Oliver Twist [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Rachel Portman

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Oliver Twist [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Review

by James Christopher Monger

Academy award-winning composer Rachel Portman (Emma, Chocolat, Cider House Rules) paints Roman Polanski's vision of Charles Dickens' beloved tale of Oliver Twist with such wide pastoral strokes of melody that she may as well be scoring the entire English countryside. Like Thomas Newman without all of those pesky atonal sevenths, Portman gives 19th century London an instantly engaging sense of place. Utilizing a main cue that sounds like a combination of Ennio Morricone's "Ecstasy of Gold" and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" filtered through "Eleanor Rigby" -- it's not as cool as it sounds, but it is awfully beautiful -- Portman's character motifs, especially "The Artful Dodger," who is all harp and woodwinds, fit like a glove. Much has been said of the irony of Polanski making a "family film," and that his take on Twist is surprisingly tame and traditional, but both he and Portman are so on the same page emotionally that it's impossible to walk away uninspired.

Track Listing

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Oliver Twist, film score
1	Streets of London Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:00	Amazon
2	The Road to the Workhouse Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	03:03	Amazon
3	A Kind Old Woman Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:04	Amazon
4	Oliver Runs Away Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:31	Amazon
5	The Artful Dodger Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	01:49	Amazon
6	Fagin's Loot Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:54	Amazon
7	The Game Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:14	Amazon
8	Oliver Learns the Hard Way Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	05:38	Amazon
9	Watching Mr. Brownlow's House Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:17	Amazon
10	The Escape From Fagin Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	01:13	Amazon
11	Prelude to a Robbery Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	01:48	Amazon
12	The Robbery Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	05:09	Amazon
13	Toby and the Wounded Oliver Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	01:20	Amazon
14	Nancy's Secret Journey Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:29	Amazon
15	The Murder Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:27	Amazon
16	Wanted: Bill Sykes & a Fierce Dog Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	02:50	Amazon
17	The Death of Bill Sykes Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	06:12	Amazon
18	Newgate Prison Rachel Portman	Rachel Portman	05:20	Amazon

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Oliver Twist [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Review

Track Listing

Rachel Portman Discography Browser