I had been meaning to start writing movie reviews here, but have not had the chance until now.
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to Roanoke to see the Roman Polanski film “Oliver Twist”. It had been nearly a month since I had been able to go to the cinema, and was thrilled to finally be back to one of the things in life that I enjoy the most. “Oliver Twist,” as we all know, is based on a novel of the same name by the great Charles Dickens. It tells the story of a boy with no family, raised in a orphanage where no one wanted him, who sets off to find himself a new life.
Oliver, as is obvious from the very beginning of the story, is different from the other children. He has an innocence that borders on unbelievable. He dares the anger of his keepers by asking for more gruel for supper, and is instantly branded as a troublemaker. He is dished off on the first people who will agree to take the boy, undertakers. He is given the job of following children’s coffins during funerals. He eventually runs away after an encounter with the son of the undertakers, and he sets off to walk to London, many many many miles away.
Oliver arrives in London with nothing, no food, no money, no shoes. He is befriended by a boy slightly older than him who is know as the Artful Dodger. Dodger takes Oliver to his home, where Oliver will be taken care of. And who should take care of him but Fagin, played wonderfully by the great Sir Ben Kingsley. Fagin is a decrepit old man who uses the lost boys of London to steal from the rich folk for his own gain. Fagin keeps the best items in a box under the floorboards, his secret stash. Though he acts like a horrible villain, he truly does care for Oliver and all of the boys. However, unlike most productions of “Oliver Twist,” in the film Fagin is not the warm loving father figure that he is often made out to be. This Fagin is a thief, and a villain, and possibly a pedophile, but certainly not a nice man, but he’s still the closest thing to a father that Oliver has ever known. Sir Kingsley does a remarkable job showing Fagin as what he was written to be; a complex, rich character with deep flaws and vices, but also with good attributes as well. And best of all, Kingsley does not judge his character, which is the sign of a truly great actor.
We all know the story from here, Oliver gets taken in by a wealthy man after the police mistakenly arrest Oliver for stealing. Oliver then truly learns what a home is, and what it is like to be loved. Fagin (and, of course, the evil Bill Sykes) kidnap Oliver away from this new home, in fear that Oliver would turn them in. Oliver is then forced into helping Sykes steal from Oliver’s wealthy adopted father, and Oliver is wounded in the process. Everything goes downhill from there, as those who love Oliver try to protect him, and those who fear him try to kill him.
Several scenes in this version of the story really stood out to me, and all are due to Roman Polanski’s phenomenal direction. Polanski, if you do not know, lives in France at the moment, having fled the US in 1978 after being accused of having sex with a 13 year old girl. His personal vices aside, he is a wonderful filmmaker, and anyone who does not believe that should rent “The Pianist”, for which Polanski won the Oscar for best direction several years ago. He adds his unique touch to several scenes, one of which was probably his own invention, and one of which is one rarely shown in film or on stage when telling this story.
The first scene occurs soon after Oliver runs away towards London. He comes upon a fork in the road (“When you get to a fork in the road… take it!” – Yogi Berra). To his left is a well worn path, used by carriages frequently. To his right is a path covered over by grasses, rarely used. This is an image that confronts each of us in our lives often, and has been the subject of many films/novels/poems. Do we take the path of certainty, or the path of uncertainty. Do we risk getting lost or encountering obstacles to reach our goals, or do we take the easy path and do what is expected of us? I will not tell you what path Oliver chooses, but it is a choice we all face very often.
The other scene that stood out to me occurs at the end. Oliver, reunited with his adopted father figure, decides to go and visit Fagin in prison, where Fagin is being held until his execution. I should mention that Oliver is played by 12 year old Barney Clark. With the exception of this scene, most of the acting required of him is fairly simple; smile here, cry here, look worried here. However this scene is deeply moving and haunting, and Barney plays it perfectly, feeding off of Kingsley’s despair. Oliver tries to console Fagin, who has gone somewhat insane. Fagin, after finally realizing that Oliver is with him, repeatedly asks Oliver to help get him out of prison. He does not want forgiveness for his sins, he does not want help changing his life, he only wants to live. A distraught Oliver falls to his knees and asks Fagin to pray with him, tears streaming down his face, but Fagin is too busy pleading with the guards to care. Oliver is left with no closure to that stage of his life, and must depend on his new father for comfort. It is a deeply moving scene, and one rarely shown. And few directors could pull it off like Polanski.
The film is remarkably well made. It drags in spots, but generally flows well. Kingsley’s acting is top-notch, though most of the other actors are good, but not great. The production design is amazing, as are the sets, the costumes, and the cinematography. Perhaps not the most entertaining film, but certainly an artistic and cinematic achievement.
A-