamminess that quickly wears out its welcome. Even so, it's a treat to (just once) get all the story (the Artful Dodger has some surprising character turns), and it's certainly preferable to a recent mini-series which added a 'clarifying' preface. Memorable versions by Frank Lloyd, David Lean & Carol Reed each lose almost half of the story; for the better say I. With early Dickens, small sins of omission do wonders for story construction, especially in keeping Oliver in personal danger for the climax.

This version keeps a lot more of the novel than most, but most of this material lacking in other versions covers the Maylie sub-plot, which is mawkish and conventional Victoriana.

Many reviewers have commented that the series does not stint on the squalor of Hanoverian London (the action takes place in pre-Victorian times). I actually disagree and feel that it sanitizes things. Reviewers write of the "cramped" rooms when I thought they were were more spacious than many a million pound flat in today's London.

The direction, camera-work and score were plodding TV quality only, and the actors in some parts unsubtle. Bill Sykes looked the part, and for once you could see why Nancy might have been attracted to him, but his acting skills were one-dimensional. I liked Eric Porter's Fagin. It was based on the Guinness version, but without the anti-semitic element which is embarrassing in the earlier movie.

Too many of the children's roles suggested middle-class kids from drama school.

I give the makers credit for faithfulness and not attempting smart-ass interpolations or anachronistic social comment, and maybe enjoyment would be enhanced by watching in the original 12 half-hour episodes, but viewing it purely as a "movie" it is fairly dull, especially compared to David Lean's masterpiece. Sharper editing would help to speed things along.

I've seen a bunch of the others. This takes its time setting the long suffering Oliver and the terribly low characters persecuting him. The ending is more earned than the confines of appears in other versions. Great script and solid production for BBC 85.

I have seen virtually all of the version of Oliver Twist. This one is difficult to come by now in the UK, I had to buy a dutch DVD and use an old DVD player. However, I was not disappointed as this is by far the most complete and definitive version of Oliver Twist. This version adheres very closely to the novel. Usually in Oliver adaptations you have the workhouse stuff at the beginning, then as soon as Oliver gets to London it is virtually then a story about Fagin and Bill Sykes and it uses the gritty romance of these characters to carry the rest of the story home. But it is not a story of Fagin, it is called Oliver Twist. And more specifically, Oliver Twist, the Parish Boy's Progress. This version really keeps Oliver and his challenges and progress through his young life as central to the story. We learn in full depth about his scheming relative Monks and all of his family relations as they come to learn about each other, stuff that is sometimes left out entirely but which is absolutely essential for the story to make sense. Fagin was just as cruel a human being as Bill Sykes and spends the entire novel trying to exploit him for his own ends. Often this is lost in Oliver adaptations which romanticise the life of the thieves as if they were dodgy but well-meaning members of the underclass.

But it is not simply because it the most faithful that this version is in my opinion the definitive. The production and casting is just perfect too. There is no greater Bill Sykes than Michael Atwell (sorry oliver reed), Amanda Harris is fantastic as Nancy, and Eric Porter does a great Fagin too. Ben Rodska is perhaps not as easily lovable as Mark Lester but he is very sweet and does a great job.

This to my mind is the only version of Oliver worth watching now. Oliver! 1968 will have a fond place in many peoples hearts, and has great music and the perfect Mr Bumble (Harry Secombe). But at the end of the day it is not truly Oliver Twist. Alec Guinness perhaps does the perfect Fagin in David Lean's 1948 version. But make sure you see this for the complete Oliver experience. The story and characters will make so much more sense to you.

Oliver Twist is one of Charles Dickens' most famous books and also one of his best. This adaptation is excellent, like most of the 70s-80s BBC Dickens serial adaptations, and ranks along with the 1948 David Lean film and the 1999 mini-series as one of the best adaptations of Oliver Twist as well as the most faithful. If there was anything that wasn't quite right(personal opinion of course) it was that Rose and Nancy could have been more affectionate with Oliver. Other than that, this is Dickens as it should be done. The costumes and sets are sumptuous as well as richly detailed, you can literally smell the grimy seediness which goes to show how strong the atmosphere is. The adaptation is also shot with natural skill and intricacy. The music is simple yet haunting, while the dialogue is very Dickenesian in spirit and thoughtfully written. The story is adapted faithfully, with Oliver being with Mr Sowerberry for five years and Monks being introduced earlier being the only really glaring liberties, and is told compellingly. Even with the long length and deliberate pacing, the adaptation never did feel tedious. The acting carries the production beautifully, Scott Funnell is an adorable younger Oliver, making an impression even when in just two of the twelve episodes, while Ben Rodska carries the rest of the adaptation in the same role- but older- with innocence and steel without falling into the sickly sweet category. Eric Porter's Fagin is wonderfully oily, vile and manipulative while Michael Attwell's Bill Sykes is both frightening and tormented. Amanda Harris is a vulnerable and sympathetic Nancy, and there's also the likable Rose Maylie of Lysette Anthony, Pip Donaghy's startling Monks and David Garlick's rascally Artful Dodger. There are fewer Mr Bumbles crueller and more grotesque than that of Godfrey James, Frank Middlemass is a kind and noble Mr Brownlow and Miriam Margoyles, Julian Firth and Gillian Martel also handle their roles adeptly. Overall, really excellent and will please any Dickens or literary fans. 9/10 Bethany Cox