Picture 41: Oliver! (1968)

1968 and yet another musical appears. Oliver! follows on from fellow 60s' musicals West Side Story (1961), My Fair Lady (1964) and the Sound of Music (1965). The act to follow is hard. Can Columbia Pictures deliver?

It’s 1830s England and we are introduced to the 10 year old Oliver Twist. Oliver is a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed orphan labouring in a workhouse in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Despite the horrors of Victorian era child slavery in Bedfordshire, most characters present still find the emotional and mental space to sing and dance joyfully within the first five minutes “Food, Glorious, Food”. Struggling with this unnerving inconsistency, I resist the urge to turn off the television and remember the founding principles of the Best Picture Film Project. We are here to explore the human condition and the history of cinema, not to judge nor condemn.

Oliver’s rebellious nature results in his life going on a spectacular rollercoaster amidst a series of regular singing and dancing acts. He is evicted from the workhouse, sold off as an apprentice to an undertaker, walks all the way to London, moonlights as a pickpocket and gets to spend some time in the luxurious Bloomsbury Square. Amidst the indefatigable chaos, could he even discover his true parentage? The first ever child protagonist in an English novel is brave, resilient and can maintain a beautiful equanimity to all of life’s tumultuous events – he is an example to us all.

A monotony lingers over the first hour but in time Oliver! gathers momentum towards an impressively engaging finale. The emotional journey this young boy goes on is enough to thaw even the most frozen of hearts. Strong supporting roles from a young Oliver Reed and Ron Moody strengthen the adaptation yet further and it goes for a respectable 7/10.

Rating: 7/10

Reflections:

1.     All life brings struggle – whichever path you choose. 

2.    Happiness is your reality minus expectations.

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. Casablanca (1943)

2. The Apartment (1960)

3. Rebecca (1940)

4. The Sound of Music (1965)

5. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

6. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

7. Ben-Hur (1959)

8. Lost Weekend (1945)

9. All About Eve (1950)

10. Hamlet (1948)

11. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

12. Gone With the Wind (1939)

13. West Side Story (1961)

14. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

15. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

16. Wings (1928)

17. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

18. You can’t take it with you (1938)

19. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

20. On the Waterfront (1954)

21. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

22. Marty (1955)

23. Oliver! (1968)

24. Cimarron (1931)

25. Grand Hotel (1932)

26. An American in Paris (1951)

27. From Here to Eternity (1953)

28. It Happened One Night (1934)

29. My Fair Lady (1964)

30. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

31. Cavalcade (1933)

32. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

33. Going My Way (1944)

34. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

35. All the King’s Men (1949)

36. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

37. Gigi (1958)

38. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

39. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

40. The Broadway Melody (1929)

41. Tom Jones (1963)

Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.

With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:

Dr Sophie Bloomfield

Dr Caspar Briault

Dr Kate Diomede

Dr Fionnuala Durrant

Dr Josh Fisher

Mr Vivian Gallaher

Mrs Clare Gallaher

Dr Hannah Morrison

Dr Meera Radia