Oliver!

The British musical period drama, Oliver! managed to repeat the success of previous cinematic musicals and soared into the pages of film history for its multiple Oscar wins (earning 11 nominations and taking home six wins including Best Director, Score, and even Best Picture). Adapted from the very popular stage musical created by Lionel Bart, which in turn came from the classic 1838 Charles Dickens novel of the same name, the story of a young orphan trying to survive in the world of poverty by joining a juvenile gang, seemed to really gravitate towards a lot of people at the time, and considering the multitude of adaptations that have derived from it (which is something that seems synonymous with a lot of Dickens’ work), it’s a story that’s going to last the test of time. Even in spite of this excess, this 1968 feature distributed by Columbia Picture is the one that most people think of when mentioning this story, and it’s not a bad one to recollect.

Set in the poorer streets of England, a young boy named Oliver (played by Mark Lester) lives in an abusive workhouse where he and the rest of the boys are barely provided for, but after causing a stir, Oliver is kicked out and forced to live on his own. Travelling to London in order to make his fortune, he comes across a young street-savvy pickpocket who calls himself The Artful Dodger (played by Jack Wild), who introduces Oliver to Fagin (played by Ron Moody), the leader of a group of juvenile boys who help him gather treasures for his collection. While Oliver doesn’t fit into this criminal world due to having a gentle heart, this unwillingness gets him caught during a scam and eventually put into the custody of the kind-hearted Mr. Brownlow (played by Joseph O’Conor), which draws the attention of Fagin and his malicious criminal associate, Bill Sikes (played by Oliver Reed), who wants Oliver taken care of to prevent him from snitching on their schemes. With only Bill’s girlfriend, Nancy (played by Shani Wallis) concerned for his safety, Oliver continues to get thrown around by this mad world, which keeps him from the happy life he pines for.

While the film does sacrifice story pacing and character interaction for the sake of bombastic spectacle, Oliver! is still a wonderfully charming picture with electric performances, grand production value and set pieces, and enough of a sentimental throughline to make it worth watching.

Oliver! feels very synonymous of a lot of Hollywood musicals that came out during the 1960s, like previously existed as a stage play before transitioning to the big screen, having a mixture of theatre talent and Hollywood star power as a way of catering to old audiences while still bringing in new faces, and containing a zesty liveliness to its acting style, pacing, visuals and song numbers which really elicits a uniquely charming experience. What might be a little off-putting to some is just how pleasant and cheery this film is considering the original Dickens story doesn’t hold back in terms of showing unpleasantries like abuse (mainly on women and children), mistreatment in the workforce (again, on children), poverty within the industrial period of London, and even a main character death done in a pretty brutal way, so you’d be forgiven for imagining a light-hearted delivery would come across as artificial and out of touch. However, Dickens’ stories often combined the bleak, hopeless nature of real life with the hopeful possibilities of a fairy tale, and this story is no different, following the familiar outline of a charming youth going through harsh trials and tribulations before being rewarded for their goodwill with the happiness they always deserved, so this presentation isn’t entirely out of place and arguably helps the story feel more distinct (it  probably wouldn’t have been as beloved if it had the tone of Les Misérables).

The directing by Carol Reed is pretty good, with everything coming across as uplifting, jovial, full of character, impressively elaborate, and doesn’t completely shy away from the story’s darker elements which helps keeps the audience grounded since it isn’t entirely out of the realms of reality. While this execution is pretty solid, there is a lack of investment present throughout that is arguably due to its sparkle over grit mentality. As to be expected with a novel that’s turned into a feature-length picture, the film goes by very quickly and in doing so, the story doesn’t resonate as strongly as it could’ve if things were allowed to stew for a little bit. The screenplay by Vernon Harris does a good job condensing the plot into a two-and-a-half hour running time and retains all the relevant information while trimming or downright cutting any excess that honestly seemed more complicated than helpful, but the film seems to lack a true sense of engagement since it doesn’t really have any time to relax. Certain character dynamics get thrown to the wayside, relationships that should be meaningful and heartfelt get ignored outside of a single scene, and while it remains enjoyable from a broad sense, it doesn’t feel as relatable on a personal level because of how quickly it rushes to the ending.

The actors are all brimming with energy and do such a good job playing these very iconic literary characters. Since they’re all pretty well constructed from a visual and personality standpoint, transitioning them into a visual medium shouldn’t be too tricky, which was proven correct through the success of this film as well as the multiple stage plays. While they’re well written and directed, the incredibly talented performers are also crucially important, as they are able to bring these characters to life in such an active way, with active being the key word. This is a very enthusiastic and passionate production, with every person in the forefront and the background giving 1000% every time they’re given a chance. A lot of the dialogue moments feel slightly over-the-top but otherwise still believable in the reality the film establishes, and the song sequences are dripping with infectious energy and splendid movements that really help entice and excite the viewers for what’s coming next. This was a common component of a lot of 1960s musicals whether they were a period piece or something more contemporary, and while they might be seen as a little cheesy by today’s standards, they are still a marvel to watch. Even most of the background characters are able to shine in this, with the best example being Harry Secombe as the character of Mr. Bumble, who despite playing a relatively minute and simplistic role, has an outstanding singing voice which is just magnetic any time he opens his mouth.

A lot of the leading actors are mostly unknowns with the exception of Ron Moody, who had previously played Fagin in the London premier in 1960, and you can see why they brought him back. Originally wanting to turn down the part as he viewed it as a harmful Jewish stereotype, Moody instead decided to rework the role into a loveable scoundrel, and it worked out for the better, changing what was once an antisemitic caricature into a staple role in musical theatre, it’s incredibly admirable and he really knocks it out of the park. Oliver Reed (in one of his first major roles) is also very strong as Bill Sikes, with his stoic, steely-eyed, and quietly intimidating natures acting as a stark contrast to the loud and bustling world and cast surrounding him, and the terror that does come from when he raises his voice can’t be understated either. While the rest of the actors are equally strong, their roles aren’t handled as well due to the brisk pacing. Mark Lester has the sweet angelic look down for Oliver, but the character is such an observer that he’s hard to find interesting, and his complete lack of dialogue throughout most of the second act only makes this worse. Jack Wild is very good as Dodger (even managing to get an Oscar nomination), but he also majorly disappears during the second half, so he becomes very irrelevant to the story, and Nancy is played very well by Shani Wallis, but suffers from not forming a true connection with Oliver, leaving her part in the last act feeling a tad bit hollow.

From a visual standpoint, a lot of 1960s musicals are incredible vibrant and adopt a very specific design that looks like something you’d normally see on a wedding cake (extremely decadent and floral beyond belief, with expected pastel-like colors and retro clothing choices). This is another component that has remained iconic for this brand of musical, but while this film is certainly in that category, the elaborate production is exchanged for something not quite as eye-catching, but equally as effective. With costumes by Phyllis Dalton and production design by John Box, Terence Marsh, Vernon Dixon and Ken Muggleston, they all do a good job at replicating the look of Industrial-era London pretty effectively while still dropping in doses of cinematic absurdity for the means of keeping the world from feeling dull or too oppressive. It’s also a very grand looking and sounding movie too, as despite being a story that doesn’t require a large-scale production, it goes out of its way to present it in as large and as cinematic a way as possible.

The operatic singing is very appealing to the ears, the sets do a good job making every location feel appropriately vast or appropriately cramped when needed, the cinematography by Oswald Morris is expertly framed and angled, making use of each shot and displaying all the spectacular choreography handled by multi-Tony Award winning, Onna White (who was awarded an honorary Oscar for her work in this film, marking the first time a choreographer was ever acknowledged at the event) in a sweeping and clear manner, and the songs written by Bart and the musical score composed by John Green, leads to a lot of entertaining numbers. The more hyperactive and playful songs are easily the more memorable tunes as the slower songs, while well sung, feel a bit more typical of other musicals, whilst the peppier ones have become iconic songs in the world of musical theatre.

Oliver! has had multiple different interpretations throughout the years, to the point that everybody has at least seen some version of it (even Disney had their own misguided attempt with Oliver & Company), but it’s nice to know that if someone were to check out this original movie, they would like what they saw. It’s true that the film does lack narrative and character engagement due to the passion-over-depth form of filmmaking, but that passion is so amusing and comforting that you can’t help but love it in some form or fashion. The lively acting, huge spectacle, and high-spirited song numbers are more than enough to warrant a viewing, but the stable direction and simple but likeable characters help make it more than just a musical of the era. Finally see the film where ‘’Food, Glorious Food’’ actually came from, a throwback picture worth scowling the streets for.