Big Chico
12-30-09, 12:39 AM
What is there to say about the movie Dorian Gray? It was like watching a man go deep into the bounds of hell, but not leaping in; slow inching his way through every debaucherous sensation one sin at a time. This is a very timely movie, in a day when every whim can be instantly accessed, the movie Dorian Gray reminds us that even thou we can’t always see the effects of our choices in life on the surface; our soul is dying a slow putrid death by the way we sometime live.
Before we get started, I always believe we should start with the movies synopsis so people can have a frame of reference for the review.
Dorian Gray is the only published novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel) by Oscar Wilde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde), appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lippincott%27s_Monthly_Magazine) on 20 June 1890.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray#cite_note-Penguin_Intro_pg_ix-0) Wilde later revised this edition, making several alterations, and adding new chapters; the amended version was published by Ward, Lock, and Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Lock_%26_Co) in April 1891.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray#cite_note-Publish-1) The story is often mistitled The Portrait of Dorian Gray.
The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Talking in Basil's garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new hedonism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism), Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfilment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, expressing his desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul), with each sin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin) displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray#cite_note-gutenberg_20_1-2)
Source: WIKI
Even thou the above paragraph is about the novel; the movie held true to it in ever last word.
This isn’t going to be my typical review where I give just the good and the bad in the movie. This movie provoked a plethora different thought on theology and self while watch it. The acting in the movie was very good. Every character gave you a sense of being lead down a path of destruction though sinful acts. Ben Barnes plays Dorian Gay so well you almost forget he’s acting, and Colin Firth as Lord Henry his lecherous mentor who leads him down the path of self destruction was awesome.
What I really want to discuss is how director Oliver Park displayed this movie like a beautiful piece of art. From the very start, when Gray starts down the wrong path it’s nothing overt. It starts with the simple offering of a cigarette, and slowly you see how Lord Henry starts to manipulate Gray’s thoughts and actions. At first like many of us Gray rejects the idea we should indulge in any and all sensation of the flesh, but the truth of the matter is like Gray we succumb to the pressure of the people around us to be the same.
This is how Lord Henry manages to infiltrate his thoughts about his appearance and how someday without his youth he will be nothing but a shell of a man. Gray slowly turns from a young impressionable gentleman into a prideful seeker of the sensations of the flesh.
The picture painted of him in the movie you only see about three times, and you don’t get to see the end result of his life in the painting until the end of the movie, but the director through dialog and camera angle let you know the horrifying ramifications happening to the painting due to Gray’s choices in life.
The movie really made you think about “what do I really look like.” Not the surface stuff like your hair or your skin, but on the inside. When Gray first realizes that the painting is the reflection of his sin, at first he embraces it and for years delves into the worst the world has to offer. Director Oliver Park shows us this through quick cuts and flashes that show you the depravity and dispair Gray goes through over a 30 year period without aging.
It’s at this point the movie really started to make me uncomfortable. I started to ask myself “if I didn’t have to face the consequences of my sin would I do the same”, and then I got pissed because this is a movie and I’m here for entertainment. Still, watching Gray spiral down the hole of despair only to seek redemption when it was too late reminded me that this is the perfect example of why I love movies so much. Not only was I being entertained but it provoked thoughts and emotions on an emotional level.
This movie is based off of a brilliant novel, and we all know the movie is never better then the book, but this movie we make you take pause. You might find yourself questioning if you are making the right choices or is your pride ruining your soul and the relationships around you. I recommend this movie for anyone over 16 years old, but I would say wait for the DVD so you can really sit and enjoy everything Dorian Gray has to offer.
I would give this movie 3.5 out of 5 popcorns
Before we get started, I always believe we should start with the movies synopsis so people can have a frame of reference for the review.
Dorian Gray is the only published novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel) by Oscar Wilde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde), appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lippincott%27s_Monthly_Magazine) on 20 June 1890.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray#cite_note-Penguin_Intro_pg_ix-0) Wilde later revised this edition, making several alterations, and adding new chapters; the amended version was published by Ward, Lock, and Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Lock_%26_Co) in April 1891.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray#cite_note-Publish-1) The story is often mistitled The Portrait of Dorian Gray.
The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Talking in Basil's garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new hedonism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism), Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfilment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, expressing his desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul), with each sin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin) displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray#cite_note-gutenberg_20_1-2)
Source: WIKI
Even thou the above paragraph is about the novel; the movie held true to it in ever last word.
This isn’t going to be my typical review where I give just the good and the bad in the movie. This movie provoked a plethora different thought on theology and self while watch it. The acting in the movie was very good. Every character gave you a sense of being lead down a path of destruction though sinful acts. Ben Barnes plays Dorian Gay so well you almost forget he’s acting, and Colin Firth as Lord Henry his lecherous mentor who leads him down the path of self destruction was awesome.
What I really want to discuss is how director Oliver Park displayed this movie like a beautiful piece of art. From the very start, when Gray starts down the wrong path it’s nothing overt. It starts with the simple offering of a cigarette, and slowly you see how Lord Henry starts to manipulate Gray’s thoughts and actions. At first like many of us Gray rejects the idea we should indulge in any and all sensation of the flesh, but the truth of the matter is like Gray we succumb to the pressure of the people around us to be the same.
This is how Lord Henry manages to infiltrate his thoughts about his appearance and how someday without his youth he will be nothing but a shell of a man. Gray slowly turns from a young impressionable gentleman into a prideful seeker of the sensations of the flesh.
The picture painted of him in the movie you only see about three times, and you don’t get to see the end result of his life in the painting until the end of the movie, but the director through dialog and camera angle let you know the horrifying ramifications happening to the painting due to Gray’s choices in life.
The movie really made you think about “what do I really look like.” Not the surface stuff like your hair or your skin, but on the inside. When Gray first realizes that the painting is the reflection of his sin, at first he embraces it and for years delves into the worst the world has to offer. Director Oliver Park shows us this through quick cuts and flashes that show you the depravity and dispair Gray goes through over a 30 year period without aging.
It’s at this point the movie really started to make me uncomfortable. I started to ask myself “if I didn’t have to face the consequences of my sin would I do the same”, and then I got pissed because this is a movie and I’m here for entertainment. Still, watching Gray spiral down the hole of despair only to seek redemption when it was too late reminded me that this is the perfect example of why I love movies so much. Not only was I being entertained but it provoked thoughts and emotions on an emotional level.
This movie is based off of a brilliant novel, and we all know the movie is never better then the book, but this movie we make you take pause. You might find yourself questioning if you are making the right choices or is your pride ruining your soul and the relationships around you. I recommend this movie for anyone over 16 years old, but I would say wait for the DVD so you can really sit and enjoy everything Dorian Gray has to offer.
I would give this movie 3.5 out of 5 popcorns