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Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist received a musical adaptation in 1968 by Sir Carol Reed, and who would not be better than Reed to shoot this film. A man with films such as Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949) and Our Man in Havana (1959) on his repertoire could generate the essential gloominess of Oliver Twist. After all, visually he displayed his cinematic eye in The Third Man where he captured the dark and ominous atmosphere of Vienna’s black market and underworld. However, musicals tend to be perky and upbeat and this would be a sacrilegious illustration of Oliver Twist, as the story highlights the unjust social system under which many children were crushed under the advancement of the Industrial Revolution. Thus, Reed faced a predicament, as he set out to make a musical based on one of the darker pieces of classic British literature. ***

Oliver!, as Reed’s cinematic version was titled, keeps close to the original tale of the orphan Oliver Twist who grew up under the abusive circumstances at a workhouse. Workhouses were created to handle people with minor law violations, but also destitute and orphaned children. Within these workhouses the conditions were often harsh and brutal while the inhabitants were forced into labor, as the managers ran the workhouses as they saw fit without consideration of humanity and compassion. The film opens with a sketch that fades into motion where a small group of young orphans tread a crude machine into movement. The first thought that strikes the audience is slavery, which is shortly followed by the dangers of the work environment. Oliver is one of the kids that works on the wooden grinder that processes corn by striding the machine into movement. To fully understand the situation of Oliver Twist, one must contemplate the historical, political and religious climate of the time, as the story presents a strong social criticism concealed under the fictitious tale of Oliver. ***

Born in the workhouse as an illegitimate child, Oliver was placed on the fringe of society due to Christian values imposed by the leaders of the Church. In the workhouse, as we already know, he was forced into labor as a youngster while the common uneducated notion was that Oliver and kids alike were a bunch of freeloaders. In addition, some decades before Oliver Twist was written, more precisely 1815, the Corn Laws were introduced into the British Commonwealth. The Corn Laws implied that until the cost of corn reached a specific amount, no foreign corn could be imported onto British soil. Consequently, the price of food went up and the people were forced to spend most of their money on food while other merchandise became unessential, as food is a requirement for survival. Thus, in the light of this information, the audience can get a more accurate view of the opening and the desperation in which many characters lived. ***

It is a rather grim historical and political perspective that Dickens presented to the public, and in the light of the governmental abuses of children, it might be rather distressing to hear that a musical was to be made of this tragic story. Nonetheless, Reed approached the material with tactfulness while remaining true to the darker elements of the story. For example, shortly after the scene of the kids treading on the machine, a group of wealthy and obese gentle men inspect the Workhouse. However, instead of joining the orphans in their meal of gruel (made by the rest of the products that they cannot sell after having ground the corn) they enter a secluded area where a feast of meat, poultry, and other delicacies awaits. This simple presentation of the socioeconomic levels offers a direct and transparent view of how the old British society oppressed most innocents – the children – for financial gain. ***

The story continues with Oliver meeting the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild), Fagin (Ron Moody), Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed), and many others when he escapes his socially accepted bully and owner. Through these characters, Reed captures Dickens socioeconomic status of the environment where the children act like miniature adults, as they smoke, steal, and dress like adults. In addition, Reed displays the darkness of the environment in an authentic manner, as everything seems to be covered by soot generated by an overpopulated London and the Industrial Revolution’s wonders. The soot also presents a symbolic analogy to the political and economical situation, as the future seems oppressively bleak due to restrictive societal rights and an increasing poverty that no one can escape. Thus, an emerging understanding for the desperation of many surfaces, as theft, exploitation of youth, and other illegal acts are committed. Despite an increasing understanding for the desperate, both Dickens and Reed agree in their illustrations of Oliver Twist that certain behaviors are undesirable, which come to life through the character Bill Sikes. ***

The knighted film director Sir Carol Reed took on Charles Dickens’ majestic literary piece Oliver Twist and created a musical to which many might initially have had raised their objections. However, Reed presents a tasteful adaptation that portrays the hopelessness, desperation, and a time of need for social change through the innocent child Oliver Twist. Song and music become an additional tool for Reed to display the miserable conditions of the people of the time. Songs like "You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two” and "Food, Glorious Food" help enhance the visual experience, as the songs provide a new perspective on the socioeconomic setting. Ultimately, the film offers an innovative viewpoint of a serious tale that will help others to open their minds and begin to contemplate the unjust world and its many transgressions against children and others less fortunate. *** ---

The image seems to have been affected by time, as the colors seems to have faded slightly. In addition, there is some grain, dirt, and scratches visible, but it is to be expected from an older film. However, if the viewer can accept these minute details a terrific visual experience will present itself through its anamorphic widescreen depiction, which of course is in its original aspect ratio 2.35:1. ***

A similar experience rests within the audio where it has its pro and cons, which fortunately have received a Dolby Digital 5.1 treatment. However, on occasion the sound is muted to the point that it is almost impossible to hear Oliver’s voice, maybe it is because of his high-pitched voice. Yet, the sound comes across with a genuine tone, even though it is a musical, and easily heard. *** ---

In the purchase the audience can find very few visual extras on the disc, as it only has a featurette on the making of the film, photo gallery, and a theatrical trailer. The featurette is presented in washed out colors, which displays how Reed and his fellow filmmakers had coordinated the making of the film. Through the making of this extra the audience gets to meet some of the cast while all of it is narrated in combination with segments from the film. There is also a brief photo gallery with a little text, which is summed up with a theatrical trailer of the film. Besides these extras, the viewer can experience 14 songs from the soundtrack on a separate CD, which contains songs such as “I'd Do Anything", “Oom-Pah Pah", and "You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two". *** ---