Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #483 in DVD
• Brand: Sony Pictures
• Released on: 2006-02-06
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, Letterboxed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, German, Italian, Hindi, Portuguese, Turkish, Danish, Icelandic, Bulgarian, Swedish, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Arabic, Finnish, Czech, Greek
• Dubbed in: Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 144 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Film buffs and critics can argue until their faces turn blue about whether this lavish Dickensian musical deserved the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1968, but the movie speaks for itself on grandly entertaining terms. Adapted from Dickens's classic novel, it's one of the most dramatically involving and artistically impressive musicals of the 1960s, directed by Carol Reed with a delightful enthusiasm that would surely have impressed Dickens himself. Mark Lester plays the waifish orphan Oliver Twist, who is befriended by the pickpocketing Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and recruited into the gang of boy thieves led by Fagin (played to perfection by Ron Moody). The villainous Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) casts his long shadow over Oliver and his friends, but the young orphan is still able to find loving care in the most desperate of circumstances. Full of memorable melodies and splendid lyrics, Oliver! is a timeless film, prompting even hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael to call it "a superb demonstration of intelligent craftsmanship", and to further observe that "it's as if the movie set out to be a tribute to Dickens and his melodramatic art as well as to tell the story of Oliver Twist." --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.co.uk Review
Film buffs and critics can argue until their faces turn blue about whether this lavish Dickensian musical deserved the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1968, but the movie speaks for itself on grandly entertaining terms. Adapted from Dickens's classic novel, it's one of the most dramatically involving and artistically impressive musicals of the 1960s, directed by Carol Reed with a delightful enthusiasm that would surely have impressed Dickens himself. Mark Lester plays the waifish orphan Oliver Twist, who is befriended by the pick-pocketing Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and recruited into the gang of boy thieves led by Fagin (played to perfection by Ron Moody). The villainous Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) casts his long shadow over Oliver and his friends, but the young orphan is still able to find loving care in the most desperate of circumstances. Full of memorable melodies and splendid lyrics, Oliver! is a timeless film, prompting even hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael to call it "a superb demonstration of intelligent craftsmanship," and to further observe that "it's as if the movie set out to be a tribute to Dickens and his melodramatic art as well as to tell the story of Oliver Twist". --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

DVD Description
Directed by Carol Reed, Oliver! brought to the big screen a tremendous adaptation of Lionel Bart's hit Broadway musical. A brilliant cast and stunning choreography earned Oliver! Best Picture in the Academy Awards and The Golden Globe Awards and has since then proved itself as one of the best loved family movies of all time.

Customer Reviews

A true pleasure!
I loved this movie! It is easily one of the best musicals ever made. First of all, the songs are absolutely marvelous, and I mean it. "Boy for sale" is sombre though very good; but all the other songs are glorious, and will put a smile on your face: "Consider yourself"; "You've got to pick a pocket or two"; "It's a fine life," "Come back soon," I'd do anything," "Who Will Buy," "Reviewing the Situation;" "Oom-pah-pah" are just some of the examples that have stayed in my memory after just one viewing. To say that they are wonderful is an understatement. They are also beautifully sung. One reviewer notes that Oliver's singing voice (dubbed by a girl) irritates him. Don't worry about that. I agree that perhaps it could have been better, and yet I think the singing voice matches Oliver's speaking voice very well, as well as his presentation as a timid little boy. After all, they couldn't have cast Julie Andrews in all of the roles, in all of the musicals ever made. The singing of Nancy, played beautifully and convincingly by Shani Wallis, is very good, as is the singing of the Artful Dodger.

All of the actors shine in their roles: Oliver is portrayed as a timid and naive little boy. The kind hearted and devoted Nancy, who sacrifices herself for the sake of others,won my sympathy right away. Fagin is one of the best comical characters I have ever seen on screen, and you simply get attached to him. There were in fact moments when I was deeply touched by this man so entrapped in a life of crime, that he cannot escape it. The boy playing the Artful Dodger, one of the most talented thieves of Fagin's gang, is amazing - look out for the expressions on his face throughout the film, very artful indeed, and very touching at the same time; I could not avoid loving him. Bill Sykes emerges as a perfect villain, with only a touch of repentance at the end. All of the characters are supremely convincing. Pay attention to the accents, set to match the social status of each character.

Besides, the settings are lavish, and the colours superb, especially the market and Bloomsbury Square, and the food shown in the movie made me hungry (I actually ran to the kitchen at one point). Food, of course, is one of the major themes of the movie, from its opening, where the little boys starving at the workhouse and singing "Food, Glorious Food" send Oliver to ask for more (he is refused, almost needless to say); to the gang of thieves who must "pick a pocket or two" to eat; to the gentlemen and gentlewomen in the market who have money to buy their food.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the street dances are beautifully choreographed. I was impressed by the coordination of movement between the masses of dancers performing all at the same time. Also, look out for the amazingly coordinated scene of the workhouse boys' dinner at the beginning of the movie, one of the most impressive symbolic scenes ever seen on screen. This is soon followed by the unforgettable scene where Oliver asks for more, and which also features in the movie trailer.

One reviewer writes that this movie can get boring if watched repeatedly. I strongly disagree with that statement. The contrary is true: this is one of those movies that one never tires of, because it has some of the elements that make a classic: believable and likeable characters, memorable lines, and unforgettable, truly unforgettable, songs.

I also do not think it is a particularly dark version of Dickens' novel. Only the beginning is really dark, and the killing of Nancy, which is somehow redeemed by the knowlege that her sacrifice will benefit Oliver, as well as put a stop to Bill Sykes' life of crime. The rest is truly life affirming, with Fagin and the Artful Dodger providing comic relief most of the time, despite their wily ways and persistance in crime.

One word of warning: you may find the beginning of the movie somewhat slow, as I did at first, especially because of the long and in my opinion far from impressive overture, and the overlong film credits; the first couple of scenes or so can be a bit slow too, but expect to be absolutely blown away soon afterwards.

In sum, this is definitely a movie to see, to own, to rewatch, a true classic of the kind they really don't make anymore, and wholeheartedly recommended. I give it more than five stars, I give it ten out of ten.

..Never Bettered
Ranks highly on my list of best film ever made as well as being the greatest ever musical - truly, truly memorable songs - once heard as a child never forgotten...a splendidly grimey recreation of dickensian london (you can almost taste the bad sausages)...Oliver Reeds greatest ever performance......the kindest hearted prostitute ever seen in a film......Jack Wild, Mark Lester, Bullseye the bull terrier, Ron Moody's Fagin which even out does Alec Guinness's 1948 version - staggeringly good mass dance sequences....and if the whole of the 'Who will buy this wonderful morning' section doesnt make ya feel glad to be alive...give up!

..all in all the most re-visited film in my collection...an uplifting..moving..thoroughly entertaining British classic..an unequivocal 10/10

"Consider yourself one of the family"
Oliver! is the musical version of the Dickens tale about an orphan on his own in Olde England. Oliver is born in a miserable workhouse and eventually taken in by an old thief and his merry band of boys who train him to be a pick-pocket. He meets some memorable characters along the way: Ron Moody plays the infamous Fagin, the leader of the thieves, with sinister delight. Jack Wild (the Artful Dodger) steals all his scenes with his talent and charm. Mark Lester, as Oliver, is a little wooden but looks the part and is appealing. Oliver Reed plays nasty Bill Sikes, the villain, and is convincingly repellant. Shani Wallis is his girlfriend, Nancy, the street girl with a heart of gold.

Lionel Bart's music for Oliver! is absolutely enchanting. Each song is memorable and the big production numbers are a joy to behold. As the Artful Dodger welcomes Oliver to London with "Consider Yourself," and the street vendors sing the beautiful, "Who Will Buy?", you are swept away into a magical world. "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two" and "Reviewing the Situation" are Fagin's comic numbers that make you like him in spite of himself. Oliver! won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1968. I heartily recommend it for the whole family.