Dorian gray is a fictional character and the protagonist of oscar wilde s 1890 novel the picture of dorian gray. The young and impressionable dorian is greatly moved by. Throughout the years, dorians friends age while he is still the same, but his picture discloses his evilness and corruptive life. In the stately london home of his aunt, lady brandon, the wellknown artist basil hallward meets dorian gray.
Dorian gray observes the corruption recorded in his portrait, in the film the picture of dorian gray 1945. Young dorian arrives fresh on the london social scene and is taken under the wing of lord henry wotton who introduces him to the seedy pleasures of. The picture of dorian gray is the story of one beautiful, innocent young mans seduction, moral corruption, and eventual downfall and, oh yeah. It tells the story of the title character, an attractive englishman whose image is captured in an enchanted painting that keeps him from aging. Foremost, the casting of helmut berger as dorian is perfect. The picture of dorian gray letterboxd your life in film.
The picture of dorian gray a bbc radio drama youtube. It was released on july 11, 2003, in the united states, and distributed by 20th century fox. Dorian gray leaves sibyl and travels abroad, and when he returns to london, lord henry tells him that sibyl committed suicide for love. The picture of dorian gray 19 directed by phillips smalley starring wallace reid as dorian gray. Ben barnes in dorian gray 2009 rachel hurdwood in dorian gray 2009 ben.
Lord henry tells dorian about his epicurean views on life, and convinces him of the value of beauty above all other things. It was first published in lippincotts monthly magazine on june 20, 1890. But his vain bargain eventually leads to murder and destroys gray s life. Henry admires the painting, but basil worries he let too much of his feelings for dorian seep. The picture of dorian gray is an adaptation of oscar wildes novel, and captures the tone of the story nicely but misses something in translation, namely wildes remarkable prose. Parkers take on the story is dark and surreal, placing slightly more emphasis on. While generally intelligent, he is naive and easily manipulated. The league of extraordinary gentlemen, also promoted as lxg, is a 2003 steampunk dieselpunk superhero film loosely based on the first volume of the comic book series of the same name by alan moore and kevin oneill.
Toby finlays adapted screenplay has some clever new plot inventions and theres a great turn from colin firth, says peter bradshaw. This 1976 installment of the bbcs longrunning play of the month television series costars gwen ffrangcon davies, judi bowker and john gielgud as. Dorian gray in the mirror of the yellow press 1984. Basil paints dorians portrait and gives the beautiful painting and an egyptian sculpture of a cat to him, while henry corrupts his mind and soul, telling him that dorian should seek pleasure in life. Much wilder if not more wildean, this new version of dorian gray by british director oliver parker professes to reinterpret the novel on which its based, and it surely accomplishes that. The picture of dorian gray plot summary course hero. Lord henrys friend, society artist basil hallward, paints a portrait of gray to capture the full power of his youthful beauty. Dorian gray meets lord henry wotton at the studio of basil hallward, who is using dorian as a model for his latest painting. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of the picture of dorian gray. Adaptations of the picture of dorian gray wikipedia. Taken with the idea, dorian imagines a scenario in which the painting will age as he stays youthful.
Dorian makes a deal with the devil, trading his soul to keep his beauty and youth, while his picture ages and displays the effects of his corrupt life. Later, wilde was asked to edit this version, and it was published again in april 1891. Henrique medina before and ivan le lorraine albright after. Dorian sits for several portraits, and basil often depicts him as an ancient greek hero or a mythological figure. Fearing the story was indecent, the magazines editor deleted roughly five hundred words before publication without wildes knowledge. Read the full synopsis of the picture of dorian gray, 1945, directed by albert lewin, with george sanders, hurd hatfield, donna reed, at turner classic movies. The picture of dorian gray is the only published book written by oscar wilde. I finally have some spare time, so prepare for a bunch of book vs. I thought with this new technology the 21st century has, the picture of dorian gray will receive the justice it deserves. See a complete list of the characters in the picture of dorian gray and indepth analyses of dorian gray.
Meanwhile, his friend basil hallward concludes his painting, and dorian gray, fascinated with the picture, proposes the devil to exchange his soul for eternal youth and beauty. The film this particular version of wildes story is set in late 1970s london, with dorian gray being a handsome, rich young man pulled off fantastically by helmut berger, the european equivalent of tom cruise precouch jumping who enjoys his flamboyant and lavish lifestyle. Gunpowder, treason and plot a bbc radio historical drama duration. The picture of dorian gray 1945 plot synopsis imdb. But a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all. The story is familiar oscar wildes dorian gray wishes his painting would grow old whilst he remain young. The picture of dorian gray is a gothic and philosophical novel by oscar wilde, first published complete in the july 1890 issue of lippincotts monthly magazine. The picture of dorian gray portrait of evil quotes. His mother, lady margaret devereux, was portrayed as a beautiful and rich woman. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. Young, beautiful and rich dorian succeeds in outsourcing all the negative consequences a life of intensive partying entails. These faults lead to his spiral into sin and, ultimately, misery. In 1886, in victorian london, the corrupt lord henry wotton george sanders meets the pure dorian gray hurd hatfield posing for talented painter basil hallward lowell gilmore.
No, the stolid performances and unevenness of the story make it a bad film. Dorian gray is a fascinating and lovely young man, whose beauty fascinates an artist, basil hallward, who, one evening paints him in his office where. Young and powerful dorian finds himself slipping deeper and deeper into a world of sin, sex and celebrity, seemingly without any consequences. Ben barnes stars as the eponymous young lad who longs for eternal beauty. We meet our three central characters at the beginning of the book, when painter basil hallward and his close friend, lord henry wotton, are discussing the subject of. In the final days of wwi a shellshocked soldier must lead a mission deep beneath the trenches to stop a german plot that could turn the tide of the war. A short summary of oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray. The league of extraordinary gentlemen film wikipedia. Dorian gray travels abroad for many years and when he returns to london, his friends are aged while he is still the same.
The picture of dorian gray is about a man who is influenced into leading a life dedicated to pleasure and follows the repercussions of that decision. The story is often incorrectly called the portrait of dorian gray plot spoiler ahead the picture of dorian gray is about a young man named dorian gray who. The picture of dorian gray is set in 19thcentury england and focuses on the title character as he passes from innocence and beauty to immorality and death when the novel opens lord henry wotton is visiting his friend basil hallward. Its a strange tale, about morality and art, with touches of diabolism and the supernatural, exquisitely rendered in language that is both breathtakingly poetic and.
The secret world of dorian gray is an adaptation of the novel the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde, which was published in july 1890. The picture of dorian gray to go wilde in 10 minutes. In victorian england, handsome dorian gray peter firth makes a faustian deal that his portrait painted by basil hallward jeremy brett will age while he remains young. Some major themes and characters are retained in the film. In the late 1960s london, the beautiful and rich model dorian gray meets the aspiring actress sybil vane and they fall in love for each other. When i first heard about the picture of dorian gray becoming a movie i was excited and overjoyed.
The picture of dorian gray is a novel by oscar wilde that was first published in 1890. His wish comes true, and his boyish looks aid him as he indulges his every whim. During postproduction, the film was tailored for a 15 certificate in the uk. He then starts a romance with hallwards niece, gladys donna reed, who was a child when the portrait was painted. The picture of dorian gray, moral fantasy novel by irish writer oscar wilde, published first in lippincotts monthly magazine in 1890 and as a book in 1891. First released in 1890, the picture of dorian gray was received by a victorian audience who believed that art was a tool, used for social education and. The picture of dorian gray 1976 directed by john gorrie. In contemporary london, a beautiful and rich young man, dorian gray, loves sybil vane, an aspiring actress. It is an archetypal tale of a young man who purchases eternal youth at the expense of his soul and a romantic exposition of wildes own aestheticism. While wealthy, charming, generally intelligent and very handsome, he is naive and easily manipulated. The picture of dorian gray, as penned by the irish wit oscar wilde 1854 1900, is a tale of highbrow debauchery and limitless pleasures of body and soul and the corruption, by one lord henry wotton, of the young, handsome and soon to be narcissistic 19th century rock n roll hellraiser dorian gray. To capture the essence of beauty and the ephemeral excellence of a youthful body, wottons good friend, basil hallward, paints dorians eternal picture, and.
Hes also sitting for a portrait painted by his friend, basil hallward. The picture of dorian gray plot summary dorian gray meets the painter basil hallward, who becomes enthralled with dorian and uses him as a model. This film version certainly does not equal the production quality of albert lewins the picture of dorian gray 1945, but it is superior in several other ways. The 2009 adaptation of oscar wildes only novel, the picture of dorian gray is to be the kickoff for this. Quick lil summary and highlights of the novel the picture of dorian gray for a school project. When a naive young dorian gray arrives in late victorian london, by train, to inherit an estate left to him by his abusive grandfather, he is swept into a social whirlwind by the charismatic lord henry harry wotton, who introduces gray to the hedonistic pleasures of the city. Ill go out on a limb here and posit that ulrike ottingers socalled berlin trilogy this film, freak orlando. However, considering i really like the picture of dorian gray, starring george sanders and angela lansbury, my expectations for this effort of dorian gray were low and they have proven to be correct. Our organization will create a human being whom we can shape and manipulate according to our needs. Dorian blackmails an old friend, allen campbell douglas walton, to dispose of hallwards body. Dorian is a cultured, wealthy, and impossibly beautiful young man who immediately captures basils artistic imagination.
The picture of dorian gray simple english wikipedia, the. Dorian gray hurd hatfield is a young man living in late19th century london. Later, basils good friend, lord henry wotton, pays basil a visit, admiring his latest work a portrait of dorian. Posing for a portrait, dorian gray hurd hatfield talks with lord henry wotton george sanders, who says that men should pursue their sensual longings, but laments that only the young get to do so. John fraser makeup by dick smith the picture of dorian gray.