It will probably come as no surprise that this silent has but a fraction of the literary greats evocative power, and to that extent I would recommend any first timer to simply read the book instead. But I imagine everyone venturing here has already read the book, and are either die hard Dickens/Twist, or silent film fans, and to that extent it plays as an interesting curiosity. It remains faithful to the source material, reducing it down to the bare bones of plot, and the term "Oliver Light" as written by one of the other reviewers here feels apt to me. This bare bones retelling is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that it never bores or overstays its welcome, and a curse in that much of the power of characterisation and mood is lost. That it is based on a good story helps it along more effortlessly than many silents, but Dickens literary talent outshines Lloyd and co's filmmaking talent - understandable, given cinema was still in its infancy, and the pre-sound limitations. So it feels a touch staged, but the set and production design are very good. For a child actor, Jackie Coogan is really excellent as Oliver, carrying the film in a way many his age couldn't, and I must say he outshines the adults, most of whom have a melodramatic style. I didn't feel a whole lot watching this, but I was engaged.
Review of Oliver Twist
