movie review dorian gray

Dorian Gray (United Kingdom, 2009)

Oliver Parker has made a career out of adapting Oscar Wilde, with versions of An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest already on video store shelves. For his latest, Parker has turned his attention to what may be Wilde's most famous novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray . His interpretation, for which he uses a screenplay by Toby Finlay, is simply called Dorian Gray , and it brings a modern sense of the lurid to a classic story. While Wilde's wit remains firmly entrenched, there's also a gruesome vein of gothic horror, and elements of the original which existed in the subtext or were merely hinted at are brought graphically into the open.

Dorian Gray casts Ben Barnes as the pretty boy Dorian and Colin Firth as his mentor in matters of self-gratification. Barnes, who achieved international recognition as the title character in Prince Caspian is fine as Dorian, although there are instances in which his range is strained. Firth, on the other hand, is nothing short of brilliant as Lord Henry Wotton. He chews on some of Wilde's best lines ("Conscience is just a polite term for cowardice", "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it") with the kind of relish that only a seasoned thespian can do.

The movie begins with Dorian - a handsome, kind, innocent young man - arriving in London on a day in the late 19th century to take over his grandfather's estate, which he inherited when the old man died. Dorian is quickly befriended by Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin), who desires to paint his picture, and Lord Henry, who teaches life-lessons in pleasure. Dorian's growing vanity leads him to proclaim that he would trade his soul for the opportunity to remain young and virile - a deal that the Devil is all too happy to make. Soon, the portrait of Dorian painted by Basil becomes the repository for all of the moral and physical ills afflicting the man. Dorian attempts to remain "good" and proposes marriage to his actress girlfriend, Sibyl Vane (Rachel Hurd-Wood) but, after her death, there is no reining in his excesses.

As Dorian Gray adaptations go, this is not the most faithful, but it is among the most entertaining. With plenty of scares, gore, sex, and nudity, this comes as close to the exploitation genre as it does to a classical literature adaptation. Is there such at thing as a literate exploitation movie? Firth's performance elevates the film and Parker shows that not only does he have a deft hand when it comes to handling Wilde's dialogue, but he is adept at developing a creepy atmosphere. The re-creations of late 19th and early 20th century London are impeccable. Dorian Gray is not as blissfully enjoyable as Parker's An Ideal Husband , but it's at least as good as (and perhaps a little better than) his The Importance of Being Earnest and represents another feather in his Wilde cap.

Note: Despite having an impressive cast and crew, Dorian Gray was not picked up for theatrical distribution in the United States. The reasons are more economic than indicative of quality - U.S. distributors are increasingly wary of purchasing rights to any foreign film (even those without subtitles) that does not have a clear multiplex or art-house appeal. Dorian Gray , with its pastiche of horror and literary elements, fits into neither category and is therefore viewed as a "gamble" - something a risk-averse industry in unwilling to take. As a result, Dorian Gray is headed direct-to-video in the United States.

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Dorian Gray Review

09 Sep 2009

112 minutes

Dorian Gray

In spite of its position as a pivotal work of 19th century literature, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray has only once before enjoyed a major adaptation for the screen: in 1945, director Albert Lewin unveiled a dark, brooding cinematic canvas upon which he’d daubed Wilde’s harrowing vision in stark black and white. The results were impressive, but other filmmakers have, until now, declined to dip their nibs fully into this particular pot of Wilde’s ink. Admittedly, the book is as difficult to adapt as it was to write. Oscar Wilde’s greatest challenge was “keeping the extremely obvious moral subordinate to the artistic and dramatic effect”, and this is director Oliver Parker’s great achievement — cocooning his protagonist’s spiritual decline in a painterly gauze, which distracts the audience from the (entirely expected) news that excess brings its own punishment.

In truth, many have dismissed Gray, an impulsive, absurdly romantic young man, as a near-impossible person to animate on screen. His original tale was, essentially, an essay on decorative art, reacting against the crudities of plain old realism. Taken out of this context, the narrative can appear rather slight. After all, the story is just a simple if highly stylised interpretation of Faust’s risky wheeler-dealing with the devil.

To boost some modern resonance, Parker and screenwriter Toby Finlay inform us during the credits that this rendition is merely based on Wilde’s novel. The ‘Picture’ has disappeared from the title, and the filmmakers shift the focus onto Gray and away from his grisly painting. In turning to Ben Barnes, they remain true to Gray’s much-lauded good looks, and unveil a near-perfect paradigm of wide-eyed naivety when he arrives in London, to be harangued by guttersnipes, ogled by ladies and then entranced by Lord Wotton (Colin Firth), the man who shatters his innocence. When the tide turns, however, and Gray starts flailing in the soul-breaking waves of his newfound hedonism, the dramatic swell subsides.

In Lewin’s film, Hurd Hatfield is allowed to revel in his performance, with Gray’s acts of decadence largely unseen. Here, however, with the man taking centre stage, so do his vices. Wilde’s aim was to keep this vague — “Man sees his own sins in Dorian; what Dorian’s sins are, no-one knows” — and yet here we see all his sins unfold. In truth, this should not detract from the true horror in the story, which Wilde spins around Gray’s sense of conscience, but this inner anguish remains absent. His piano-playing may look better than Hatfield’s (which was awful), but Barnes’ overall performance is one-note.

The filmmakers also shift the structure, as well as the focus, and create characters like Emily Wotton (Rebecca Hall), who inhabits the final act and bids to bring Gray’s conscience to bear. In fact, Hall is quite delightful, as is Rachel Hurd-Wood, playing the actress Sybil with whom Gray falls briefly in love, and Firth, as Lord Henry Wotton, is blessed with the very best of Wilde’s wit — “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”! Their performances, however, cannot raise a classic out of this classic.

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Dorian gray — film review.

Much wilder if not more Wildean, this new version of "Dorian Gray" by British director Oliver Parker professes to re-interpret the novel on which it's based, and it surely accomplishes that.

By Peter Brunette , The Associated Press September 12, 2009 2:32pm

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More Toronto festival reviews

One of the most cinematically popular of all the works of professional fop and serious literary artist, Oscar Wilde, “Dorian Gray” is upon us once again. Much wilder if not more Wildean, this new version by British director Oliver Parker professes to re-interpret the novel on which it’s based, and it surely accomplishes that.

Whether or not the re-interpretation is always successful is another question entirely, but superb production values and imaginative, vigorous camerawork, music, and editing should carry the film a long way. It’s not exactly clear who the audience is for this occasionally subtle literary adaptation that also aspires, almost against its will, to be a horror movie, but it deserves to find an audience somewhere. Ancillary sales should be much less ambiguous.

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The timeless morality tale concerns a beautiful young man from the provinces newly arrived in London. Taken under the corrupt wing of Lord Henry Wotton (Firth), who sprinkles decadent Wildean bons mots on Dorian (Ben Barnes) like pixie dust, the pupil begins quickly to surpass his master in the amoral pursuit of pleasure before all else. 

The story’s high concept is that when Dorian’s portrait is painted on his arrival, a pact is made with the devil that ensures that the model will always remain fresh and young, no matter how dissolute his life becomes, while the telltale portrait, hidden away in the attic, ages and becomes horrifically deformed.

The excellent musical score recalls Hitchcockian motifs, most notably that of “Vertigo,” and adds nicely to the overall mysterious flavor of the proceedings. Parker’s approach is always to accentuate the visceral, whether it’s the gobs of impasto paint applied by the portrait artist, or Dorian’s frequent voluptuous forays into the world of raw sensuality. 

Naturally, this kind of approach slows things down a bit, and some viewers who don’t fancy themselves as aesthetes (in other words, who don’t like the very essence of Wilde’s work) may find their patience being tried. Dedicated if not decadent aesthetes will, on the other hand, revel in the sensuousness of virtually everything connected with this film.

The portrait itself is the most problematic element of the film. In the 1945 version starring Hurd Hatfield, we only saw the painting at the very end, presumably to be stunned by its suddenly unveiled depiction of an old and ugly man. In Parker’s version newer CGI techniques are perhaps overused, as we see the portrait again and again, each time animated with more and more squirming maggots, wounds appearing before our eyes, and in a final paroxysm of software, Dorian’s entire writhing body rendered as a kind of a hologram that pops out of its frame. It is at these points that the film veers most dangerously toward becoming a horror movie, pure and simple.

Lots of things that were not in Wilde’s original treatment find their way into the film, such as Dorian’s flashbacks to a brutalized childhood, various murders, strong hints of sado-masochism, homosexual encounters, and, perhaps the most entertaining, a moment of intercourse with a debutante daughter, followed by intercourse with her mother, while the girl cowers under the bed. But a good argument can be made that these extrapolations in no way distort Wilde’s original, but in fact merely update it to a level that modern, jaded audiences will be able to find, in fact, decadent and upsetting.

Production Companies: Ealing Studios, Fragile Films Cast:  Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Rachel Hurd-Wood Director: Oliver Parker Screenwriter: Toby Finlay Producer: Barnaby Thompson Executive producer:  Paul Brett, Simon Fawcett, James Hollond, Xavier Marchand. Director of photography: Roger Pratt. Production designer: John Beard. Music: Charlie Mole. Costume designer: Angela Egan. Editor: Guy Bensley.

No rating, 112 minutes.

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Dorian Gray

Review by brian eggert august 26, 2010.

The most disturbing aspect of Oscar Wilde’s singular work of nineteenth-century horror literature, The Picture of Dorian Gray , is that its best rendition into cinema is, by default, Oliver Parker’s 2009 adaptation. Aside from an electronic score that emerges here and there, Dorian Gray is a gothic Victorian tale, a full costume period piece that thankfully wasn’t reconfigured into a contemporary setting. For this, we must be thankful. But despite its dedication to the era, Parker’s film over-emphasizes the story, from the title character’s behavior behind bedroom doors to the gory effects used to create his decaying portrait.

In 1945, director Albert Lewin created a dark vision that starred Hurd Hatfield and boasted Oscar-nominated makeup, though the outcome plays rather flatly today. Malcolm McDowell appeared in Dorian , a regrettable modernization from 2001. And Stuart Townsend made the role villainous in 2003’s absurd literary mashup The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen . With the exception of Lewin’s film for the quality of its production, these are all forgettable adaptations. And Parker’s film might be forgettable too if it weren’t for one or two strong performances and some sleek-looking photography by Terry Gilliam’s frequent cinematographer Roger Pratt ( Brazil , 12 Monkeys ).

Orphaned as a child and adopted by a wealthy man who beat him, Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) arrives among London’s elite to receive his vast inheritance. The first order of business is a portrait by enamored artist Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin), who completes a prized work believed to have perfectly captured the much-discussed beauty of the young Dorian. Quickly the naïve innocent is corrupted by Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), whose motto “There’s no shame in pleasure” becomes Dorian’s too, after Wotton convinces him that youth is everything. While admiring his portrait, Dorian whispers to himself that he would give his soul for eternal youth, and the devilish deal is made with no one the wiser, not even Dorian. Only after cutting his hand and seeing later that his painting, not his flesh, was affected, does Dorian realize he can never be harmed and will never age.

Versed in Wilde’s work, Parker has given us likable versions of An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest (though Anthony Asquith’s version could never be outdone). But another filmmaker might have chosen a better solution than to make Dorian’s long life no more than a series of sexual encounters. In his search for pleasure and new experiences, Dorian passes from conquest to conquest in graphic R-rated detail, engaging countless women (and the occasional man, which seems an underexplored theme in the film, given the homoerotic symbolism of Wilde’s book). However, Wilde only alluded to Dorian’s activities, writing “What Dorian Gray’s sins are no one knows.” Parker removes that mystery by answering the question with lots of sex and drugs, which in turn removes Barnes from the responsibility of having to portray inner demons, resulting in his one-dimensional performance.

Meanwhile, Dorian’s eternal soul grows more debauched and rotten as the film progresses, as shown with a maggoty painting enhanced (a term used sardonically) by computer effects and groaning sounds. As Wilde’s novella was in many ways a condemnation of the conceit of decorative portraiture displayed in one’s own home, Parker’s distracting use of CGI to transform the portrait into a reactive, pulsating organism feels out of place. The film could have earned some subtlety points had the filmmakers simply used paintings that appear more and more grotesque, and then saved their fancy special effects for the moment when Dorian finally becomes as ugly as his picture.

There are performances to savor, such as the wonderfully devilish Colin Firth playing Dorian’s depraved mentor. As time goes on and the character grows older, Firth’s Wotton begins to regret his behavior and the actor shows more depth in his performance than Barnes does in the whole film. In a role written for the movie, Rebecca Hall ( Vicky Cristina Barcelona ) appears in the third act as Wotton’s daughter, Emily, and with her open-minded allure brings about Dorian’s questions of conscience. Hall has yet to break out and become a star, but she’s charming and talented enough that with any luck it won’t be long. Chaplin is also very good as the enamored painter.

Taking liberties with Wilde’s source, Parker’s adaptation accentuates far too much, insisting on special effects and even some contrived suspense in place of the author’s dark drama. But horror movies today rarely offer a supernatural scenario without tossing in some blood splattering, plenty of breasts, and lousy CGI. Dorian Gray is certainly no exception. Though, audiences seeking Wilde’s grim tale in movie form have few other choices, as another adaptation isn’t bound to emerge for some time now. This might be one of the rare occasions where moviegoers have to break down and—gulp—read the book.

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Review: Sarah Snook Is a Darkly Funny Dorian Gray

In a stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Snook plays all the characters — with the help of screens.

By Houman Barekat

The critic Houman Barekat saw the show in London.

A large, rectangular screen hangs from the top of the stage at the Theater Royal Haymarket in London. It is, rather appropriately, in portrait mode.

Beneath it, the Australian actress Sarah Snook (“ Succession ,” “ Run Rabbit Run ”), sporting a Johnny Bravo-style blonde quiff, is encircled by a small team of black-clad camera operators who broadcast her every move onto the screen in real time as she simultaneously narrates and performs the title role of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

Later, several more screens descend, playing prerecorded footage of Snook in no fewer than twenty-five other roles. Over the course of the next two hours, the onstage Snook interacts seamlessly with these digitalized selves. There are no other actors involved.

Wilde’s 1890 novel, in which a handsome rake makes a Faustian bargain with the cosmos by trading his soul for eternal youth (and comes to regret it), lends itself to stage adaptation: It is dialogue-heavy, punctuated by witty, morally intelligent exposition; its allegory of human hubris is timeless.

This adaptation, by the Sydney Theater Company, directed by Kip Williams and running through May 11, is a formally ambitious but playful multimedia production. The single-actor format and clever use of camerawork give visual expression to the novel’s themes of overweening egotism and existential dread.

In the show’s most memorable scene, Snook holds up a smartphone in selfie mode, which is synced to the big screen above her. While continuing to narrate the story, she plays around with a filter, altering her facial features to generate a much younger visage — a cartoonish parody of youthful sexiness. She then capriciously turns the filter off and on several times, heightening the contrast with weird scrunched-up faces when the filter is off. This segment, with its implicit allusion to the everyday narcissism of Instagram culture, brings Wilde’s tale into our century.

Snook plays the male characters with a winkingly ironic haughtiness, drawing appreciative titters from the audience. Her Dorian is a caricature of self-regard, inviting judgment but also eliciting mirth; when his pride gives way to anxious ennui, he’s like a rat trapped in a maze. (The voices are naturally tricky, but the fake sideburns go a long way.)

The aesthetic palate here is a blend of period and contemporary — somehow neither and both. While certain props evoke a fin-de-siècle opulence — a chaise longue covered in flowers, a set of luscious blue curtains — we are occasionally yanked back to a generic modernity: An opium den is rendered as a nightclub; the distinctive strains of Donna Summer’s 1977 hit, “I Feel Love,” soundtrack one scene.

There is also something vaguely tongue-in-cheek about much of the period garb, by Marg Horwell. Dorian’s libertine friend, Lord Henry Wotton, who eggs him on in his hedonistic endeavors, wears a purple jacket with a blue bow tie. At one point, he and the Duchess of Monmouth receive Botox injections while languidly sipping on Martinis and dragging on cigarettes.

The show’s true stars are the production team — and, in particular, the video designer, David Bergman — who achieved the feat of making this one-woman show feel positively busy. Crucially, the multimedia format doesn’t feel like a gimmick because it helps tease out the play’s themes: Vanity and its accompanying psychic turmoil are both evoked through relentless use of extreme close-ups, and the multiple screens create a sense of visual cacophony that correlates to psychological disturbance.

Gradually, Dorian’s terrible behavior — most egregiously, his treatment of poor Sibyl Vane, who takes her own life after he cruelly breaks off an engagement with her — catches up with him, culminating in a powerful denouement, in which five screens show Dorian from multiple angles while he writhes in anguish.

Multimedia productions can sometimes carry a whiff of self-importance, but this show is disarmingly playful. There are two faux glitches, in which the onstage Snook and her prerecorded self get in each other’s way, narrating the same lines simultaneously. (The latter graciously gives way, which is how we can be sure it’s scripted.)

Dorian’s knifing of Basil Hallward, the hapless artist responsible for the titular painting, is rendered in darkly comic fashion, with Snook pausing between stabs to check herself in a hand mirror. Shortly afterward, she signals to the audience to temper their laughter: “I’m trying to get away with murder!”

This “Picture of Dorian Gray” is, on its own terms, a triumph. And yet, a bit of doubt remains. The technical wizardry enhances the story — but does it also overshadow it? The eye is always drawn upward, to the screen, such that the physical presence of the actor feels almost incidental. One suspects that many audience members at such a production are never fully in the story.

Instead of pondering the moral vicissitudes of life, we’re thinking about the screens, and the novelty of being in a hallowed auditorium dating back to 1821, looking at digital faces instead of flesh-and-blood people. It works, with Wilde’s material — but I hope it doesn’t catch on.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Through May 11 at the Theater Royal Haymarket in London; trh.co.uk

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

The Picture of Dorian Gray review – Sarah Snook plays 26 characters in dazzling, dangerous solo show

Theatre Royal Haymarket, London Aided by elaborate tech, multiple screens and an angelic wig, the Succession star gives a performance that is mischievous, swaggering and operatic

D oes Sarah Snook’s one-woman take on Oscar Wilde’s Faustian tale confirm the inexorable rise of celebrity-led theatre? It follows fast in the glittery footsteps of Andrew Scott’s one-man Vanya , and Eddie Izzard’s Great Expectations . Is this the West End’s direction of travel? Possibly. But if the result is this tinglingly virtuoso and startlingly dangerous then I welcome canonical solo vehicles with the mischievous, swaggering and operatic Snook at their helm.

At first, it seems staged in the same vein as Vanya, reliant on Snook to create the effects. She grabs a paintbrush to play the earnest artist, Basil, who creates the portrait enabling Dorian Gray to stay fatally young, and then dons a pink smoking jacket for the devilish Sir Henry, whose invisible smoke-rings she draws with a twirling finger. Dorian is conjured in a few gestural tics (a boyish smirk, a giggle) and an angelic wig so he appears rather like Peter Shaffer’s Mozart in Amadeus. But where Vanya remained lo-fi, this “cine-theatre” production is technologically elaborate in its imagination.

Originally adapted in 2020 by Sydney Theatre Company’s artistic director, Kip Williams, who again directs, the result is a true high-wire act, not only because of Snook’s fleet and fabulous performance but also because of the accompaniment of screens, pre-recorded footage, live film crew, and orchestration of technology that is as dazzling as it is complicated, heightening theatricality rather than distracting from it.

There are moments when a camera is pressed up against Snook’s face so closely we see every pore, and others when there are seven replicated versions of her. It goes from a clever, daring game, schlocky and over-acted (Snook variously writhes, dances and bursts into lip-synced song in what seems like an experimental cabaret) to something far more serious and accomplished.

It is a juggling act of high order for Snook. She must perform in real time, react to the recorded footage and manipulate the technology herself in some scenes. She speaks in dialogue but also narrates omnisciently. Some scenes require athleticism, others sudden stillness. It demands an exacting synchronicity and she gets it pitch perfect, powering through 26 characters.

Snook’s recent screen role as the unlikable, driven Shiv Roy in Succession gives her the perfect springboard for inhabiting Wilde’s murderously unlikable protagonist. Her Dorian is archly comic at first, as if a parody, but gets harder and enters into the tragic by the end.

The many moving screens spur the drama, aiding its overt construction and always remain in service to the story’s themes. Dorian’s many projected, fractured, selves suggest that this story might just be a narcissistic fantasy, rather like Bret Easton Ellis’s Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, literally projected on to the screens before us. It plays with Wilde’s idea that the “I” is an elaborate fantasy and that this has all been a bad trip as Snook snorts a line and knocks back the champagne: “This is not real,” Dorian whispers.

We stay within Wilde’s original period setting but the current world is folded inside it. Dorian’s painting is horribly airbrushed with Instagram technology, while Jimmy Somerville’s I Feel Love accompanies his hedonist entry into queer subculture.

In a story full of philosophical rumination on beauty, Marg Horwell’s set and costumes are ravishing too, so vivid that they accentuate the sense of a garish fantasy being played out.

It is all beautiful, brilliant, maniacally unmissable.

• Oscar Wilde

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The Secret of Dorian Gray Movie Review

by Cult Movie Fan | Reviews |

The Film – This particular version of Wilde’s story is set in late 1970’s London, with Dorian Gray being a handsome, rich young man (pulled off fantastically by Helmut Berger, the European equivalent of Tom Cruise pre-couch jumping) who enjoys his flamboyant and lavish lifestyle.

His close friend, Basil Hallward, an artist who secludes himself in a docked boat to focus on his paintings, has been working on a portrait of Dorian for some time (which includes Dorian striking a pose that looks like a Playgirl cover). His major distraction is Sybil, the girl who he’s become smitten with.

Sybil is a talented actress reduced to performing in dingy theaters. After Dorian stumbles into a recital of Romeo and Juliette, she is immediately drawn to him, with returned affection. After some frolicking in tall grass, sex under picturesque trees, and a day at the abandoned Gray mansion, the two become lovers.

While the portrait is nearing completion, Basil’s friend Henry- a hedonistic aristocrat, begins to strike a friendship with Dorian (fueled by his homosexual lust). The two attend a benefit for a retirement home, and begin discussing aging, the meaning of life, and mortality.

Basil finally finishes his masterpiece, and almost immediately Dorian changes. Instead of being a semi-modest, caring man, he becomes narcissistic and self indulgent. He develops an anger for the painting- claiming it will never age while he will eventually lose his youth and good looks.

That night Dorian goes to a party hosted by Mrs. Ruxton, with all of his well-to-do friends in tow. Ruxton is interested in buying the land Dorian owns to make a waterfront resort- but you can tell she has other desires as well. After the party begins to grow dull, Dorian invites the guests to come watch Sybil perform later that night.

Since Sybil has only loved acting before meeting Dorian, and with all her love now focused on him, her performance is a little more than embarrassing- which is the exact response Dorian gives. After he makes his disappointment more than clear, he decides it’s time she meets his elite group of friends.

When Dorian tries to introduce her to his friends (rather degradingly), she sees through his arrogance and leaves him. He chases her to a bus, where she angers him and he slaps her. Dorian then leaves Sybil on the bus as it departs. Distraught, she runs off at the next stop, back towards her lover, but steps in front of a car and is killed instantly.

The nest morning Dorian realizes his portrait has aged- the brow now looks wrinkeled. Confused at first, and upset about the fight the past night, he decides his luxurious life is not complete without Sybil. At first distraught over her death, he quickly realizes this only means he can do whatever he wishes now.

Mr. Gray begins his transformation from semi-self absorbed to full on narcissist- and without age. He begins to sleep with everyone, including his friends’ wives and even Henry and Mrs. Ruxton (just to name a few). With every evil act, his magnificent portrait ages- warping into a hideous, discolored abomination that reflects Dorian’s soul.

After almost every taboo has been broken, Dorian sinks into murder and blackmail. His deeds begin to pile up on his subconscious, and the portrait alone will not save the vainglorious Dorian Gray from his own demons- resulting is his poetic downfall.

While every other version of Dorian Gray ever put on film has been, for the most part well received (except The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, fuck that movie), The Secret of Dorian Gray has met some harsh criticism. Is it exploitation or art, horror or drama, sensational or distasteful? Some believe it’s nothing more than a classic story perverted into some typical Euro-Sexploitation flick- yet others hold it a great contemporary adaptation of the story. In all honesty, both parties are dead on either way.

Let’s get into the sex and violence first (because who doesn’t love both of those things?). Exploitative is pretty spot on. There’s lots of sex, gratuitous nudity, and the murder is sensationally violent. It obviously could have been “classier”, but to me Oscar Wilde’s story was just as exploitative- especially considering when it was written.

I guess I’m jaded when it comes to sleaze, because I didn’t find this movie super trashy in the least. What I was caught off-guard by was the openness of homosexuality. I haven’t read the story since high school, and I pretty much spark noted the whole thing. I do remember it being pretty open about certain characters being gay and bi-sexual, but nothing too controversial by todays standards.

Now this movie, however, wants to make it blatantly obvious that multiple characters are gay (again the book may have, I might have just read a truncated version), and hides nothing about Dorian experimenting with both sexes. In a time when sexual liberation has just taken off, it seems like the sexuality- not the sex on screen- would have been what shocked so many. It’s odd to see what upsets society, isn’t it?

The Secret of Dorian Gray does tend to get a little hokey at times. One example is a 43 year old character being as gray and balding as a 70 year old. I understand the aging process has to be over-done to get the full impact of Dorian’s youth, but when you just increase the amount of baby powder used to make the actors hair look grayer, it doesn’t have the desired results.

You can tell that director Massimo Dallamano really respect the moral of the story- which is odd seeing as how Dallamano directed what could be some of the sleaziest, grittiest giallo films ever made. Yes, I’m talking about the “Schoolgirls-in-Peril Trilogy”, which includes What Have They Done to Your Daughters, What Have You Done to Solange, and Virgin Killer (also known in the US as Trauma, but on that particular outing he stepped aside and let Alberto Negrin direct).

You can tell Dallamano was still in the mindset of just getting over working with Sergio Leone, because the class and cinematography is still abundant. In fact, his work operating the camera will always overshadow his work behind one. But, just going by the slight sleaze that’s there, you can tell he was more than ready to start working on films involving large (and sharp) objects being rammed in vaginas. This is what I mean by a combo of both exploitation and art.

As I mentioned, Helmut Berger is fantastic in the role of Gray. He’s good looking, a sharp dresser (for the love of God, someone tell me where I can find a zebra print trench coat like his, it’s the must have item of the year for myself), and can be just as slick pulling off a Romeo as he can a sadist. The design, cinematography, and amazing loyalty to the base work- with Berger’s looks added, makes for an above-par version of the story of Dorian Gray.

The Package – Raro presents the film in a slightly soft widescreen transfer. Print damage is non-existent, and grain is kept at a minimum. The sacrifice, though, is a noticeable lack of sharpness in some shots. Close-ups look great, but the more the further back the camera goes, the less detail you get. It’s not a bad amount, just a noticeable one. Despite this issue, the overall clarity overpowers the lack of firmness any day.

I watched the film with the English 2.0 track, but there is an original Italian 2.0 with subs included as well. Dorian, and most male characters, sound just fine- but there’s some serious issues with a decent number of the female dialog. I’m not sure if it’s just the voice actresses, or if the transfer doesn’t compensate for their voices, but every time they even raised their voice above low volume my speakers would make a very disturbing crackling sound. And their dialog is off. I can’t really describe it, but they just sound like squeaky, muddled voices- especially Sybil. Other than that odd problem, the balance and volume are great, and the track is very neat and clean.

Raro has only included one true extra, an interview with assistant director Maurizio Tanfani. It’s an in-depth interview covering not only his work on Dorian Gray, but his career as assistants of some of the biggest names in European cult cinema- including the late Bruno Mattei. There’s also a director filmography and DVD credits. One thing Raro is doing with most of their releases I love is actually including some kind of liner notes- in this case critical analysis and some artwork.

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The Picture of Dorian Gray

Rula Lenska (Narrator) Lizzy Willis (Evie (Age 14)) Steve Wraith (Havisham) Triana Terry (Evie (Age 29)) Leone Kessel (Dorian Gray) Lacey Bond (Yasmin Pettigrew) Nigel Troup (Mr. Brewster) Allison Blair (Lady Amelia Wotton)

Richard John Taylor

Dorian is tutored by reclusive actress Lady Wotton for Lady Macbeth role. Wotton's granddaughter photographs Dorian and they grow close. Their relationship appears innocent but a sinister curse may be at work.

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Movie Review – Picture of Dorian Gray, The (1945)

Principal cast : george sanders, hurd hatfield, donna reed, angela lansbury, peter lawford, lowell gilmore, richard fraser, douglas walton, morton lowry, miles mander, lydia bilbrook, mary forbes, robert greig, moyna macgill, anita sharp-bolster, billy bevan, cedric hardwicke, lillian bond. synopsis: a corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all..

Albert Lewin’s multi-Oscar nominated 1945 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s hugely controversial novel “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” was – perhaps surprisingly – a box-office failure. Wilde’s story was hugely popular initially (this adaptation was about the ninth feature film to come along, while countless iterations have been made since), crowds generally stayed away from Hurd Hatfield’s charisma-free performance in the title role, even though the Academy Awards came calling for this early horror film entry, granting it a win for cinematography among nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Actress for Angela Lansbury’s tragic Sibyl Vane. The film is indeed quite stylish, a talky, persuasive chiller that almost makes up for its lack of energy with an undercurrent of palpating cruelty. The film’s chief MacGuffin arrives in the form of two momentary leaps into colour cinematography, a cool little piece of cinematic inventiveness surrounding the titular picture of Dorian, as we witness his debauched lifestyle take a toll on his soul. The metaphysical manifestation of human evil is probably the reason Wilde’s original text was brutally censored upon publication in 1890, as well as litigating his characters’ sexuality amidst abject sensuality, and although Lewin’s direction doesn’t hone in on this promiscuity of thought to such a degree, there’s an obvious subtext to a lot of the film’s shadowy, maudlin psychotropic aesthetic.

Set in the deep Victorian Era London, a wealthy young man, Dorian Gray (Hurd Hatfield) poses for a portrait by renowned artist Basil Hallward (Lowell Gillmore). A sitting is interrupted by the arrival of salacious gossip and intellectual cynic Lord Henry Wotton (George Sanders), who exposes Gray’s attitude to pleasure as one of narcissism, prompting Gray to wish that the picture may age instead of him. Doing so in the (convenient) presence of an ancient Egyptian cat statue obviously does him great harm. Life continues: Gray meets and falls for local tavern songstress Sibyl Vane (Angela Lansbury), who reciprocates despite the protestations of her brother James (Richard Fraser), but as time goes on Dorian returns to his hedonistic lifestyle and, through intentionally breaking off their engagement, causes Sybil to commit suicide. Dorian realises that although he hasn’t aged, the painting of himself – now locked high up in his mansion’s attic – has changed to reflect his own sins, a sign that his soul is falling into torment. Over the years, Dorian then meets and falls in love with Hallward’s young daughter, Gladys (Donna Reed), whom he knew as a child. Societal suspicions continue to surround Dorian as those around him grow older – eventually, lives of those close to him are lost and the ageless man must confront his own tortured soul knowing he is responsible for such evil in the world.

Touted as a horror film, The Picture Of Dorian Gray isn’t a monster movie or creature feature, but it does feature a man-made monster of sorts in the form of the title character. Whilst Dracula and Frankenstein bore the outer hideousness of man’s cruel and monstrous nature, Dorian Gray bears his scars internally – a far more frightening proposition, really – and it’s through this talky, indecisively unambitious attempt to bring the classic text to the screen that we bear witness to the truly ghastly downfall of a soul destined to sour through gormless decadence. Based on the Oscar Wilde text and written by director Lewin, this film version spends a great deal of its time talking about things without actually showing them. Notably, the “life of luxury” Dorian lives whilst his portrait withers in the attic is never specifically shown, only the repercussions thereof, which may have worked back in the 1940’s when the film came out but now finds limited impact with today’s audiences. The romantic angles of the film, with a terrific Angela Lansbury warbling through an early-career role (she was but only 20 when the film came out) that would garner her a second Oscar nomination (following her first, for Gaslight in 1944) and the stunning Donna Reed as Dorian’s icky kid-turned-adult liaison in the film’s second half, work the best, certainly better than the more “horror-esque” tropes espoused by the ghoulish artwork of the titular painting, but there’s a distinct lack of ability by poor Hurd Hatfield to really sell the role.

It’s not really his fault, however. The script calls for his on-screen appearances to be largely supplanted by ponderous and mellifluous voice-over narration (thanks to an uncredited Cedric Hardwicke), telling us how Dorian’s life of epicureanism is taking its toll rather than by any other specific representation. Hatfield personifies that over-dignified hoity-toity upper-class snake quite well, although his slick backed hair and constantly constipated facial expressions are often at odds with his apparent love of luxury refusing to give us a glimpse of his inner turmoil. We’re told he’s a fractured soul, it’s explained to us, but the “action” of the story and its effect on Dorian’s portrait all occurs offscreen for a large portion of the movie. Instead, he makes the world’s most insufferable leading man as he strides, glowers and pouts through the dramatic portions of the movie, only really developing a character late in the third act when the stakes start to rise exponentially. He’s just never given an opportunity to really expand his role other than the prototypically aloof “gentleman” around whom life appears to simply wash away.

For their part, Lansbury and Reed do solid work as the romantic opposites for Dorian’s cruelty, whilst the effete George Sanders and the bullish Lowell Gillmore provide some sense of moral boundaries (both good and bad) as Dorian’s internal conflict solidifies. Lansbury in particular does excellent work, eking out a cracking Dickensian ingenue role with doe-eyed romanticism; her fate, and that of every character coming into contact with Dorian throughout, is inexorably affected to their detriment, and it’s as tragic a tale as one finds. The bit-parts to Lydia Bilbrook, as Sibyl’s mother, Richard Fraser as Sibyl’s angry young brother James, and the wonderful Peter Lawford as the friend-zoned David Stone, are just great, but never find their footing amidst the ancillary subplots this movie exhibits.

As a technical exercise, there is a lot in The Picture Of Dorian Gray to enjoy. In terms of atmosphere , the film is a delight, with its crisp black and white cinematography rightly earning an Oscar nomination as the camera prowls through fog-bound cobbled streets and slinks through ostentatious upper-class mansions. Production design, in particular that afforded to Dorian’s lavish multi-roomed London home, is exquisite, an expansive and magnificent studio set looking quite the opulent masterwork, whilst the dank streets of London’s poorer districts – mayhap akin to the Whitechapel area in which Jack The Ripper did his finest work – are shadowy and destitute, perfectly creepy areas of town in which to do evil deeds. Harry Stradling’s photography on the film is stellar – he worked with Hitchcock only a few years prior, on both Mr & Mrs Smith and Suspicion – and he finds shivering fear behind every flickering light and every swinging lampshade. Bless him, he rarely seems to use the “soft focus” affect on his female stars, allowing their natural beauty to shine through, whilst he gives Huntfield a typically full-frontal-chestedness approach to photographing him. And when he switches from monochrome to full-blown technicolour for the reveals of Dorian’s portrait periodically, showcasing the fantastic prowess of artists Henrique Medina and Ivan Le Lorraine Albright, you will quite legitimately gasp, the effect is so striking. Albright was commissioned to produce the second image of Dorian Gray for use in the film, depicting his internalised monstrous form, and the finished painting is absolutely astounding for its detail and capturing of a broken and ruined spirit, consumed by lusts and lasciviousness. Shots of both the before-and-after images were shot in colour and spliced into the film at key “reveal” moments, an effect perhaps less about artistry and more about shocking the audience with a gag.

The editing in the film is a weak point, however, with Ferris Webster’s cutting a touch too obvious when hitting those horror-trope motifs. But oh, the camerawork. The panning, the dolly tracking work, the push-in and pull-back to accentuate a moment or character: the film is a marvel of angles and movement, depicting frail and contrasting psyches even when the performance of the leading man isn’t quite up to snuff. Herbert Stothard’s use of music in the film is indicative of the period, filled with strings, brass and utilising thematic material from Chopin and Beethoven mixed with original melodies.

I was left quite miffed at just how inert The Picture of Dorian Gray ended up being. Although the production and technical skills more than made up for character or performance shortcomings, the end result was a film that felt like it couldn’t show us the full realisation of Oscar Wilde’s fever-dream creation, shortcutting through Dorian’s downfall and descent into madness via narration rather than action – a byproduct of the Hays Code, perhaps – and I found the going soft and listless. Lansbury and Reed aside, the more horrifying elements of the story are downplayed and too-quickly brushed over when they are present, while the romantic angles are the most satisfying aspect of the whole production. The film lurches between styles and visual flair, mixes its metaphorical subtleties and spends a lot of time trying to over-explain itself, which mitigates any momentum built by the sanguine opening act. The spiritual motifs in the movie are greatly underplayed, the moral and ethical dilemmas muddied by ostentation, and Wilde’s penchant for doublespeak and entendre isn’t given enough prominence. Sadly, The Picture Of Dorian Gray is a mixed bag of semi-effective genre tropes and beguiling supporting performances surrounding a leading man who, whilst handsome and physically suitable for the part, isn’t given the latitude to bring the role successfully to life.

Who wrote this?

Rodney Twelftree

If you’re reading this, you’ve now learned that Rodney loves movies and will continue to write about them until he falls over dead. And even then he’ll have some content scheduled post-mortem.

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2 thoughts on “ Movie Review – Picture of Dorian Gray, The (1945) ”

Hmm, interesting review. I like Wilde’s story and have seen multiple adaptations – as you write, there have been many of them. If given the opportunity I’ll try and watch this but it’s a shame you found Hatfield’s performance lacklustre. Who would you recast him with from that era if you had the chance?

To be honest I’m not sure who I’d cast in the role otherwise. I’m not as familiar with the younger talent pool of the time. To me, Dorian Gray feels like a bit of a mix between Bogart’s steely-eyed edginess with David Niven’s slick-haired aristocratic-ness. If you could somehow mash the two together into a single human being you might have it. Hatfield certainly suits the part physically I guess but – and maybe it’s a weakness in the script more than his performance – he’s given so little to do to emote he’s like a block of granite.

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The Picture of Dorian Gray Reviews

Gorgeously to look at (especially those handful of technicolor shots) but, like its title character, a bit hollow.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 12, 2024

Its durability is in large part due to Wilde’s sneaky indictment of the repressive culture that forced Dorian to keep his true self hidden, locked away in a closet.

Full Review | Oct 26, 2022

Through actions and demeanor, Dorian is more frightening than many classic movie monsters.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Aug 14, 2020

A reasonably decent adaptation of Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a Gotchic horror with a cautionary note.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 25, 2019

[George] Sanders delivers Wilde's sarcastic aphorisms with a cultured purr...

Full Review | Nov 11, 2018

Stradling demonstrates his mastery of deep-focus photography and scenic composition...

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | May 13, 2016

With its allusions to Baudelaire, Beardsley and Wilde himself, this motion 'Picture' was meant for an adult audience that could sense the youth-runs-Wilde wickedness perpetrated by the title character offscreen, in the spaces between the frames...

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 13, 2014

The Picture of Dorian Gray isn't awful, though it's certainly an instance in which an outright debacle would have made a much more interesting film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 5, 2008

...dramatic, elegant, witty, thoughtful, and terrifically photographed.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Oct 4, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 8, 2005

Excellent adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic story. Watch for the creative use of color in the otherwise B&W production.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 2, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 28, 2005

Sterling adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel about a handsome young Victorian aristocrat.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jun 23, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 13, 2004

Literate and classy horror, brilliantly directed and played.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 23, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 1, 2000

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