Review - Dorian Gray Revisited

Staff Writer: Ann Stieglitz

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*SPOILER WARNING*

4 out of 5 shovels as a film
3 1/2 out of 5 shovels as an adaptation

Seeing Dorian Gray for the second time was even more thrilling than the first. Unlike other films, where I would want some distance between viewings, this time I couldn´t wait – and it wasn´t disappointing. Quite the contrary: it gave me the leisure of seeing details, like the lusciously filmed costumes, the make up and little gestures and glances, which you might miss first time around.

Again, the opening was stunning, ranging from images of blood and gore, transitioning into views of black carriages, seeming huge and threateningly black as they are filmed from below, clattering over the cobbles of London – the sound as effective as the ´staged´setting in evoking the neo-Gothic atmosphere.

This time I was more impressed by the direction of Ben Barnes – the scenes of innocence and depravity were lusciously filmed, giving us a view of Victorian Britain that is surely shocking. Some critics felt this to be too tame for our times, but I felt that Oliver Parker depicted this ´underbelly´ gloriously. I liked the way Dorian was at the same time seducer and willing victim. And what I saw clearly this time, were the allusions to works of art. In some of the orgy scenes Dorian falls backwards into a woman´s open arms, his white skin gleaming, reminding us of Michelangelo s Dying Slave; at another time, he seems tortured, his stance reminding of paintings of Saint Sebastian; yet at another stage, he falls into a lolling position, like the dead Christ in Michelangelo s Pieta. These sublimal references are a delight, and, of course, refer to the sublimal homosexual references in both book and film.

The scene I loved the best, which contains a delightful reference, is when Dorian first espies that something has changed in the painting. What is it? He climbs on a chair to have a closer look – all the while pestered by a buzzing fly. Of course flies are associated with death and decay, as are the worms crawling out of the painting (if you watch CSI, you will know what I mean!), but here the reference is a very old one. And very clever, I thought.

As far back as ancient Greece, but particularly in Dutch Still Life paintings of the 17^th century, painters prided themselves on their skill in representing the reality of fruit and flowers. The viewers were so taken-in by the apparent ´reality´of the paintings, that when they saw a fly or insect on one of the apples, they tried to brush it off the painting – only to find the fly painted more realistically even than the fruit. In the film, the fly is real, and Dorian waves it aside as he scrutinises his painted face. The fly becomes part of his realisation of what is happening, the fly, also believing the painting to be real, cannot stop buzzing. Is the fly Dorian´s conscience? Yet immediately, these art historical references are turned on their heads, as Dorian devours the willing women, who scream in delight! Yes, his dark eyes do grow black like rich, coagulated blood, his hair framing his face as he gazes up, conquering all before him. His physical beauty captured by the way the light caresses his face, yet we know his daemon.

I was able, too, on this second viewing, to appreciate the role of the Lord Wotton´s daughter more, and was pleased that Oliver Parker did not introduce another bimbo, but an intelligent and beautiful woman, a suffragette, no less. The choices of the director show us his commitment to reaching a modern day audience, and Rachel Hurd Wood´s small role is beautifully played showing us another side to Lord Wotton.

And again, I appreciated Colin Firth´s acting even more. On second viewing, I saw how he brought increased depth to the role of this shallow man, how just one glance at his small daughter playing conveyed his deep love for her, and later, his anger at Dorian, an anger that brings the whole edifice crumbling down.

The sublety of Colin Firth´s acting is what holds the film together, in my opinion, and is something Oliver Parker acknowledged in the Q&A afterward. The discussion turned on several points, Parker pointing out how impressed he was with Matthew Bourne´s dance interpretation; with the need for traditional structures, like the 3 act play ( and is one of the reason´s for the introduction of the daughter); and how the narrative of a film is so different to that of a book. He spoke of the ´light and shade´of characters, as well as in the photography, particularly of the clash of symbols and trying to get in both the youth angle as well as that of the older adult. He was asked about theuse of CGI, and told us how prohibitively expensive it is, but also how tempting it is to use it, for example, to create whole sets. Parker, though, prefers the ´reality´of place, hence the locations, especially those in the streets of Greenwich. And the audience spoke most about this film being a parable for modern times – the beauty industry and the desire to remain forever young. In one interview, Colin Firth, even gestures that he might consider a face-lift (oh, please don´t!).

All in all, it was a most enjoyable experience – and the cinematically astute audience at the National Film Theatre felt it too – they clapped at the end, something I have never experienced in England!

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