1945 Oscar Wilde adaptationRating: 17/20 (Jen: 11/20)
Plot: A dull rich guy named Dorian has an artist friend paint his portrait. After an extraordinarily gay conversation about how pretty Dorian is, he mentions how nice it would be if he didn't have to get older and eventually lose his good looks. An evil kitty overhears him and grants his wish. George Sanders comes in to show off his moustache ("My bitchin' 'stash, mo-fo," as he says) and say some things that are so witty that it causes grown men drop their pants. There's a puppet show, and a pretty blond sings the only song she seems to know ("Killin' One Bird with Two Stones Softly") over and over again, causing Dorian Gray to fall in love with her. Time passes, the painting starts changing, and Dorian Gray puts it upstairs.
Puppet xylophone action, spontaneous little person appearances, and George Sanders! Oh my! I really dug the cinematography in this one. The rich folks' houses look beautiful, and the seedier settings that Gray frequents are dark, dank, and sinister. The places in this movie are shot very well. The dialogue is as literary and witty as you're likely to hear. In fact, it's too written and unrealistically witty, especially whenever Sanders' character is involved, but that's what you get with Oscar Wilde. There are definitely a lot of words in this one, so many words that I didn't come close to catching them all the first time through. I do like Sanders in this, and I also like Hurd Hatfield as the title character even though he has less facial expressions than his painting. And speaking of that painting. Wow! The painting is shown in color a few times, and when it's unveiled about 3/4 of the way through the story, drastically changed from the first time we see it, it's a genuinely shocking moment. I'd love to have that hanging in my living room, but apparently it's in Chicago. I also doubt my wife would allow it to hang anywhere in our house. This is a great literary adaptation and a powerfully haunting fable about the consequences of a hedonistic and egotistical life style and the futility in avoiding the inevitable and trying to hide our true nature.
A Cory recommendation.
I'm glad you liked this. I was a little concerned. I never read the original story, so the story really shocked by where it goes. Great review (I cracked up at the witty making grown men drop their pants pit and the lack of facial expression on Dorian). A 19 for me.
ReplyDeleteI am to the part of "Underground" where the monkey fires the tank. Just six more hours to go.
How many 'Underground' installments is it going to take? I think I watched it in two halves.
ReplyDeleteThe visual of seeing that grotesque painting in color is shocking whether or not you know the story.
I forgot to give a replacement since you watched this so quickly. Just to give you variety, I'm choosing "Dear Zachary". I think Jennifer might also be interested in this one.
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