The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Dickens. The original story was created in 1838 and has been put on the screen 8 times. This adaptation in 1968 is not necessarily the most exciting, but it is undoubtedly the highest in history. The original novel, with sharp brushstrokes, exposes and criticizes the ugly phenomena of British society at that time. And this film, through the form of musical expression, dilutes the conflict and highlights the fairy tale-like childishness. If you don’t gossip, everyone will listen to me patiently. This is the sixth musical that won an Oscar for Best Picture since 1951. The picture processing is beautiful, and the scheduling of a group of children is also close to perfect. Of course, the more important kernel, I will expand below.
The story begins in a workhouse, which is a unique product of British society in the mid-nineteenth century. Its role is to provide food for work, so that the vast number of poor, lower and middle peasants can have food. At that time, Britain had just defeated Napoleon's French empire and formally aspired to the throne of the world's first power. However, the struggle between the working people and capitalism has also intensified. This phenomenon was demonstrated vividly by a group of small actors in the form of a collective dance. Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Oliver, the outcast of the poor and middle peasants, was recommended by everyone, ready to resist. But there is a saying that the first person to shoot the head is the most miserable person to be suppressed.
A group of fat capitalist officials decided to sell Oliver. Because such people who are dissatisfied with oppression and the status quo can easily lead to the collapse of the entire group. Ever since, this poor child was led around like a dog in a snowy cold wind. Until a coffin shop, a shopkeeper named Subrei bought Oliver. So Oliver got a new status, a funeral commissioner. His innate elegance and politeness allowed him to deal with this position calmly without any training. But he seemed to have an extraordinary spirit of resistance, which caused him to have a fierce conflict with another apprentice. After the catastrophe, Oliver was put into the basement by everyone. In the basement with various coffins, Oliver missed his mother. Although he had never seen her before, this couldn't stop the children from innocently imagining, not knowing whether it was God's eye opening or the appearance of Oliver's mother. Oliver found that the window in the basement could be opened, and Oliver, who had escaped and ascended into the sky, felt that the sky was high and the ocean was wide enough for me to fly, and the ends of the world were for me to break through. Because there was a law in the UK at that time, if a slave fled to the city for a year without being caught, then he would be free, so he set out for London without hesitation.
All the way, he went to bed and sleep, and finally took the vegetable carriage, Oliver came to London. This rebellious teenager didn't know what kind of adventure he would encounter here. Oliver, who was on the ramp for the first time, soon met Dawkins, the "little slicker". Dawkins spotted the hillbilly from the crowd at a glance. He was so small and big he immediately began to figure out how to use the cute little Oliver to steal things. After promising free accommodation, he took Oliver back to their dark lair, where an old gentleman named Fajin was waiting for them. The film here does not describe him as a heinous instigator like in the original work, and it also downplays his Jewish identity. Obviously, the director does not want this movie to fall into endless national chauvinism. This old gentleman, the leader of a local thieves gang, instigated a group of orphans to help him steal. Other members of the thieves group include: the beautiful and kind-hearted Nancy and Mr. Hicks, Hicks is a typical American movie villain, a natural evil temperament, greed and desire dominate him to destroy. The beautiful Nancy is the thief's lover, the lover he bought for 3 pounds.
Hicks and Xiao Shuatou, and another group of children are responsible for theft, and the old gentleman Fajin is responsible for the sale of stolen goods and the training of newcomers. This model has been maintained quite well. The oldest of the people, the Fajin, while maintaining the thieves group, did not forget to leave a way for himself. He selected suitable items from the crowd's stolen goods and hid them in his own small vault. One night, it happened to be discovered by Oliver. Although Oliver didn't realize what kind of wealth it was, Fagin was still very nervous. This kind of alertness and sly rabbit Sanku character laid a good foreshadowing for his escape at the end of the film. The next day, Miss Nancy came to the door and asked Faqin for the money that Hicks had shared yesterday. Miss Nancy’s visit made many orphans very excited. Xiao Huatou took the opportunity to pick up her sister and sang a ballad that she was willing to do anything for her beloved woman, which made Miss Nancy's fun. She also happened to observe, the newcomer Oliver. And I was immediately fascinated by this polite little gentleman. Maybe Miss Nancy had some kind of unspeakable justice, or it could be a maternal attack. The video here does not provide a good answer to this point.
After a short training, rookie Oliver began to practice on the streets, cooperating with Xiaotou to conduct some theft business. Although Xiaoliu succeeded, Oliver, who was a little nervous, was regarded as a prisoner. He had no choice but to start to escape, but he was caught because of his weakness. The news of Oliver's arrest quickly spread back to the thief's den, Faqin and Hicks were very scared, and Oliver would confess them. So I decided to let Nancy go to the court to find out the news. In court, the presiding judge is a ridiculous drunkard. He analyzed the case while drinking, and finally sentenced Oliver to the crime without any basis. The director here satirized the American court's ability to distinguish between good and evil. At this moment, an upright person stood up. He said that he had witnessed everything and proved that Oliver did not participate in the theft. So Oliver miraculously was acquitted in court. Mr. Brownlow, whose wallet was stolen, felt extremely apologetic because he had wronged Oliver, so he decided to take Oliver home and entertain him for a few days. Having been waiting outside the court, Fagin and Hicks breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Nancy's return. But they were still afraid of Oliver and would betray them, so let Xiao Qiantou continue to follow them.
Mr. Brownlow is a decent gentleman, and little Oliver was treated courteously at Mr. Brownlow's house. Through Oliver's vision, the director expressed that there are flowers, milk, clean streets, and a well-educated middle class. Unfortunately, Oliver was still spotted by the thieves. Nancy hoped that Hicks would let this poor child go and let him live a good life. But Hicks, who was afraid of being exposed, could not tolerate any doubt. After some argument, Nancy, who loved Hicks deeply, decided to help him abduct Oliver. This blind obedience of love eventually led to Nancy's tragic fate. Everyone took advantage of Oliver to help Brownro out to run errands, and used a trick to catch him back. Oliver, who returned to the thief cave, clashed with Hicks. Just as Hicks was about to take action, the contradictory Nancy rescued Oliver. The scheming Fajin was also threatened by Hicks, which gave Fajin the idea of going ashore and running away in vain. But Fajin felt that there was no way around him, and felt that such a tainted person might have been unable to integrate into the life of a normal person, so he had to temporarily press down on the idea of running away.
Mr. Brownlow suddenly discovered that Oliver was the child of his niece. This made him extremely anxious about Oliver's loss. The movie does not explain here who Oliver's father is and why his mother would run away during pregnancy instead of entrusting him to wealthy relatives. The director may want to awaken the irresponsible young parents through what happened to the little boy. At the same time, Hicks began to force Oliver to be his assistant in the theft, so that he could take him with him and further monitor the rebellious little boy. Nancy, who didn't want to see Oliver fall into the abyss, decided to go to Mr. Brownlow's house to tell the truth. Brownlow, who got news from his grandnephew, and Nancy decided to meet on the London Bridge at 12 o'clock in the evening, and Nancy would return Oliver to him. But that night, Hicks started with Oliver. Their first theft of the pair. It's a pity that Oliver is not born to do this. The whole operation ended in failure, and Hicks almost missed and was captured. Hicks, who fled back, did not relax his control on Oliver. In desperation, Nancy figured out a way to steal the ball and took Oliver away. But Hicks was soon spotted and followed. Nancy was killed by the dehumanized Hicks while trying to organize Hicks to take Oliver again. This caused Hicks to lose the person who cherished him most, and his dog also left him behind. For such a child, why do so many betrayal. But what is certain is that the director hopes to use the role of Nancy to wake up some rebellious girls who are obsessed with villains. At the same time, it also expresses that women should be independent instead of simply becoming a man's vassal, because in this way can they avoid being sacrificed by men for certain benefits.
Hicks, who did not repent, took Oliver and fled back to the thief den. After discovering Nancy's body, Brownlow led the group of people, led by Hicks' loyal dog Bulleye, and followed and trapped Hicks. Hicks still didn't repent at this time, and started a trapped animal fight. Mr. Brownlow's team also alarmed Fagin and his group of children. The whole thief cave, like a tree falling down and scattered, fled in all directions. In the process of escaping, Fajin accidentally dropped his pension money into the swamp. The agency was really too smart, but in the end it was nothing. This farce finally ended with Hicks being killed. Oliver was taken home by Brownlow and became a real noble master. After seeing what happened to Hicks, Xiao Huatou and Fajin suddenly came to their senses and decided to wash their hands and be good people. The dust returns to the dust, the soil returns to the soil, and the film ends here.
The film has a purposeful adaptation of the original, insisting on a Hollywood-style happy ending, so that the bad guys get the punishment they deserve, and the good guys get the rewards. It makes people feel that as long as you put down the butcher knife, you can still return to a normal life. This kind of adaptation actually violates some things that the original author Dickens originally wanted to criticize. American screenwriters, through their skilled film industry technology, infused American values into it. Let people who want to escape, the oppression of reality, get a way to vent. However, it is worth affirming that the final ending of the film is actually in line with the concept of the great American society at that time. In 1964, President Johnson pioneered this concept. Its purpose was to declare war on poverty to resolve the growing gap between rich and poor. At the same time, the education of the poor and black students has been increased so that they can keep up with the pace of modern America. With such a beautiful social vision and publicity, this cute movie can serve as a good lever to promote American public opinion. Through the description of poor children, the rich can be made more generous. Through the description of the thieves of street children, the Congress will pay more attention to these issues, rather than just busy with party disputes. Also, by establishing some friendly images of white people, to alleviate the destruction of the increasingly fierce feminist movement and black movement. The ultimate goal of Americans is to build a harmonious society. In terms of the goal of the world, the Chinese and Americans are actually the same, so why not join forces to find opportunities?
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