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Oliver! (1968)

Rate: 2
Viewed: 8/15

8/15: After seeing thousands of films, I still don't get musicals.

The idea of mixing dialogues and song numbers is bewildering. So is the fact that some of the musicals had won Best Picture. In 1968, although it was the last musical to do so until 2003, Oliver! won the most coveted award when 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rosemary's Baby, and Night of the Living Dead weren't nominated.

Amadeus is the only exception to the rule which struck a perfect balance between dialogue and music. Music is supposed to advance the story but not impede the flow of the film; that's not the case in Oliver! Waiting to listen for any dialogue is like pulling teeth.

As familiar as I am with Charles Dickens' works, I can imagine him turning in his grave if he ever saw Oliver! which is based on his novel Oliver Twist. His stories had always been about social injustices, and Oliver Twist was most specifically about abusive child labor practices during the Industrial Revolution. It worked as laws were passed to regulate them which were eventually abolished on a wide scale.

Watching the supposedly poor, hungry white kids from the slums to sing their lungs out for these idiotic songs is peculiar. How can they, especially Oliver (whose songs were dubbed by a 24-year-old female named Kathe Green), be cute and pretty? At least, Oliver Reed didn't embarrass himself by doing the same although it's a fact that he couldn't sing worth a lick.

By the way, don't make the same mistake that I made by playing Side A first and then flipping it over. I didn't realize I was watching the second half of the film although I was happy it was over so soon.

All in all, Oliver! can be safely dismissed as a nonsensical picture that's full of pretty faces.

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