We watched “Oliver!” this weekend, and it’s the one I think everyone should take the time to see. It’s a musical based on Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. I remember when this came out when I was a boy. Mark Lester (Oliver) and Jack Wild (The Artful Dodger) were huge sensations. Their photos were in all the magazines. For some reason, I never got to see it. Better late than never! This film is fabulous. In the workhouse, where the film starts, we see the words “God is love” written in large letters on the wall, but it’s clear that the house is filled with anything but love. The boys march down the dungeon-like stairs carrying bowls and approaching their ‘gruel’ singing “Food, glorious food,” and dreaming of eating like their caretakers. Oliver asks for more, and gets dismissed from the workhouse while his keeper sings “Boy for sale.” Oliver gets put to work for, and abused by, an undertaker’s family until he’s thrown into and locked up in a cellar. He looks out the window and sings “Where is love?” This is all great stuff.
He escapes and heads to London, where he meets The Artful Dodger. Through him, Oliver is introduced to Fagin (played Ron Moody), one of the most memorable villains you will ever see anywhere. Oliver thinks he's finally found a soft spot to land as they sing "Consider yourself at home. Consider yourself... part of the family." I didn't know that's where that song had come from. Fagin introduces Oliver to his new line of work with “You’ve got to pick a pocket or two.” You’re hoping that Oliver won’t get caught up into it, but as you see the huge contrast between the rich and the poor, you understand it as well.
The entire film is outstanding, but it’s Fagin who stands out as the unforgettable highlight. Forever ingrained in my feelings are his expressions, his dancing, and his theme song (sung twice), “Reviewing the Situation.” This song is so hilariously funny. I laughed and laughed and laughed. He wants to get out of his villainous ways, but in the end sings “I think I’d better think it out again.”
Oliver Reed (whom I remember most from “The Three Musketeers) was excellent as the lost soul Bill Sykes.
If you haven’t seen this, you’ve got to see it.
5 comments:
Is this the Oliver from the late 60's? If so, I saw it then. I probably saw it in the early 70's. I was about 10 years old. I still remember, "Food glorious food, hot sausage and mustard!" (Although I think I thought they were saying "hot chocolate and mustard.") I put it in our netflix cue, although it's #50, behind all Mirnah's "Supernatural" and my "Star Trek DS9's."
That's the one!
Tara, the kids, and I are still making our way through the Deep Space Nine series. We just finished the 1st disc of Season 6. We watch one or two episodes every weekend. Sometimes 3, but rarely.
Wow, we're in season 3, disk 5! Although, we're not going slow. We're watching at least 4 episodes a week. That's funny. Just watched one where Cmdr. Sisko went to the other universe and met Jennifer and convinced her not to work against the rebels. The next one was about Garak where he goes back with his mentor to the Obsedian Order. We really like the Garak arc, and the Odo arc. Aloha
We would be watching one almost every night, but the kids are only with me on the weekend. Lexi said she was missing Deep Space 9 so much one night this week that she watched 3 episodes of the old Star Trek to make up for it. : )
I still think of them as little kids... Maybe you guys have to come to Hawaii and visit.
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