This is one musical I enjoyed very much. It had wonderful music, it was well sung, the acting was also incredibly good (loved the Artful Dodger and of course, Finigan). Unlike most musicals, all stuff and fluff and all happy and joyful, this one has its dark side, and contains two murders, or killings. There is emotional depth, even in the music. I have to admit, when I see everyone burst into song (and everyone in the town seems to know all the words, tune, and etc) it makes me laugh inside, for certainly this would never happen in real life. But, hey, this is a musical. One thing this movie was not afraid of doing was allowing the sentimental and touching parts of the story to be well reflected in what we saw, the acting, and the singing. There is great seriousness in this story. Like, Les Miserables, it isn't about lovely people, but the "scum of the earth" who strive mercilessly to live in a world that sees them as worthless. And amid all the joyful rollicking, one is never allowed to forget the people and what they suffer. And yes, this ends with a happy ending, as all musicals should (or at least did in those days). This is a long movie, yes, it is, but that doesn't make it a boring movie. I am one who loves music completely, but can be bored silly during musicals that simply do nothing. I need a strong plot, good and well-defined characterization, a reason behind why the songs occur, and to have things moving forward constantly. They need not rush forward, but they must be moving forward drawing me to the climax and then resolving into the hopeful end. Oliver did this for me. It was filled with well-defined characters whose motives were extremely clear. It had believable situations where the characters had to face things, even unpleasant things, and it never shied away from showing the bad, even when Oliver was hoping for the best. Did it follow perfectly Dicken's book? NO! But then, what movie has? And after all, this is musical comedy, so it won't even consider the more horribly cruel and ugly parts of English life in those days. However, it did cover enough of the struggles so as not to fully whitewash out the sorrows of the plot.
I personally loved the musical. I never saw the stage play, but was well familiar with the music from learning much of it in school. I loved how they captured the times (though the dirty people of the lower class could still have been dirtier, grubbier, and well, really stinky; same with the orphans in the workhouse, they were all just a touch too clean). I do recommend this for all people, and all ages. For those who think the deaths in the movie are too much for children to see, believe me, they see far worse in most TV shows today, and in all their alien movies, or transformer movies, that are out there now. Excepting the death of Bill Sikes, nothing else is seen at all, only implied.
I personally loved the musical. I never saw the stage play, but was well familiar with the music from learning much of it in school. I loved how they captured the times (though the dirty people of the lower class could still have been dirtier, grubbier, and well, really stinky; same with the orphans in the workhouse, they were all just a touch too clean). I do recommend this for all people, and all ages. For those who think the deaths in the movie are too much for children to see, believe me, they see far worse in most TV shows today, and in all their alien movies, or transformer movies, that are out there now. Excepting the death of Bill Sikes, nothing else is seen at all, only implied.