The Picture of Dorian Gray (2009)

If you've watched Oliver Parker's 2009 book-to-screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, I assume there are two reasons you are watching. Firstly, you may either be watching because of British actor Ben Barnes (yes, he is attractive, I understand), or you're looking for pure entertainment that unfortunately diverts almost entirely from Oscar Wilde's book. I was sorely disappointed when I watched this film for a few reasons.

Firstly, Wilde's novel exposes us to the ambiguous nature of Dorian's sins as they slowly mark his painted portrait. That is what creates the entire allure of the novel. Besides the most major spoiler plot of Dorian turning to murder, we ask: What are his sins? That's the question on everyone who has read the book's lips. However, the film makes it blindingly obvious what these sins are. I understand the transition from book to screen can be utterly difficult, but a little more subtlety was needed here, I'm afraid. Multiple montages are employed by Parker of Dorian having a threesome, sleeping with men, sleeping with a woman and directly after sleeping with her daughter as a bet with Lord Henry, and masochistic behaviours. This outright (and graphic) depiction of Dorian's hedonistic sins strips away the suspense of the novel that was built up so cleverly and the anticipation of what Dorian's suspected sinful behaviour is. It didn't sit well with me and rather frustrated me, as the book plot is splendid in its subtleties.  

Furthermore, Dorian forms a relationship with Lord Henry's daughter, which threw me off so much I almost switched off the film. Deep into the future, with Dorian not looking a day over twenty and Lord Henry rapidly aging, Dorian meets Emily Wotton, Lord Henry's daughter. They begin a forbidden relationship despite Dorian's attempts to dismiss Emily. Including her as a character felt like an entirely arbitrary decision, as she served no purpose other than adding a little romance to the plot that would entertain filmgoers.

I do hope that one day there will be another The Picture of Dorian Gray film, as there have been multiple successful plays that experiment with the plot in ways that don't ruin the original book. For example, Australian actress Sarah Snook's performance of The Picture of Dorian Gray on stage saw her portray 26 different characters, with it noted as a contemporary 'unmissable' piece by BBC. Even in this play, however, there were critics of Snook's performance. No adaptation is perfect, that's certain, but I have high hopes that another film director can do Wilde's novel justice one day.

Until the next captivating read,

Farewell and goodbye,

Traditionally and timelessly,

Yours truly,

classicallycath xx (maybe one day I’ll have a shorter farewell, but alas, I am a fan of words)

As always, here are my references for your curious eyes:

Bayscroft, B. (n.d.). dorian gray [Image]. Pinterest. https://au.pinterest.com/pin/2181499807093341/

McIntosh, S. (2024, February 16). Sarah Snook: The Picture of Dorian Gray is 'unmissable', theatre critics say. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68293044