The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of our all time favorite books. The story of this corrupted young man who wanted to stay young and beautiful forever is fascinating. We first watched the 1945 version several years ago not long after reading the book for the first time.
Lord Henry Hotton arrives to the house of his painter friend, Basil Hallward where he sees for the first time the portrait of an extraordinary beautiful young man, Dorian Gray. The painter is clearly infatuated with his model which makes Hotton even more curious and eager to meet him.
From the first moment they set eyes on each other, it’s clear these two will have a strong bond. After a conversation about life and youth, Dorian will seal his fate wishing that his portrait would get old instead of him. Lord Henry will easily drag him to his hedonistic world. A life of vice and sin starts…
This movie is considered by many the best adaptation of the book (at least until now!) and one of the reasons of its success is the chemistry between Lord Henry and young Dorian Gray. The master and its pupil. The way Hurd Hatfield looks expectantly at Hotton waiting for praise and good counsel is brilliant. Just like the visible fascination the older man has for the beauty of Dorian.
George Sanders does an incredible job has the witty Lord Henry Hutton. The blasé aristocrat who pursues constantly a life of pleasure without any care for the consequences charms and repels with his provocative opinions which often cause dismay among his pairs. His lazy posture and careful speech clearly show he seems at ease in his role, delivering an amazing performance.
Hatfield’s Dorian is perhaps a little too rigid during some scenes with Sibyl but when Lord Henri is around, his face seems to shine with pleasure. His quiet elegance and unemotional attitude can be a bit disturbing sometimes… The way he looks at Basil when he sees the painting is so calculating and cruel. But in the final scene, the array of emotions on his face are subtle but almost overwhelming.
After watching so many episodes of Murder, She Wrote, it’s always a surprise to see the wonderful Angela Lansbury as the innocent and generous actress Sibyl Vane. She tries to bring out the best from Dorian without much success. He is only interested in her talent and how that makes him feel, scorning her at the very first occasion.
My only complaint would be the settings of the Victorian London East End that seem almost picturesque and far from the reality, however nothing that really spoil the atmosphere of the scenes.
Besides the sterling performances of the entire cast, this adaptation really captures the spirit of the book which is not an easy task. A must-see for fans of the book and for those who always enjoy a good movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037988/
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I don’t know why but THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is the novel most of my students like best when we study 19th century English literature. Or maybe I know why … it’s an incredible evergreen clasissic, and intriguing thrilling story which deserves to be read and enjoyed … As for period movies, I’ve never seen any good adaptation so far. I have to try this one, then!