Masterpiece Theater: Oliver Twist [VHS]

The poor reviews this movie has received I feel are totally unwarranted. This is my favorite non-"Christmas Carol" put to film Dickens adaption, and I am waiting (trying to be patient) for this to be available on DVD (anybody listening out there? VHS is gone - DVD is the new genre!).Now, in this version, I love the prequel. I think it makes this a much more comprehensive movie and gives the characters involved (especially Monks) much more depth.The acting is as good, if not better, than pretty much any period epic I have seen. The actors play off of each other well - they match their roles perfectly. The costumes and sets are excellent. They have captured the early Victorian period so well it's almost as if the viewer is peering through a looking glass into the past.As for the story following Dickens' original novel, well, I have yet to see any movie follow a novel to a "T." (Well, "Gods and Generals" maybe, but even that got panned for being too accurate!). But this follows the original, as a whole, much much closer than the other versions I have seen - definitely more than "Oliver," and infinitely more than the Disney version with Richard Dreyfuss, which was made into a totally different story than what Dickens had written.Because of the length of this version that I am reviewing, it allows the viewer to get to know each character much deeper than the others, as well. But, don't let the nearly 6 hour length scare you off - there is no time during this whole version where one is bored (unless they are a child - definitely not a children's movie!). Being a fan of epic period movies, I found this to be as enticing as any other epic novels put to the screen. and I am highly anticipating the day when I find this to be available on DVD!

This film is one of my greatest picks. Oliver Twist. It had me furious, mad, heartbroken, helpless, wanting to rescue this child where he could have some stability in his life. There are other video's that are written by other authors on this story but this one is the top of all the others. Anything Masterpiece theater does seems to know how to pick the best in actors, writers, costumes, location's the whole works. I definitely recommend this version of Oliver Twist no other. For I have seen how others have written about this story and did not in no way have the depth and the strong character's as this one of Oliver Twist. Charles Dickens the famous writer had the skills to know how to get you feeling whatever it was that he was trying to accomplish. Excellent choice to place in your library of films

I thought this was a brilliant adaptation of Dicken's classic. I was riveted from beginning to end, partly because Alan Bleasdale (Boys from the Blackstuff et al) did such a magnificent job of imaginatively expanding the story without taking anything away from the original. Excellent performances by all, even the minor roles - I particularly liked Robert Lindsey as Fagin; Lindsay Duncan was beautifully evil; Marc Warren was wonderfully grotesque but sad at the same time; and Sophia Myles was heartbreaking as Oliver's mother. All the actors gave 100%. Had it been a movie instead of a TV series, surely it would have won an Oscar. What an astonishing creation - nobody will ever be able to surpass this production.

My copy is the British DVD release of this title, and is far less revisionist than any of the many other versions I have seen. Sam Smith's portrayal of Oliver screams purity and innocence, which is true to the text. Robert Lindsay's Fagin is bewitching, and it is easy to see why the boys submit to him. The evocation of London tallies with official records of what the different parts of London were like at the time. It shows clearly the difference in the standard of living of 'Respectable People' and society's most vulnerable. This was drawn directly from the text, which Dickens deliberately wrote as way of pricking the conscience of his readership. This was part of Dickens' effort to support the works of reformers such as Lord Shaftesbury and Doctor Thomas Barnardo.One or two of the characters have been made slightly more human and palatable in this adaptation than in the original book. That is a reflection of the changing state of the audience, and detracts little from the overall effectiveness of the piece.

This adaptation of Oliver Twist surpasses David Lean's spectacular version.Oliver Twist is dark, brutal, and gritty, and it truly depicts the The Slums Of London, the Filthly Slums as Dickens' himself experienced it.Alan Bleasdale penned the screenplay, and Oliver Twist was apparantly a labour of love for him. He had envisioned making Oliver Twist for his whole life, and finally sat down in 1997 to actualise his Twistian visions.The first installment is Bleasedale's own creation; the 2nd & 3rd are the core of Oliver's hard life. The violence depicted in the series is harsh - this is not the same Masterpiece Theatre that we grew up with. The Artful Dodger is a cruel rogue in this one. Nancy is a whipping post. Sikes is woman-beater. Mr. Bumble is a nasty gold-digger. Oliver is physically abused, starved, and even walled up briefly.This version features outstanding performances by Michael Kitchen, Robert Lindsay, Andy Serkis, Marc Warren, and Sam Smith, the young boy who plays Oliver. When Smith says, "I want some more", you get the chills.Serkis & Marc Warren give exemplory, BAFTA-worthy performances as their characters. Warren reaps the benefits of Bleasedale's writings. Edward Leeford/Monks was a shady character in the novel; Bleasedale developed Monks, giving him a history, and Warren externalizes that history with shocking, authentic realism.Thank you Alan Bleasedale, thank you PBS/BBC.