Polanski’s Oliver Twist comes to DVD in January

By M&C News Nov 16, 2005, 20:24 GMT

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the DVD release of Oliver Twist, Roman Polanski’s powerful film of Charles Dickens’ classic novel and released cover art for the upcoming DVD. Oliver Twist will debut on DVD on January 24 with a suggested retail price of $28.95.
 
To visualize the Victorian-era novel for 21st century movie audiences, Academy-Award winner Polanski assembled an impressive roster behind the camera to assist him in bringing his vision of Oliver Twist to life, including such Oscar-winners as screenwriter Ronald Harwood (Best Adapted Screenplay, The Pianist), composer Rachel Portman (Best Music Score, Emma), and Academy-Award nominees costume designer Anna B. Sheppard (The Pianist, Schindler’s List) and editor Herve de Luze (The Pianist). The casting of the film was equally important and the perfect Fagin was fellow Academy-Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Best Actor, Gandhi).
 
Polanski directs the classic Charles Dickens’ story of a young orphan boy who gets involved with a gang of pickpockets in 19th Century London. Abandoned at an early age, Oliver Twist (Barney Clark) is forced to live in a workhouse lorded over by the awful Mr. Bumble, who cheats boys of their meager rations.

Desperate yet determined, Oliver makes his escape to the streets of London. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the sinister Fagin (Kingsley) – the mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets. Oliver’s rescue by the kindly Mr. Brownlow is only the beginning of a series of adventures that lead him to the promise of a better life.
 
Bonus features on the Oliver Twist DVD include the behind the scenes featurettes “Twist by Polanski,” “Kidding With Oliver Twist” and “The Best of Twist.”
 
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:
· “Twist by Polanski” – A documentary from Roman Polanski’s point of view.
· “Kidding With Oliver Twist” – Meet the young stars and share their experience of filming Oliver Twist
· “The Best of Twist” – Sets, costumes, photography, editing and music

'Oliver Twist’ is available to pre-order via Amazon, as of yet there has been no UK release date given.
 
You can read more about the DVD in our database.