Dark 'Twist' on literary classic

On his 2005 rendition of the much-adapted tale of Oliver Twist, Roman Polanski, known best for directing the noir classic "Chinatown" and the critically acclaimed "The Pianist," does not force his audience to work hard to decipher the intricacies of his characters. From the outset of the film, each character, with the notable exception of Fagin (Ben Kingsley), lacks complexity with conflicting emotional bonds toward other characters. Instead each are painted with a simple stroke: good for Oliver or bad for Oliver. \nThe guards at the orphanage push Oliver around and tease him for crying: bad for Oliver. The old woman on the road feeds Oliver and gives him shelter for the night: good for Oliver. While these easily recognized symbols seem to be tailored toward a younger audience, the film's dark undertones and violently disposed characters suggest that the PG-13 rating may be misleading. \nThe following events, occurring nearly in succession, seem not to have been designed around the goal of attracting an audience of Oliver-aged children: A man wants to buy Oliver and implies he might burn him alive, two guards snort snuff; Oliver is forced to eat scraps left out for the dogs; Oliver sleeps in a room full of coffins; his boss claims he will see Oliver hung; Oliver is beaten with a cane; Oliver drinks rain water out of a puddle in the street; a gun is shoved in Oliver's face more than once. And then, Oliver is shot in the arm with said gun.\nThese dark spots in the film are not brought up here as a criticism; indeed, they do help Polanski achieve his singular goal of creating a world that seems impossible for little Oliver to rise up to comfort within. However, these moments are disturbing. The character of Bill Sykes, played with an absolutely vibrant aggression against the world by Jamie Foreman ("Sleepy Hollow"), beats a woman to death with a cane. Later, her friend finds a sinuous river of blood congealing on the ground. These images are not child-friendly, and rather than creating a family-friendly adaptation of this classic tale, Polanski decides to create a much more chilling and mature story.\nThe character of Oliver Twist, brought to life with a nice balance of youthful innocence and childhood naivety by Barney Clark, is shown to us through the eyes of the other characters. As stated previously, we judge the characters in this film through their treatment of young Oliver, and Polanski feels no need to have Oliver prove his own value through dramatic action or dialogue until the end of the film. Oliver visits the old and progressively senile Fagin in prison, and instead of chastising the man for his evils, Oliver prays for God to forgive "this wretched man." \nWe see in Oliver's words and actions what an organically caring soul he possesses. All he does before this moment is cry; now, he prays for Fagin's redemption. \nWhile Polanski does not reinvent the tale of Oliver Twist, he injects into the story a vision of humanity that is easily defined but difficult to accept. The world, Polanski says, is full of those who would take advantage of the unsuspecting. Through it all, though, Oliver finds his comfort. Not through his own actions, but through his moral superiority to the slums of England Polanski presents.