SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Gerardrobertson61 I had just finished reading Oliver Twist and this was the first adaptation(apart from the musical) that I had watched. The changes to the series that were not in the book were not to annoying although I think they could have done Bill's death the same as the book. The acting was fine and I really enjoyed Fagin having that Jewish accent as in the book, exactly how I pictured Fagin when reading it. Oliver and Dodger worked well together, the scenery and the feel of a Victorian London was believable and all in all, I did enjoy watching this adaption of Oliver Twist.It will be interesting to see other versions of this novel and use this BBC interpretation as the benchmark.

Bob Taylor This is a fairly well-made version of an old chestnut. Casting and sets are up to BBC's usual high standards, just the music made me pause sometimes (sort of New Age klezmer). The story has a great flaw: the scenes in Mr. Brownlow's house are dull and uninspired, while the scenes in the orphanage and Fagin's hide-away are bursting with life. It's as if Dickens could only trust the criminal side of the story to be truthful. The lop-sided story is still very moving.I liked Timothy Spall as Fagin very much; he went far to erase some faint memories of Alec Guinness in the part. Spall is more subtly Jewish than Guinness was. Sarah Lancashire is riotously funny, and quite vicious too, as Mrs. Corny. Julian Rhind-Tutt is appropriately villainous as Monks.

raulbarros Her most outstanding merit is what we may call the perfect balance of evil in the film. Fagin is evil in his greed and mischief of goyim world Sykes is evil in his resentment which find its roots in his biography The judge is evil in his prejudices and arrogance. Mr. Brownlow is evil is his socially inherited ignorance of poverty and the very harsh conditions of the poor.All characters are credible in our present day perspective. Coky Giederoyc is sensible, cultured, pityfull, and fair in the treatment of all characters and considers the context, the time, the beliefs of the era. True that she sacrifices some features of the original novel but this is done in benefit of the better understanding of this social novel. A 10 for this extraordinary director!!

wristwatchraver-1 This isn't one of BBC's greatest moments. I wouldn't go as far to call this rubbish But though a great production it falls down on many levels. For the authenticity the BBC has made a little effort and all due credit, but I did think that have a coloured Nancy did detract from the realism for me Sophie Okowendo is a great actress but I feel the part of Nancy was not for her. Fagin was a bit of a let down he was just so passive. Even when he was hanged (which as far as I know, this is the only production to show that, if only in sound!) The real problem with this production for me. is Sikes' death. If you are being true to the book, he does not exactly hang himself. In the book he attempts to escape over the rooftops. he makes a noose and slips it over his head. He is getting ready to slip it under his armpits when He sees Nancy's eyes in the darkness! He screams in terror and loses his footing and so hangs himself by accident! I always expected Sikes to be macho and tough (like Oliver Reed and Robert Newton) and an utter psycho this Sykes was, like Fagin, too passive. It's worth a watch but if you want a good production watch David Lean's version!