Film Review - Dorian Gray
Ben Barnes & Colin Firth Star in Period Horror Film
The film Dorian Gray sees first time screenwriter Toby Finlay updating Oscar Wilde’s 1890 gothic horror story, The Picture of Dorian Gray, for the big screen. Although some details in Wilde’s original tale have been altered, the central Faustian themes remain the same. Dorian Gray is a satisfactory adaptation, while it never wows the senses there are some good turns from leading man Ben Barnes (playing Dorian) and serial period drama actor Colin Firth.
Dorian Gray Plot Summary
Despite causing controversy with its publication in Victorian-era Britain, Oscar Wilde’s novel has since become lauded as one of the classic gothic horrors of its time.
Set in the late 19th century, director Oliver Parker’s film tells the story of Dorian, the young heir to an estate left by his late grandfather. Upon moving into the upper echelons of society, he is quickly taken under the wing of Lord Henry Wotton (Firth), who admires the innocence and optimism of Gray’s youth. Wotton is the hedonistic type, believing that a fulfilment of the senses and capitalising on ones youth are the primary objectives of life. He believes that despite all his financial power, Dorian possesses the only two things really worth having – youth and beauty. Dorian’s youthfulness is encapsulated in a portrait painted by Wotton’s friend Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin). Taken aback by the likeness of Basil’s work and poisoned by Lord Wotton’s exclamation that his youth will one day escape him, the impressionable Dorian declares that he would gladly trade everything for eternal youth.
Despite falling in love and proposing marriage to young theatre actress Sybil Vane (Rachel Hurd-Wood), Dorian is quickly led astray by the manipulative Lord Wotton and enters a world of debauchery and sin that, although initially not to his liking, soon begins to take over Dorian’s life. What Dorian doesn’t realise is that for every sin he commits a permanent scar is left on the portrait hanging in the hall of his mansion, it will age every time Dorian bows down to his primal urges, leaving his own body ageless through time.
Scared that people will uncover the horrible truth behind the powers of this painting, Dorian is forced to keep the portrait hidden while, like an addict of pleasure, he remains trapped by the curse he has unwittingly placed upon himself.
Strong Acting Performances in Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray is a great story for character exploration, with the main protagonist toying with two sides to his character; on one side a lust for life’s pleasures and on the other his moral obligations. While Dorian is essentially a good character, the lure of eternal youth is a hard temptation to refuse. Ben Barnes puts in a solid performance as the young aristocrat, playing the progressive change in Dorian’s mindset with a convincing subtlety and poise. Colin Firth is a strong support alongside the up-and-comer, his suave sophistication and acumen for period drama roles is perfectly suited to Lord Wotton. He’s arguably the stealer of any scene in which he appears. Ben Chaplin, who rose to fame in BBC comedy Game On, also adds another string to his eclectic bow of characters as artist Basil Hallward.
Despite some good turns there is a slight emptiness about this film, with a failure to make us care for any of the lead characters sufficiently enough to really make this a suspenseful movie. Dorian’s doomed relationships are a little too short lived for us to get to know or like either of his spouse’s; Sybil, and especially his latter relationship with Rebecca Hall’s character, Emily, the daughter of Lord Wooton, who is introduced far too late into the proceedings. Their relationship develops far too quickly and seems hurried along in order to reach the film’s climax, and with the audience failing to really get to know Emily, there’s little attachment to her character.
Dorian Gray is a Film that is Largely Forgettable
So despite being visually well assembled (the set design of Dorian’s mansion and 19th century Whitechapel is as good as any period drama), well acted, and well directed, Dorian Gray is a film that will leave you very much unperturbed on leaving the cinema.
There are several elements of Oscar Wilde’s original that have been altered for cinematic purposes, namely the addition of Lord Wotton’s daughter as the subject of Dorian’s affections, surely only to award some narrative punishment for Wotton’s involvement in Dorian’s demise. Also, Dorian’s desire to be eternally youthful seems slightly ambiguous and un-motivated when compared to the novel, it’s less of a vain desire or demand to make a pact with the devil and more a flippant response to Lord Wotton’s hypothetical line of questioning as to whether Dorian wishes he could remain young. It’s not until he is led astray, long after the curse has taken root that we see Dorian’s infatuation with youthfulness.
The plot can also, at times, be misleading and lack explanation with Lord Wotton initially appearing to be the instigator of the supernatural forces at work behind Dorian’s pledge for eternal youth, whereas, in fact, it transpires that there is little or no explanation for the portrait’s powers. In addition, Dorian’s 20 year hiatus which links the film’s second and third acts seems drastically under-motivated and could really do with more expansion.
Although this is a pleasantly enjoyable film, Dorian Gray is likely to fade away with relatively little fuss, if you’re looking for a film that’s fairly light and easy going then this will suffice but there’s nothing groundbreaking about it to really make this a memorable picture in 5 or 10 years time.
Verdict: 3.5/5
Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Film & TV
Latest Articles