I'm quite sure many are familiar with Oscar Wilde's
The Picture of Dorian Gray. The book has been made into several film adaptions, the most recent being the one made in Britain in September 2009, featuring Ben Barnes. The plot follows the life of a young gentleman named Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes). He soon becomes the source of inspiration for the painter Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin), and Basil manages to paint his best picture yet: a portrait of Dorian. However, due to the philosophical teachings of Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), Dorian soon falls into a state of corruption. He trades his soul so that he will never age and all his sins and aging will be transferred onto the painting.
In general the plot follows the book. However, there are several differences between the film and the book. For example, in the novel, Lord Henry has no daughter, but, in the film, he has a daughter named Emily Wotton (Rebecca Hall), who Dorian later falls in love with. Also, in the novel, Dorian loses faith in Sibyl Vane because of her failure in acting. In the film, Dorian throws away Sibyl because he loves whoring too much. The film also mystifies Dorian's portrait by making it come alive and gasp continuously. I read the book along with the movie so it was rather interesting to see words become pictures and the various differences between the two mediums. The novel can be a bland at times due to Wilde's lengthy paragraphs and narration that span for several pages, but the descriptions are rather ornate.
I give the movie three out of five stars. Barnes makes a very handsome Dorian. His acting is rather spectacular; his expressions reflect the transition from an innocent and hesitant Dorian to a cruel and sinful Dorian. Despite his being black rather than blond as described in the book, Barnes makes a successful Dorian full of emotion. However, the acting of the other actors are rather simple, as they appear more like bystanders in the movie. Also, I wish the movie spent more time on the love relationship between Dorian and Emily. The scene went by so fast that their love almost seems meaningless. The plot itself also movies somewhat slow, but that is typical of a plot line similar to this. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is epic (though there has yet been news of a soundtrack release) and the lighting exemplifies the dark mood of the film. There are several scenes of erotic sex, but few last for more than a couple of seconds. There are also several gruesome murders, but no profanity due to the time era.
Other than that, if you want to watch a dark movie, Dorian Gray is a rather splendid movie to watch. It's disturbing at times, but it only better reflects Dorian's descent into a sinful world.It may not be a family film, but those who can should definitely watch, especially if you like movies like Donnie Darko. Dorian Gray is a dark and enchanting movie that will leave shivers down one's spine.
.jpg)
