Year of Release: 1948Country of Origin: UK
Director: David Lean
Cast: Robert Newton, Alex Guinness, Kay Walsh, Francis L. Sullivan, John Howard Davies
Plot outline: Based on the Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist is about an orphan boy who runs away from a workhouse and meets a pickpocket on the streets of London (IMDb).
After all these years and dozens of remakes, David Lean's Oliver Twist is still considered by many to be the definitive screen adaptation of the story. In most parts of the movie, he perfectly preserves the spirit of the story. Oliver Twist is actually a simple story, but it is the characters and the setting that make it interesting. The characters are eerily memorable - Bill Sikes, Fagin, Nancy, Mr. Bumble, Artful Dodger, etc. - brilliantly performed by talented cast, even the dog - the bull terrier named Bull's Eye - perfectly fits into its role. The setting, the depiction of London is surreally imaginative, this is accentuated by the good-looking black and white cinematography - cold and yet passionate, repulsive and yet attractive, with despair and hope live side by side. Just as Dickens with his masterful writing successfully delivers this melodramatic story, Mr. Lean with his masterful filmmaking successfully depicts the true spirit of the story.
My judgement: ***1/2 out of 4 stars
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