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Bill Sikes
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William "Bill" Sikes is a fictional character in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.He is one of Dickens's most vicious characters and a very strong force in the novel when it comes to having control over somebody or harming others. He is portrayed as a rough and barbaric man. Sikes is a career criminal associated with Fagin, and an eventual murderer. He is violent and aggressive, prone to sudden bursts of extreme behaviour. He owns a bull terrier named Bull's Eye, whom he beats until the dog needs stitches.
Dickens describes his first appearance:
The man who growled out these words, was a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which enclosed a bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves—the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head, and a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck: with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer from his face as he spoke. He disclosed, when he had done so, a broad heavy countenance with a beard of three weeks' growth, and two scowling eyes; one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of having been recently damaged by a blow.
His prostitute girlfriend Nancy tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, perhaps because she, being a thief since the age of six, needs stability in her life, and because she believes that she loves him. However, when he thinks Nancy has betrayed him, Sikes viciously murders her. The murder is especially gruesome and one of the most graphic, frightening scenes Dickens ever wrote. In the end a mob hounds him through the streets of London until he hangs himself while trying to escape. It is left ambiguous as to whether or not this was intentional.
Sikes has almost no redeeming qualities, although Dickens does give him some shading: at the robbery in the countryside, Sikes, rather than leave Oliver at the scene of his botched burglary of Rose Maylie's house, picks him up and runs with him as far as he can, before hiding him in a ditch at the suggestion of an accomplice. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, he apparently is capable of feeling guilt—although this is essentially suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal, and fear of the possibility of being caught. Sikes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames.
Sikes' background and early life prior to joining Fagin are not mentioned in the book. However, it can be deduced that he could have come from a family of criminals and could have been treated harshly as a child (the most likely cause of his violent personality).
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Filmography of Bill Sikes (9 films)
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Oliver Twist (2005)
, 2h10Directed by Roman Polanski
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Adventure, Crime
Themes Films about children, L'enfance marginalisée
Actors Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Barney Clark, Harry Eden, Leanne Rowe, Edward Hardwicke
Rating67%
In the 1800s, young orphan Oliver Twist is forcibly brought to a workhouse in an unidentified town In England on his ninth birthday. He and the other resident children are treated poorly and given very little food. Facing starvation, the boys select Oliver (through a lottery) to ask for more food at the next meal, which he tentatively does. This results in Oliver being chastised, and the workhouse officials, who are wealthy, well-fed, hypocritical men, decide to get rid of him. After nearly being sold as an apprentice to a cruel chimney sweep, Oliver is sent to Mr. Sowerberry, a coffin-maker, whose wife and senior apprentice take an instant dislike to the newcomer. After more poor treatment, Oliver snaps and attacks Noah, the snotty older apprentice, for having insulted his mother. Knowing his life with the Sowerberrys will only get worse, Oliver escapes on foot early the next morning.
, 6h26Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama
Actors Robert Lindsay, Keira Knightley, Michael Kitchen, Andy Serkis, Julie Walters, Alun Armstrong
Rating70%
The first episode revolved around Oliver's parents (Agnes Fleming and Edwin Leeford) as they struggled to fight their love for each other. Edwin struggled with his estranged wife Elizabeth Leeford, mother of his son Edward Leeford (later also "Monks"), and Agnes struggled with her family's life. When it came to them both being together, Elizabeth murdered Edwin and planned on murdering Agnes. She made Monks kill her, but Agnes ran away; her sister Rose (Keira Knightley) witnessed this and was left traumatized. Agnes was pregnant with Oliver when she ran away. She ran into the main streets of London and collapsed; she was then taken into the workhouse where she gave birth, and she died shortly after.
Oliver Twist (1997)
, 1h31Directed by Tony Bill
Genres Drama
Themes Films about children, Children's films
Actors Richard Dreyfuss, Elijah Wood, David O'Hara, Maria Charles, Lisa Dwan, Ned Dennehy
Rating62%
Adaptation télévisée du roman de Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist.
Oliver & Company (1988)
, 1h13Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about children, Films about cats, Films about dogs, Musical films, Buddy films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Joseph Lawrence, Natalie Gregory, Dom DeLuise, Cheech Marin, Bette Midler, Robert Loggia
Rating66%
On the streets of Fifth Avenue, an orphaned kitten named Oliver is left abandoned after his fellow orphaned kittens are adopted by passersby. Wandering the streets by himself in search of someone to adopt him, Oliver meets a laid-back dog named Dodger who assists the kitten in stealing food from a hot dog vendor named Louie. Dodger then flees the scene without sharing his bounty with Oliver. Oliver follows Dodger all throughout the streets until he eventually arrives at the barge of his owner, a pickpocket named Fagin, along with his meal, to give to his friends: Tito the Chihuahua, Einstein the Great Dane, Rita the Saluki and Francis the Bulldog. Oliver sneaks into their home, located below the city's docks, and is discovered by the dogs. After a moment of confusion, Oliver is then received with a warm welcome. Fagin, owner of the dogs, comes in and explains that he is running out of time to repay the money he borrowed from Sykes, a ruthless shipyard agent and loan shark. Sykes tells Fagin the money must be paid in three days, or else. Sykes' Dobermans Roscoe and DeSoto attack Oliver but the cat is defended by Fagin's dogs. Immediately thereafter, a depressed Fagin returns to the barge, lamenting that he has only three days to find the money he owes Sykes. After the dogs cheer him up, Fagin is introduced to Oliver, and, considering that they all need help, accepts him into the gang.
Oliver Twist (1983)
, 1h43Directed by Clive Donner
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Crime
Themes Films about children
Actors George C. Scott, Tim Curry, Michael Hordern, Timothy West, Eileen Atkins, Cherie Lunghi
Rating66%
The film opens with a young, blonde-haired woman outdoors during a rainstorm. She is seen struggling on her knees, and she manages to stumble into a home. The occupants, learning that the pregnant woman is about to go into labour, make preparations for her birth.
Oliver! (1968)
, 2h33Directed by Carol Reed
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Musical theatre, Musical
Themes Dance films, Films about children, Films about music and musicians, Théâtre, L'enfance marginalisée, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Jack Wild, Harry Secombe
Rating73%
A workhouse in Dunstable, England is visited by the wealthy governors who fund it. While a sumptuous banquet is held for them, the barefoot orphan boys who work there are being served their daily gruel. They dream of enjoying the same "Food, Glorious Food" as their masters. While eating, some boys draw straws to see who will ask for more to eat, and the job falls to a boy named Oliver Twist. He goes up to Bumble and Widow Corney, who run the workhouse and serve the gruel, and asks for more. Enraged, Bumble takes Oliver to the governors to see what to do with him ("Oliver!"). A decision is made to have Oliver sold into service. Bumble parades Oliver through the snow, trying to sell him to the highest bidder ("Boy for Sale"). Oliver is sold to an undertaker named Mr. Sowerberry, who intends to use him as a mourner for children's funerals. After his first funeral, Noah Claypole, Sowerberry's apprentice, insults Oliver's mother. Oliver attacks Noah in fury and Sowerberry forces him into a coffin while Noah fetches Bumble. Oliver is too angry to be intimidated by Bumble, who places the blame on not keeping Oliver on a diet of gruel, instead of meat, which made him strong. Oliver is thrown into the cellar as further punishment. Alone in the dark with a roomful of empty coffins, Oliver wonders ("Where is Love?"). While clutching the window grate, Oliver pushes it open and escapes.
Oliver Twist (1948)
, 1h56Directed by David Lean, George Pollock
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Adventure, Melodrama
Themes Films about children, L'enfance marginalisée
Actors Alec Guinness, Robert Newton, John Howard Davies, Kay Walsh, Anthony Newley, Francis L. Sullivan
Rating77%
A young woman in labour makes her way to a parish workhouse and dies after giving birth to a boy, who is systematically named Oliver Twist (John Howard Davies) by the workhouse authorities. As the years go by, Oliver and the rest of the child inmates suffer from the callous indifference of the officials in charge: beadle Mr. Bumble (Francis L. Sullivan) and matron Mrs. Corney (Mary Clare). At the age of nine, the hungry children draw straws; Oliver loses and has to ask for a second helping of gruel ("Please sir, I want some more").
Oliver Twist (1922)
, 1h14Directed by Frank Lloyd
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Films about children, L'enfance marginalisée
Actors Lon Chaney, James A. Marcus, Jackie Coogan, Aggie Herring, Lionel Belmore, Lewis Sargent
Rating65%
Oliver's mother, a penniless outcast, died giving birth to him. As a young boy Oliver is brought up in a workhouse, later apprenticed to an uncaring undertaker, and eventually is taken in by a gang of thieves who befriend him for their own purposes. All the while, there are secrets from Oliver's family history waiting to come to light.
Oliver Twist (1919)
Directed by Márton Garas
Genres Drama
Themes Films about children
Actors Gyula Szöreghy, Ernő Verebes
Rating28%