Oliver!

This Blu-ray edition of Oliver! is everything I hoped for: crisp picture, clear sound, and enough charm to make you forget you’ve probably had “Consider Yourself” stuck in your head since the 1960s. The story still holds up—equal parts heartwarming, dramatic, and cheekily mischievous. The performances sparkle, the musical numbers burst with energy, and Fagin remains one of the most unforgettable characters ever to shuffle across a stage (or screen). Watching it in high definition feels like rediscovering an old friend—you notice little details in costumes and sets that DVD never quite captured. Plus, it’s family-friendly, which means I can share the magic with kids who are usually glued to animated films, and they’re still humming the songs days later. If you love musicals, classic cinema, or just want a feel-good film that combines Dickens with dance breaks, this Blu-ray deserves a prime spot in your collection.

A fantastic 'top class' musical. If you like musicals with a message, with great songs and dance routines and great sets and costumes, then this is definitely not one to miss. This is a classic. Oliver Reed was cast just perfect as Bill Sikes. Based on the original book by Chales Dickins. He wrote the book to highlight the terrible horrors of vitorian Britain especially the workhouse and what we today would call street children. Dickens wanted to make a difference and he did. The songs are classics in their own right, such as; Consdider Yourself, Food Glorious Food, Pick a pocket or two, Where is Love? and ll do anything! Simply brilliant

I love love this film did u no that Oliver reed and Ron moody were about same age

Charles Dickens famous novel of an orphan boy, Oliver Twist, who escapes from his poor life to seek his fame and fortune in London, is adapted as a glossy musical. Who would have thought that a story from the brilliant Dickens could be so sweet and endearing? So it be with Carol Reed's {Best Director Winner} unforgettable 1968 Best Picture Winner. Yes it's some way away from the essence of the source, those in need of that should be seeking out David Lean's fabulous 1948 version, but with an array of wonderful tunes and choreography, this Oliver is a treat for all the family. The cast are uniformly strong, notably Ron Moody {Fagin}, Oliver Reed {who as Bill Sykes is probably playing himself!}, Mark Lester {Oliver} and the fabulous Jack Wild {The Artful Dodger}. While Lionel Bart's songs are as timeless as they are engaging. The 60s was a tough decade for cinematic musicals, with many of them turning out to be bloated exercises in tedium. But Oliver! is one of the shining lights in the genre, a true uplifter guaranteed to have the feet a tapping and the smile firmly implanted on ones face. So if you have yet to see and be charmed by it? Come on in, join our number and consider yourself one of us. 8/10

I recently bought Oliver! for my young daughter. She's getting into all things musical and wanted to show her the kind of thing we use to watch, that sadly seems to be forgotten to time. I have to admit, I was well impressed with how well this movie has aged. The first that hit me with this film is how quick the songs came flooding back to me. I mean, I haven't seen this film for the best part of thirty years but within the first few bars of the opening number, I was singing away to myself. Other well known songs in the film I knew word for word. I thought they were good, charming and very fun. But I did not expect to remember as much as I did. I think that says a lot about the quality of the music. The second thing that hit me with this film is how good it really looks. I mean, really good. The set they built for Oliver! has aged very well. The city streets and back alleys all look grimy and filthy, as they should. The fact that these sets still looked so convincing on high definition really says something. This of course is backed up by all the period outfits etc. It looks fantastic as a whole. It's a shame the set wasn't preserved for more films, television or even for tours. As a movie, it was really enjoyable. My daughter and I agreed that even though it is a fair length, the pacing was pretty good. Oliver! goes from one memorable set piece to another, with lots of dances and songs. Some of which are quite irrelevant to the plot, but were very enjoyable regardless. The cast were great and the script is the perfect balance of content for both children and adults. The good old days of FAMILY content. The leading actor Mark Lester as Oliver is a cute wee lad. His acting is pretty good but his singing was apparently bad enough that they over dubbed him with a young girl. That dubbing is noticeable and the major flaw of the film. Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger is as charming as always. The main adults of the film played by Ron Moody, Shani Wallis and Oliver Reed are all excellent. I loved Reed's presence in the film. He's one nasty bloke, very dark and intimidating. Oliver! is obviously a bit old fashioned by today's standards but I'd consider it leaps and bounds above modern musicals. The songs are great, the cast is great and the content isn't sickly sweet or politically correct. They need to bring back this film in schools, let kids enjoy good content and get away from the brain washing in things like Bluey. A fiver very well spent.

We all know the story of Oliver, this version had the added bonus of great songs by Lionel Bart and a great cast including Ron Moody as Fagin, Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes and Shani Wallis as Nancy the stars. There have been many versions of Oliver but this is by far the best.

Die Jahre 1968 bis 1970 markieren einen gewissen Wendepunkt in der Oscargeschichte. Während bei der Oscarwahl 1969 das opulente Musical "Oliver" von Carol Reed zum großen Sieger erklärt wurde, ging der innovative Konkurrent "2001 - Odyssee im Weltraum" mit nur einer Trophäe für die besten visuellen Effekte nach Hause. Er wurde damals auch nicht in der Kategorie "bester Film" berücksichtigt. Der Oscar brauchte eine Verjüngungskur, denn die Academy versuchte damals althergebrachte Erfolgsmuster weiter am Leben zu erhalten. Die 60er Jahre brachte alleine in der Kategorie "Bester Film" vier Musicals als Sieger hervor: West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music und Oliver. Die Oscarnacht 1970 brachte dann eine Überraschung zustande: "Hello Dolly" mit Topstar Barbra Streisand wurde in dieser wichtigsten Kategorie von einem sehr düsteren Film geschlagen, denn John Schlesingers "Asphalt Cowboy" gewann diesen Hauptpreis. Und "Easy Rider " ein Film der 68er Generation erhielt immerhin 2 Nominierungen. "Oliver" brachte dem britischen Regisseur Carol Reed ein echtes Comeback, denn seine größten Erfolge wie "Ausgestoßen" und vor allem "Der dritte Mann" lagen schon lange Jahre zurück. "Oliver" basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Bühnenmusical von Lionel Bart, ein Adaption des berühmten Romans "Oliver Twist" von Charles Dickens. Dieser düstere Roman über ein Waisenkind, das im Armenhaus groß wird wurde mehrfach verfilmt. Die Versionen von David Lean aus dem Jahr 1948 und von Roman Polanski aus 2007 sind nahezu perfekt. Bei Reeds Muscialversion muss man sich vielleicht daran gewöhnen, dass viele Szenen gesanglich und tänzerisch sind. Dennoch ist Carol Reed ein bezaubernder Film gelungen mit sehr vielen klasse Szenen und genauso guten Darstellerleistungen. Gute Kasse machte das Musical auch und landete mit 74 Millionen Dollar auf Platz 5 der Kino-Jahrescharts. In einem Arbeitshaus in Dunstable wird den Waisenkindern der tägliche Haferbrei serviert. Eine Gruppe von Jungen ziehen Lose, wobei der kleine Oliver (Mark Lester) als einziger den verhedderten Strohhalm zieht. Dies zwingt ihn dazu aufzustehen und Mr. Bumble (Harry Secombe) und der Witwe Corney (Peggy Mount) um ein weiteres Tellerchen Brei zu bitten. "Ich will noch mehr, bitte Sir" wird aber als solche Frechheit angesehen, dass der Junge verkauft werden soll. Mr. Sowerberry (Leonard Rossiter) kauft den Jungen, weil er ihn besonders für Kinderbeerdigungen als Bestatter brauchen könnte. Sowerberrys etwas älterer Lehrling Noah Claypole (Kenneth Granham) schikaniert den Neuling wo er nur kann. Als er Olivers Mutter, die bei der Geburt starb, aufs übelste beledigt, kommt es zum Rinkampf der Beiden und anschließend wird Oliver in den Keller gesperrt. Er kann fliehen und versucht in London ein neues Leben zu beginnen. Dort trifft er auf den Artful Dodger (Jack Wild), der ihn sofort unter seine Fittiche nimmt und ihm auch ein Quartier zum Schlafen anbietet. Das befindet sich bei Fagin (Ron Moodey), Der jüdische Hehler verköstigt Oliver und Fagin hat eine ganze Meute von elternlosen Jungs bei sich beherbergt. Alle diese Jungs wurden von ihm zu versierten Taschendieben ausgebildet. Artful Dodger ist der Beste von Ihnen. Noch ehe Oliver die Kunst des Stehlens erlernen kann, wird er bei der Diebestour - ohne Dieb zu sein - fälschlicherweise dafür gehalten und verfolgt, er kommt ins Gefängnis. Doch als das Opfer Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Connor) sich sicher ist, dass der Junge nicht der Dieb war, nimmt er ihn bei sich auf. Eine Wendung, die sowohl Fagin noch dem äusserst brutalen Eigenbrötler Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed), mit dem Fagin Geschäfte macht und dessen Freundin Nancy (Shani Wallis) Sorgen bereitet. Denn der Junge könnte der Polizei zuviel von den kriminellen Machenschaften erzählen, das Versteck der Diebesbande ausplaudern, so dass Fagin und Sykes am Galgen enden. Bald schmiedet Sykes einen Plan, wie er den unliebsamen Mitwisser aus dem Wege räumen kann... Am Ende ist es Sykes Hund Bully, der die aufgebrachte Menge zu seinem Versteck führt. Anders als im Roman kommt der Gauner Fagin in der Musical Version mit dem Leben davon und endet nicht am Galgen. Gemeinsam mit Artul Dodger tanzen sie durch eine Gasse im nächtlichen London, bereit für einen neuen Anfang und damit auch für weitere Schandtaten. Der Kinderdarsteller Jack Wild liefert eine überzeugende Darstellung, für die der damals 15jährige Junge eine Oscarnominierung bekam. Auch Ron Moodey als Fagin wurde in der Kategorie "bester Hauptdarsteller" berücksichtigt, unterlag jedoch Cliff Robertsons Leistung in "Charly". Neben der Auszeichnung als bester Film gab es weitere Oscars für die grandiose Ausstattung, die Choreographieleistung von Onna White wurde mit einem weiteren Oscar bedacht. John Greens Musik gewann in seiner Kategorie, das Shepperton studio Sound Department durfte den Preis für den besten Ton entgegennehmen So auch der Regisseur selbst. Das British Film Institute, die Reeds Meisterwerk "Der dritte Mann" zum besten britischen Film aller Zeiten wählten, erkannten auch die Qualität seines Musicals und setzten "Oliver" in der gleichen Umfrage der All Time Top 100 auf Platz 77.

Buen musical

Pour montrer aux enfants car c'est un film éducatif s'il leur est correctement présenté. Par ailleurs c'est du beau cinéma qui fait honneur au 7 ième art, il ne paraitra jamais ''vieux film'' si on reste à la fois dans le contexte du roman et de l'époque du tournage.

Well packaged. Excellent condition. Arrived on time

Oliver was among the very last of the big musical extravaganzas produced by a major studio (that studio being British in this case). It garnered just about every award imaginable. In this film's case, those awards were well deserved. This film is also notable in that it played in many cinemas for months at a time, a feat that hadn't been equaled since The Sound of Music. At first blush, a musical based on Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens would seem unlikely source material, especially as the transformation of stories like The Phantom of the Opera & Les Miserables into modern operas was still decades in the future. However, just as with those stories, the people who created Oliver created something entirely sublime. And time has not dimmed that brilliance at all. It goes without saying that Oliver Twist is one of English literature's seminal works. Dickens was a master storyteller, a writer who was able to catalogue, in detail, all of the hypocrisy, greed, indifference & calamity that was Britain during the Industrial Revolution. There was no such thing as a social safety net. If you fell on hards times, you had extremely limited options, sometimes only a choice between slow starvation, or the horrors of the Work House (where you effectively sold yourself into slavery to pay your debts (see A Christmas Carol). Charity, such as it was, was relegated to either churches or other "Christian" institutions. The degradation associated with such "charity" is on ample display in Oliver & encapsulated in the famous phrase "Please Sir, can I have some more?" When Oliver moves to London as a member of Fagin's gang of nascent thieves & pickpockets, he is literally jumping from the fire into the frying pan. Whitechapel encompassed some of the worst slums in the world. It was not for nothing that Jack The Ripper would stake out this area as his hunting ground. Although you know the young thieves who serenade Fagin with "I'd Do Anything For You," aren't really as grimy & ill kept as they appear, the denizens of Whitechapel those characters are based on were that dirty & ill kept & diseased and, . . . well, you get the idea. This musical manages to transcend that reality though. One among its many attributes are the large scale musical numbers that, in an age before CGI, are as intricate as a 19th Century time piece, but still wildly entertaining. For instance, pay attention to Oliver's first morning in his well to do digs far from Whitechapel. As he stares about, the square before him comes to life, starting with a single voice selling bread. By the time this number has finished, Oliver, & us too, have witnessed the wonders that can be had when you're on the right side of the tracks. Britain was at the zenith of her power in this period, the home of the Industrial Revolution as well as financier to, & workshop of, the world. The sun never set on Victoria's dominions & all that wealth & privilege is on display, for the taking, for those "Who Can Buy This Beautiful Morning." Since the cast of this movie is English, the acting, singing, what have you, is flawless. Ron Moody effectively steals (no pun intended) the show as Fagin, a conniving career criminal who still manages to make you smile, especially when he explains his philosophy of life to Oliver with the song "You Gotta Pick A Pocket, Or Two." And no great work is complete without a great villain. In this case, it's Bill Sykes, as portrayed by Oliver Reed. Reed was usually typecast as the bad guy. Here, he gives Sykes a smouldering violence that can, & does, erupt without warning. This man has no morals - he can't afford any. His world is literally dog eat dog & you do unto others first, before they can do unto you! Reed owns this role. He makes sure you have no doubt about who you're dealing with when you deal with Bill Sykes. And carrying the whole movie, he's in almost every scene, is young Mark Lester. Fortunately, Lester is equal to the task. He manages to instil into his interpretation of Twist an innate innocence & nobility. No matter what trials he faces, Twist remains pure at his core. When the movie ends, & Twist returns to that magical square, you feel he's finally going home to a place where that purity & innocence belongs. (A contrast to Twist is Jack Wild's Artful Dodger, the young thief who introduces Oliver to Fagin & his crew. The Dodger is content with his lot. He's a nascent Fagin & that's alright with him. Posh environs are okay for Twist - the Dodger is content in Whitechapel.) So, if you'd like to watch some wonderfully presented Dickens, without having to read the book, then this movie is for you. Butter up the popcorn & settle in a for a great time.