Just the other day I saw the 2005 filming of 'Pride and Prejudice' and yesterday I saw Roman Polanski's 'Oliver Twist'. I didn't like the previous movie adaptations of Dickens's classic and was intending to avoid this one. Only recently I found out that Polanski had sat on the director's chair so I just had to watch it. Like Wright's version of 'Pride and Prejudice', Polanski stays true to Dickens's novel we are presented with some dazzling visuals and the director's attention to the time period and the way he brings it to screen is amazing. His use of slightly washed out colours and a non-intrusive subtle background score and weather effect is fantastic. Of course most of his films have been visually stunning ... and have quite graphic scenes of violence as does this one but he cleverly avoids gore and uses a more suggestive approach.
However, I found the execution of the ending a little too flawed. Bill's accidental suicide looked a little silly and Oliver had quite a few chances to escape but all he does is stand there for Bill to grab him. Also, I Polanski could have done better with the sequence where Oliver visits Fagan in prison and forgives him. It looks as though Oliver has easily forgiven and quickly forgotten all the sins he had committed, that he wanted to kill him AND was partially responsible for Nancy's death.
The performances are a mixture. Barney Clark performs decently at times but there are certain moments where he fails to convince or appear natural. He seems to lack spontaneity. In the end it is the director's task and I thought Polanski could have worked a little harder on extracting a better performance of the child. Ben Kingsley is very good and he skillfully prevents Fagan from being a caricature villain, allowing the viewer to feel some sympathy for him. The other villains are too caricatured for my liking and the actors don't make a difference either. Leanna Rowe is very impressive as Nancy and Edward Hardwicke is very likable as the rich good Samaritan.
Thus, my opinions are almost exactly the same as that of Wright's 'Pride and Prejudice'. I like that Polanski has chosen a classic novel that revolves around the plight of a child, like 'Oliver Twist' (I never would have expected him to) and made a good but flawed film. I think he could have easily improved the execution of the ending though.
However, I found the execution of the ending a little too flawed. Bill's accidental suicide looked a little silly and Oliver had quite a few chances to escape but all he does is stand there for Bill to grab him. Also, I Polanski could have done better with the sequence where Oliver visits Fagan in prison and forgives him. It looks as though Oliver has easily forgiven and quickly forgotten all the sins he had committed, that he wanted to kill him AND was partially responsible for Nancy's death.
The performances are a mixture. Barney Clark performs decently at times but there are certain moments where he fails to convince or appear natural. He seems to lack spontaneity. In the end it is the director's task and I thought Polanski could have worked a little harder on extracting a better performance of the child. Ben Kingsley is very good and he skillfully prevents Fagan from being a caricature villain, allowing the viewer to feel some sympathy for him. The other villains are too caricatured for my liking and the actors don't make a difference either. Leanna Rowe is very impressive as Nancy and Edward Hardwicke is very likable as the rich good Samaritan.
Thus, my opinions are almost exactly the same as that of Wright's 'Pride and Prejudice'. I like that Polanski has chosen a classic novel that revolves around the plight of a child, like 'Oliver Twist' (I never would have expected him to) and made a good but flawed film. I think he could have easily improved the execution of the ending though.