Roman Polanski, a talented actor and director, after his mega popular THE PIANIST with Adrien Brody made a movie based on Charles Dickens' tale, OLIVER TWIST. Although Polanski is not my favorite director, I went to see the movie since I read the book as a child, liked it much and wanted to see to what extend the adaptation fits to the original work by Dickens. I was not disappointed thanks to a lot of advantages of the movie. However, I saw something else throughout the film - the answer which Polanski gave in an interview when asked why it was OLIVER TWIST and not another movie he wanted to make after THE PIANIST ... the reflection of the director's life in the story of a poor orphan.
Roman Polanski said it himself in an interview that the thing which touched him most in this very tale was the fact that his early life has been strikingly similar to the main hero's. He was "beaten" by the destiny being in the ghetto during WWII as a child, he had to retain goodness in his heart though the world occurred to do the opposite (to what extend he did it is a controversial question, of course). Nevertheless, the idea seems quite logical and there are truly some similarities between young Oliver and young Polanski. As a result, the director set his heart on making the film because it referred to him personally.
Some viewers may see shortcomings in the movie, some scenes exaggerate with violence, which may seem inaccurate for children (we have to keep in mind that the film is addressed MOSTLY to children). However, the film has two major advantages: the performances and a wonderful cinematography.
I was deeply touched by the memorable performance of 12 year-old Barney Clark. He very well fits to this role and beautifully expresses emotions, melancholy, and a good heart. Perhaps, he is most memorable in the final shot but I think that his performance is worth a look throughout. Another star of the movie is Ben Kingsley. The role of Fagin is not very easy to play. Nevertheless, Mr Kingsley does a wonderful job playing an old corrupted man whose sole aim in life is how to steal more and more. Even in the face of death, he does not repent. The last performance which is worth consideration is Jamie Foreman's disgusting Bill Sykes. He stresses such awful features in his character as cruelty, hatred, obscurity and lack of any feelings (total inability to love). He does it so memorably that looking at his face made me feel discouraged. He looks a villain throughout from the very first to the very last moment he appears on screen. The rest of the cast are quite average. SPOILER: The exception in the negative sense is Leanne Rowe as Nancy. I remember this young actress from Zeffirelli's adaptation of JANE EYRE (1996). There, she played Helen Burns and did quite well. Here, however, she exaggerates, says a lot of sentences badly and is in no way outstanding in her role.
The cinematography together with the gloomy atmosphere and reconstruction of the London of that time makes the film a stunning production. There are a lot of moments that add a thrill to the story thanks to unforgettable images. Consider, for instance, the moment Nancy meets with Mr Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke) ... this fog, this mysterious mood. Another memorable moment is the first entrance to London. The reconstruction is wonderful!
The most important thing, however, is the content. This is, probably, the most appealing factor for children as far as Dickens is concerned. What moral would be significant to infer from a strange lot of Oliver? ... always remain yourself even if the world badly desires to change you and kill your dreams, BE YOURSELF, ONE DAY LIFE WILL SMILE AT YOU.
OLIVER TWIST is worth a look for both Dickens and Polanski fans. It is also a movie that contains a very touching story, not exactly the one that could happen to someone in a distant past but to today's close people like the director of the movie. One fact is sure - it is good that Polanski directed the film drawing our attention to his life in order to prove what harm some of the 20th century ideologies did to many precious people. Worth seeing!
Roman Polanski said it himself in an interview that the thing which touched him most in this very tale was the fact that his early life has been strikingly similar to the main hero's. He was "beaten" by the destiny being in the ghetto during WWII as a child, he had to retain goodness in his heart though the world occurred to do the opposite (to what extend he did it is a controversial question, of course). Nevertheless, the idea seems quite logical and there are truly some similarities between young Oliver and young Polanski. As a result, the director set his heart on making the film because it referred to him personally.
Some viewers may see shortcomings in the movie, some scenes exaggerate with violence, which may seem inaccurate for children (we have to keep in mind that the film is addressed MOSTLY to children). However, the film has two major advantages: the performances and a wonderful cinematography.
I was deeply touched by the memorable performance of 12 year-old Barney Clark. He very well fits to this role and beautifully expresses emotions, melancholy, and a good heart. Perhaps, he is most memorable in the final shot but I think that his performance is worth a look throughout. Another star of the movie is Ben Kingsley. The role of Fagin is not very easy to play. Nevertheless, Mr Kingsley does a wonderful job playing an old corrupted man whose sole aim in life is how to steal more and more. Even in the face of death, he does not repent. The last performance which is worth consideration is Jamie Foreman's disgusting Bill Sykes. He stresses such awful features in his character as cruelty, hatred, obscurity and lack of any feelings (total inability to love). He does it so memorably that looking at his face made me feel discouraged. He looks a villain throughout from the very first to the very last moment he appears on screen. The rest of the cast are quite average. SPOILER: The exception in the negative sense is Leanne Rowe as Nancy. I remember this young actress from Zeffirelli's adaptation of JANE EYRE (1996). There, she played Helen Burns and did quite well. Here, however, she exaggerates, says a lot of sentences badly and is in no way outstanding in her role.
The cinematography together with the gloomy atmosphere and reconstruction of the London of that time makes the film a stunning production. There are a lot of moments that add a thrill to the story thanks to unforgettable images. Consider, for instance, the moment Nancy meets with Mr Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke) ... this fog, this mysterious mood. Another memorable moment is the first entrance to London. The reconstruction is wonderful!
The most important thing, however, is the content. This is, probably, the most appealing factor for children as far as Dickens is concerned. What moral would be significant to infer from a strange lot of Oliver? ... always remain yourself even if the world badly desires to change you and kill your dreams, BE YOURSELF, ONE DAY LIFE WILL SMILE AT YOU.
OLIVER TWIST is worth a look for both Dickens and Polanski fans. It is also a movie that contains a very touching story, not exactly the one that could happen to someone in a distant past but to today's close people like the director of the movie. One fact is sure - it is good that Polanski directed the film drawing our attention to his life in order to prove what harm some of the 20th century ideologies did to many precious people. Worth seeing!