Fridae

Esteemed director Roman Polanski is best known for his
famously dark and savage films, like Chinatown,
Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. But his latest film, a
rather dark adaptation of Oliver Twist, is perhaps the
one that's closest to his heart.



Oliver Twist, in case you didn't know, is an 1837
novel written by Charles Dickens about a 9-year-old
orphan who is forced to work by mean, money-grubbing
people - until the boy escapes and befriends a group
of pickpockets who clothe and feed him, and teach him
the tricks of their trade.



The novel was inspired by Charles' own experiences of
working in factory when he was boy to help his family
pay off their debts. And undoubtedly, Roman must have
found that the novel mirrored his own childhood too:
During World War 2, Roman escaped a concentration camp
and survived on the streets by befriending street
gangsters.



Roman's version of Oliver Twist is as dark and

compelling as David Lean's famous 1948 version - and
certainly a far cry from the well-loved and perversely
cheerful 1968 musical, Oliver!, which won five Oscars
including Best Picture.



Roman's film was shot in Prague, and kudos must go to
the production team for recreating a very authentic
feel of London in the 19th century. Child actor Barney
Clark shines as the titular orphan while Ben Kingsley
(Best Actor for Ghandi) is excellent as Fagin, the
ringmaster of the pickpockets. Certain plot points
have been altered by Roman to make fate even crueler
towards Oliver. And the film's cold ending feels
almost devoid of hope and happiness.