well, since Fagin in Oliver! is also the slightly warped figure he is, being created by a queer writer who likes the character but nonetheless sees him as full of conflicted interests, I will put this out there: he is indeed nurturing the boys in this way, and does keep a roof over their heads, feeds them and lives as badly as they do, while still garnering secret treasure ... and yet also perhaps can even be read as having a repressed eye for those boys as it were. not the Dodger, per se -- their partnership is clearly pragmatic; and yet in the film, once Fagin and his gang have fled the hideout lair and Fagin reprises "Reviewing the Situation" (contemplating going straight, from his criminal life, to "get myself a wife"... he can't quite fact that prospect in the end), it is Dodger who stands on a street corner and metaphorically/musically seduces him back to their old life of crime.
one more pickpocket/orphan note [cf costumes as seen in the film]: the proto-mod look of the old Victorian finery in a motley mix & match is by the way very much in evidence on the many cute adolescent boy actors in Fagin's pickpocket den. this is not to be confused with the slightly younger boys in the orphanage scenes in their grey uniforms (we don't know whether Fagin's boys are actually orphans). I haven't seen this version, but I think the revival of the show stars that famous Australian drag queen actor as Fagin (the one whose Dame Edna character has run for decades), Barry --? can't remember his name. He's supposedly quite good. A kleyne velt. - Eve ---------------------- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------+ Hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network http://shamash.org A service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and an online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/ * * FREE JEWISH LEARNING * * Shamash invites you to join MyJewishLearning.com, a comprehensive, objective, authoritative and interactive learning resource in all areas of Judaism. Free membership via http://www.myjewishlearning.com/shamash ---------------------- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------=
