A Film Review : Oliver Twist

By counting all the film adaptations or televisual of the Charles Dickens’ work, that of Roman Polanski is the 19th.
In an orphanage of Victorian period, Oliver endures all, when a provocation pushes him to flee towards London. Exhausted, famished, he is collected by a group of youth robbers who work for Fagin. Over there, Oliver discovers a cruel world where only the trick and the force count. Decree for an robbery attempt that he didn’t make, Oliver doesn’t betray its band and attract the benevolence of the good man. But Fagin and Bill aren’t long to find him and oblige him to take part in the burgling of the residence of his benefactor…
With decorations, costumes, plays of light and beautiful colors, the director gives life to the England of the years 1830, with a lot of filth and moisture. The director follows the novel of Dickens with fidelity. The interpretation of the actors then becomes the point determining of the interest of his film. At the head post, one discovers Barney Clark in the role of Oliver. The young actor is bad, cruelly missing credibility with all misfortunes that he meets. He seems sometimes completely lost in his play. Ben Kingsley, in the role of the old Fagin robber, is very astonishing. There is also the end which displeased me, a little bit too happy end, Oliver and all of his friends are happy, and the malicious one either died or imprisoned. I don't reproach that to the director because it acts well there of the facts told by Charles Dickens himself.
Splendid decorations, a rather interesting history, the implication of certain actor is just impressive. for sure, this film is not a masterpiece, but it is not a turnip.

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