Oliver! (1968)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  Hard to sit through.

• Chris W

  
  This multi-Oscar winner is the film version of the satge musical adaptation of the classic novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. As you might expect, it's a sumptuous well-done British affair filled with excellent sets and costumes, good music, and some decent performances. As… More
  This multi-Oscar winner is the film version of the satge musical adaptation of the classic novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. As you might expect, it's a sumptuous well-done British affair filled with excellent sets and costumes, good music, and some decent performances. As for how it fares as an adaptation? Well, pretty decently. It's certainly entertaining, though I can't say I've ever really been all that into Oliver Twist (in any form). That makes my praise seem odd no doubt, but I'm the sort of person who can give praise to something when it is well done, even if it's really not my thing. The casting is good, as are the performances, but special credit must be given to Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes, a chilling performance that the Nostalgia Critic (Doug Walker) rightfully included on his list of the Top 11 Scariest Performances. He's a real creep, and Reed's take is wonderfully done. Shani Wallis's Nancy and Ron Moody's Fagin are pretty good too. Mark Lester is capable as the title character, but his voice (mostly singing) is a bit much for me. I know I can't fault him for not hitting puberty by the time this film was made, but damn. It's not distracting enough to take the movie down though. Carol Reed, the director behind the masterpiece that is The Third Man, does a really good job of bringing this musical to life on the big screen. There's nothign really cinematically showy going on, but it's solid and well played nonetheless. If you happen to like musicals or the source material, then yeah, give this one a go. Unlike almost all 1960s movie musicals, this one is at least under 3 hours.

• erika b

  
  not my type of film

• Jeremy S

  
  Extremely enjoyable musical, perfectly cast with great songs and a great story from Dickens.

• jay n

  
  Rollicking version of the stage play, the kind of film Hollywood has lost the art of making. Big and splashy with some lovely songs and fine performances. Well directed which is vital to the success of a piece such as this.

• Jennifer X

  
  I think I've seen pretty much every single adaptation of Oliver Twist, and I still like the Disney cats and dogs version the best. This movie is WAY too long, and the story pretty much sucks, as to be expected from Charles Dickens. The children are rather cute, though.

• Lady D

  
  Such a huge musical production adapted from the Charles Dickens novel, which captured the era and it?s class divide so clearly. The film also managed to show an authentic look of London during the 19th Century, made possible from a huge ensemble of people working on the set design… More
  Such a huge musical production adapted from the Charles Dickens novel, which captured the era and it?s class divide so clearly. The film also managed to show an authentic look of London during the 19th Century, made possible from a huge ensemble of people working on the set design and build. Impressive casting abilities allowed for a perfectly selected group of Actors to bring the already established characters to life and do them justice and have made the characters, people whom weve all come to know and love today. Music and lyrics by Lionel Bart set the mood of scenes throughout and have become well-known sing along classics. Some interesting ?Behind the scenes? footage appear on the special features and are worth taking a look at. Oliver is a must see of Classic musicals.

• Alexander W

  
  Oliver Twist the author is Charles Dickens died long ago, but his tales are retold in cinema format.

• Dean !

  
  The best version of the classic musical.

• Lafe F

  
  It's a classic, though very dry. They tried to make joy out of a miserable group of characters, and somewhat succeeded. The songs are a treat, with some having huge dance numbers. It all looks so dirty and grungy. It's hard to believe this won as best picture; "2001: A… More
  It's a classic, though very dry. They tried to make joy out of a miserable group of characters, and somewhat succeeded. The songs are a treat, with some having huge dance numbers. It all looks so dirty and grungy. It's hard to believe this won as best picture; "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Planet of the Apes", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" or "Yellow Submarine" or "Night of the Living Dead" should've got it instead.

• xGary X

  
  I'm not a fan of musicals, but this is a true classic, and something I grew up on. The songs are great, and Ron Moody and Oliver Reeds supremely hissable villains steal the show. For a family film, Nancy's murder at the hands of Bill Sykes is actually quite gruesome...

• Kalel J

  
  Great musical and great film all round. There are many elements to Oliver! that make it enjoyable. and to an extent educational. for viewers of both young and old. The themes brought about through this musical wizardry such as a look into poverty and the depths people will go to… More
  Great musical and great film all round. There are many elements to Oliver! that make it enjoyable. and to an extent educational. for viewers of both young and old. The themes brought about through this musical wizardry such as a look into poverty and the depths people will go to maintain longevity in life can strike a chord with all viewers and the fine performances by all involved adds that extra charm and authenticity to the production. The roles of the lowly Fagin and the evil Bill Sikes are particularly exceptional in this 1968 Oscar winning picture and while there is very little wrong with this production there remains aspects of its general flow and adaptation techniques that lack in a couple of places.

• Matthew Y

  
  I'm always here or there about Musicals. I love My Fair Lady and hated The Sound of Music, I loved Singin' in the Rain and disliked West Side Story. Oliver! is a charming one with grand set designs and costumes, it lacks a great song but posts several good ones that are… More
  I'm always here or there about Musicals. I love My Fair Lady and hated The Sound of Music, I loved Singin' in the Rain and disliked West Side Story. Oliver! is a charming one with grand set designs and costumes, it lacks a great song but posts several good ones that are accompanied but creative and elegant dance or production numbers. Historically it is an odd duck. Winning best picture in 1968 even though it is not considered the best film adaptation of Oliver Twist even at its time or release. That distinction goes to David Leon's famous 1948 version. The other big problem is the character Oliver hardly has any singing time himself and he is upstaged by better performances from Ron Moody as Fagin, Shani Wallis as Nancy Sikes, Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes and Harry Secombe as Mr. Bumble. Even fellow child actor Jack Wild manages to steals every scene he shares with Mark Lester's Oliver, as the lovable rascal Dodger. A fun film that was a surprisingly enjoyable watch even if it was far from the best film for 1968.

• Alec B

  
  Its not terrible, but its one of many Best Picture winners that seems really unworthy it retrospect (especially since 2001: A Space Odyssey was also released that year and wasn't even nominated in that category). There are a few good songs here and there and the performances are… More
  Its not terrible, but its one of many Best Picture winners that seems really unworthy it retrospect (especially since 2001: A Space Odyssey was also released that year and wasn't even nominated in that category). There are a few good songs here and there and the performances are good, but its a rather messy picture that can't settle on the right tone.

• Andrew F

  
  It has great and memorable songs, but it did not deserve the award for Best Picture. The kid who played Oliver was great, until he sang. The Artful Dodger and Nancy save this movie.

• Nicolas K

  
  A fine musical of its era.

• Ivan D

  
  The title's exclamation point could well be the indication of its loud announcement of the Broadway musical's arrival to the medium it's very comfortable as it is on the stage: Cinema. Carol Reed, director of the masterpiece "The Third Man", hanged his noir… More
  The title's exclamation point could well be the indication of its loud announcement of the Broadway musical's arrival to the medium it's very comfortable as it is on the stage: Cinema. Carol Reed, director of the masterpiece "The Third Man", hanged his noir cloak in the closet and made this colorful musical about naivety trapped in the immoral underbelly of Victorian-era London. But even if set in the brooding alleyways and dirty dance clubs, Carol Reed still finds bright hues, be it through the characters' clothes, or simply through their exuberant, exciting behaviors. Oliver Twist is played by Mark Lester, and though he might be effeminate at times, not having a single identifying trait of undergoing harsh child labor, has an ever present face that can make up for his deficiency in acting, and as what the undertaker in the film described it: 'There's an expression of melancholy on his face, dear'. Ron Moody was perfect in his reprisal of the Fagin character, a veteran pickpocket torn between the promises of a new, respectable life and the magnetic pull of the well-crafted, lined wallets of his profession. Everyone performed well in the film, armed with the genuine joy of being a participant of such a film(except maybe Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes), all of them in their energetic and dramatic best, singing, dancing and acting through the film's impressive recapturing of the Victorian era's two-faced identity: The elegance of the upper class people, contrasting with the filth and suffering of the unfortunate ones. The film, although a forgotten Best Picture winner nowadays, just begs to be watched; it did not only made a wonderful musical film out of a Charles Dickens classic, but also made the unforgettable story of Oliver Twist very accessible, and transcendent of its time.

• Lord N

  
  I dunno. as a film in itself, it is decent, but as a Best Picture winner, it is one of the weakest films. it is one of those that is good in of itself, but not remotely Best Picture winner. It is a good natured but extremely cheesy film. The songs were decent enough and Ron Moody did… More
  I dunno. as a film in itself, it is decent, but as a Best Picture winner, it is one of the weakest films. it is one of those that is good in of itself, but not remotely Best Picture winner. It is a good natured but extremely cheesy film. The songs were decent enough and Ron Moody did a really good job as the slippery Fagan. the rest of the cast didn't really do that great. I didn't really like Oliver as a character. whatever it was, I didn't really care about what happened to him one way or the other. it was simply decent. that was all. it loses points because it really does try to be a fantastic film but it really isn't. the songs are like the film, decent but not amazing. the best song in the entire movie is Fagan's Reviewing the Situation song. also, the way Nancy manages to get Oliver out of the pub to get him to Mr. Brownlow, the Oom Pah Pah song, yeah, that would only work in a musical. Final Verdict: Mistake. as just a film it's average. as a Best Picture winner, it sucks. Replacement Winner: The Lion in Winter. Oscar worthy performances from the entire cast help that film blow past this one.

• Sunil J

  
  A faithful story version with good music.

• Sarah B

  
  This film is full of great music, cute kids, evil and dastardly villains, heartbreaking molls like Nancy and is one of the best family films ever made. Once watched never forgotten. If only for Oliver Reed's perfectly cast Billy Sykes and the superb Shani Wallis. Note, tone and… More
  This film is full of great music, cute kids, evil and dastardly villains, heartbreaking molls like Nancy and is one of the best family films ever made. Once watched never forgotten. If only for Oliver Reed's perfectly cast Billy Sykes and the superb Shani Wallis. Note, tone and pitch perfect.

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