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Why do another version of OLIVER TWIST, some say. Why redo HAMLET on the stage? Different versions of classic tales from varying filmmakers can be interesting and enlightening. You wouldn’t want a new film version of OLIVER TWIST every year, but it has been long enough since the last one that in the right hands it’s warmly welcomed.

For director Roman Polanski, who was an orphan himself, the film was a passionate project that he did for his children. However, this isn’t a watered down version of the harsh tale of Oliver Twist (Barney Clark, THE LAWLESS HEART), the good-hearted orphan who is led astray by the people who are supposed to be looking after him.

The film follows the story pretty faithfully as far as I remember. Oliver comes to live at an orphanage and once he asks for more porridge, he is deemed a troublemaker and sold off to an undertaker, who is forced by his wife to beat the young lad. After which, Oliver sets out on his own for London, where he is found by the young pickpocket the Artful Dodger (Harry Eden, PETR PAN), who takes Oliver to study thievery under the hunched miser Fagin (Ben Kingsley, GANDHI).

Oliver’s good manners and kindness brings him into the favor of grown thief and prostitute Nancy (Leanne Rowe, 1996’s JANE EYRE), who is the girl of brutal robber Bill Sykes (Jamie Foreman, LAYER CAKE). During a botched robbery, the wealthy Mr. Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke, ELIZABETH) finds something honest in Oliver and takes him in. But the harsh life Oliver came from has a way of sucking him back in.

Polanski doesn’t shy away from the hardships that Oliver must endure, but he doesn’t dwell on them either. With the use of wonderful visual effects, he creates a stylized version of the English countryside and London of Charles Dickens’ time. What Polanski and the screenwriter Ronald Harwood have the most fun with is the irony of the situations and the frustrating hypocrisy of the people who use Oliver and the other orphans.

Clark has the perfect face for Oliver and we come to care for the boy. Kingsley has loads of fun with Fagin, making him harsher than other versions of the tale that I have seen, but retaining his humanity. Foreman is also a great choice as Bill Sykes, bringing real menace to the role. Rowe is also very well suited for the prostitute with the heart of gold. The filmmakers also give her a nice arch, which provides the emotional and intellectual message of the film.

Kudos must be given to all the technical areas of the film from cinematography to art direction to costume design. The film looks magnificent and it’s quite a shame that its lack of success at the box office probably made it less attractive come Oscar nomination time. The film isn’t a Polanski masterpiece, but it’s a version of the often-told tale that was made with great attention to detail and heart.