SCHEDULED FILM FOR 12 MARCH 2010

OLIVER TWIST

Scheduled Film for 12 March 2010

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THERE HAVE BEEN many film or TV versions of Oliver Twist, but David Lean's 1948 adaptation is still the gold standard. Cinematographer Guy Green won an Oscar for Lean's previous Dickens adaptation, Great Expectations, and his cinematography on this film is equally memorable. Shot in mainly low-key light to emphasize the evil of Fagin and his pickpocket cohorts, the domestic scenes with Oliver's benefactor are shot in high-key soft lighting for contrast. Of course the lighting is as symbolic as it is visual.
    As with Picnic, Lean's film moves from a symbolic dark to a symbolic light. As a transition device, Oliver's benefactor, Mr. Brownlow, must meet Nancy, the good-hearted cohort of the gang of thieves, in her dark in order to bring Oliver back out into the light.
    The movie quickly became notorious because of the portrayal of the Jew, Fagin, by actor Alec Guinness. It was banned in Israel and delayed for US release by several years, and then largely edited to remove offensive scenes. The film has since been restored. Ironically, the word "Jew" is never used in the film but repeatedly used by Charles Dickens in his novel, though Dickens later omitted many references in revisions.
    Acting is impeccable throughout, as was typical of British films of the era. But the outstanding performance is Alec Guinness as Fagin, who plays the role with relish, adding a lisp for effect. Guinness would later win an Oscar for Bridge on the River Kwai, also directed by Lean.
    Young John Howard Davies gives a professional performance as Oliver, while Anthony Newley can be seen in a credible performance as the Artful Dodger before he became a major West End and Broadway music composer/performer. For those who wish to compare Newley as a child and adult, go here to see him perform as an adult. The song, "What Kind of Fool Am I?" was the big hit from his successful musical, Stop the World I Want to Get Off. The song achieved a degree of notoriety at the time of its hit recordings in 1961 because of the use of the word "damn," which was bleeped in radio airplays of the song or else "damn" was sung as the euphemistic "darn." Newley had another big hit from another musical with "Who Can I Turn To?"
    The movie has a memorable score by British concert ("serious") composer, Sir Arnold Bax, one of this composer's few film scores. The underscore cues merit serious study.

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