Retrato do autor

Alan Bleasdale

Autor(a) de Boys from the Blackstuff

16+ Works 127 Membros 5 Críticas

Obras por Alan Bleasdale

Boys from the Blackstuff (1990) 31 exemplares
Boys from the Blackstuff [1982 TV series] — Screenwriter — 20 exemplares
Oliver Twist [1999 TV mini series] (2004) — Screenwriter — 17 exemplares
No Surrender: A Deadpan Farce (1986) 10 exemplares
Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1985) 10 exemplares
Scully (1975) 5 exemplares
GBH [1991 film] (1991) 5 exemplares
The Monocled Mutineer: Play (1986) 4 exemplares
On the ledge (1993) 4 exemplares
Scully and Mooey (1974) 3 exemplares
Jake's Progress — Writer — 2 exemplares

Associated Works

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Sexo
male

Membros

Críticas

A tad slow, but not overly so, and the decision to sacrifice mystery for an elaborated backstory and chronological narrative works better than one might expect (though it does of course remove some of the potential suspense for someone not familiar with the story from before). There are many moments of wit and charm sprinkled into the dialogue and characterisations (many of which are from the novel, but not all), and the performances of Michael Kitchen and Robert Lindsay in particular stand out (which is saying something, considering the many great actors involved here). That said, for a modern viewer it is all a bit convenient, predictable and tidy by the end, and cutting the total running time by 90 minutes would have given it a pacing that would have helped disguise the worst of that. There is also the question of whether the angelic perfection of the titular character is really all that interesting or plausible in the otherwise obscene and tragic world depicted around him, but considering the relative depth and realism of the rest of the cast, I suppose it's a matter of taste, and that to some Oliver's purity of soul might be an interesting enough juxtaposition.… (mais)
½
 
Assinalado
Lucky-Loki | 1 outra crítica | Jul 23, 2019 |
Could have been much better

There's a lot of things that this version of Oliver Twist got right. The cinematographer did a great job, and--for the most part--the casting and acting were superb. Standouts include Andy Serkis as Bill Sikes, Marc Warren as Monks, and Lindsay Duncan as Monks' mother. The biggest name in the cast, Keira Knightley, was also the least convincing, but that can certainly be excused by the fact that she was--what?--13 or 14 when this was filmed. The decision not to do as so many others have done and write the Monks storyline out of the script was a good one, and even the decision to take liberties with the novel by greatly expanding that part of the story is forgivable because of how skillfully it was done.

So why only 3 stars? Because not all of the modifications were so well done, and some of them seem inexplicable or indefensible. Finding a politically correct way to portray Fagin nowadays is a delicate task, but the decision to turn him into a Czech magician strikes me as bizarre. In the book, Fagin comes across as a complex, conflicted character, but in this video his behavior is so random that he seems to have no character whatsoever. Moving away from the lovable Jack Wild type of Artful Dodger was a good move, but turning him into a more or less generic thug doesn't seem true to Dickens' vision.

Bringing Dickens' work to the screen, of course, requires some compromises, but since Oliver Twist is a relatively short novel and there were six hours to work with here, necessary compromises were few in number. (That there seemed to be plenty of time to subject the viewer to monologue after monologue by the tiresome Fagin suggests that time wasn't really a factor.) A lot of the changes in this version seem to simply be a case of the writers thinking that they're better storytellers than Dickens. Was having the Artful Dodger suggest that Brownlow is a pedophile an attempt to modernize the story? Was Dickens' portrayal of sincere religiosity excised because it's an offense to modern sensibilities? And then there are what can only be interpreted as changes for change's sake. For example, why in the world have Fagin kill Bill's dog?

Two concluding comments: The blurb on my copy that says "A must for family viewing . . ." should not be interpreted as a claim that this video deserves to be G-rated; it doesn't. And if you're a devoted Dickens fan (like me) you may be happier skipping the commentaries by Russell Baker, who, in my opinion, gives Fagin a run for his money as the most annoying presence on these discs.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
cpg | 1 outra crítica | Oct 14, 2017 |
Keith Miles’ novel was based on the scripts of the British TV series of the same name, which was written by Alan Bleasdale. It follows the lives of five unemployed men in Liverpool and gives an insight into how losing their jobs in recession ridden England of the late 1970s and early 1980s has a devastating impact on every aspect of their lives.

The book opens by introducing the main characters as they attend the dole office to sign-on for their unemployment benefit. They are being watched by the inspectors who suspect them of working while claiming unemployment benefit and humour is introduced using the vehicle of some inept attempts by the dole offer to trap them.

Of course, the authorities do catch up with them and they lose their benefit, putting additional pressure on themselves to find money to feed their families, and even keep their families together.

While presented with a lot of black humour, the book has a very serious social message, and having lived in the UK through the period concerned I knew several people in the position described. The book, and at the time the TV programme, gave an accurate depiction of the time and the predicaments portrayed.

The “Blackstuff” of the title relates to tar macadam, and the men concerned had all worked laying tar on the roads before losing their jobs.

“Boys from the Blackstuff” gave Britain a cultural icon; “Yosser Hughes”. Yosser was one of the unemployed men in the story and he became well known for his slightly demented nature and his catch phrase, “Go on, gizza job” (Go on, give us a job), which he would use just before giving his interlocutor a vicious head butt to the nose.

This book is a worthwhile read, with a serious message, humour, and a lot of social history. It will make you laugh, cry, and ponder. It may even urge you to make this world a better place.
… (mais)
1 vote
Assinalado
pgmcc | 1 outra crítica | May 29, 2010 |
Novelisaion of Alan Bleasdale's celebrated TV series. Not as good as the programme, but brings back memories of Yosser and co.
 
Assinalado
mlfhlibrarian | 1 outra crítica | Oct 31, 2006 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
16
Also by
1
Membros
127
Popularidade
#158,248
Avaliação
½ 3.4
Críticas
5
ISBN
19
Línguas
1

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