a a child i always hat be force to sit through musical . i never understood why people would break out into song like that and and i be far too young to appreciate the artistry ( choreography and set design and costume and pace ) behind it all . carol reed oliver . be the one musical i remember oddly enjoy a a child and probably because it be one of the darker one and be appropriately drench in the spirit of dickensian squalor . this be a musical about ghetto life in victorian london and and while the scenery and set design be stark and dark and and true to that way of life and it be flat out bizarre for people to be break out into such ridiculous song amidst their misery . upon a recent viewing and my first since childhood and i have some new thought and insight into why this musical work in that bizarre break out into song kind of way and and why most just do not do it for me . when musical work or really say something and it be because they realize their own inherent strangeness . lars von trier dancer in the dark a tragic and operatic and over reaching a it be and work a a musical because the musical number be the product of the imagination of the protagonist and an immigrant obsess with hollywood musical . likewise and the very cynical and enjoyable chicago work on a similar level because the musical number be the product of a homicidal ingenue singer or dancer . musical do not work when they take their own musical nature too seriously ( like in moulin rouge ) or be simply too much fluff about nothing ( i. e. something pointless like mary poppins ) . upon view oliver . for the first time a an adult and i saw it in a new light . tell mostly from the point of view young oliver and i saw the musical number a the product of his childhood imagination and his way of cop with the horror of ghetto life around him . the best musical number be probably when nancy get everyone in the tavern signing and dance about the joy of get drunk ( a a cover to help poor oliver escape the clutch of the evil bill sykes ) . it be undeniably catchy and sound like a real pub tune that drunk might start sing around a piano . there be other great and classic tune to be hear here and and the direction and act from the lead to the dancing extra be all top notch . still and for all it bleakness ( although it do have a happy end for oliver at least and though certainly thing do not end happily for nancy and and unless you think a life on the street be a pick pocket be fun and it wasn not a necessarily a good end for fagin or the dodger and despite their peppy closing tune ) i wouldn not really classify this a a family film and though i do not think show it to kid over the age of seven or eight will do any harm . this be a harsh tale about an unfortunate orphan try to survive on the street and find some happiness . i think it would be very interesting to see a modern update on this some how and perhaps a revisionist take on it and where people on the street of compton break into happy song about their horrible life . i would like to see a hard edged hip hop version of oliver . i always think dickens would translate well in those regard . a it stand and oliver . be probably the last of the great film musical and maybe the strange g rat film i have ever see .