The original 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' is a fascinating watch with its theme and subject matter, where the presentation of the film is brilliant being consistent throughout while brimming with atmosphere. Made in 1945, sure there were some cliche moments, but I was genuinely impressed by some of the camera shots and techniques used particularly with in the scene with the sphynx, Dorian Grey and the staircase set up in middle, foreground and background respectively.
The presentation of Dorian Gray was particularly intriguing as we see him in the beginning as a fine gentlemen before being confronted by thoughts of temptation that ultimately lead him to damnation. The theme of how one's face reflects their true character is definitely apparent as the two portraits do a fine job in reflecting this transition, where the use technicolour contributes to the dramatic presence and contrast of the portrait while never feeling out of place.
Overall, I enjoyed watching the original Dorian Gray and while I have yet to see the modern adaptation, I feel it did a great job in presenting such an intriguing plot while raising some key concepts.
2 comments:
Another adaptation of the Dorian Gray story by Matthew Bourne, who did a ballet version of Edward Scissorhands, which I saw at Sadlers Wells - it was absolutely magical; haven't seen this Dorian, but it looks suitably decadent!
http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Matthew-Bournes-Dorian-Gray-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4kZizQE9HI
also - check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xplJTrut-ss
(at the end of the performance, snow was released from the ceiling and filled the auditorium... amazing, breathtaking stuff!)
Looks like a pretty interesting way to portray the story of Dorian Gray, I'm intrigued to know how they present the contrast in the portraits as it looks like a pretty modern take.
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