The Portrait of Dorian Gray (1917)

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Movie
Original title The portrait of
Dorian Gray
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1917
length 86 minutes
Rod
Director Richard Oswald
script Richard Oswald
production Richard Oswald for Richard Oswald-Film GmbH
camera Max Fassbender
occupation

The Portrait of Dorian Gray is a German literary film adaptation by Richard Oswald from 1917, based on Oscar Wilde 's novel of the same name . Bernd Aldor embodies the title hero. It is the fifth film adaptation of the material.

action

The young Dorian Gray lives in London at the end of the 19th century. While the painter Basil Hallward is painting a portrait of him, Dorian meets his friend Lord Henry Wotton, who leads him to believe that youth is the only value in life. When the portrait is finished, Dorian wishes to be forever as young and beautiful as the picture shows him, while it should age in its place.

Dorian falls in love with the singer Sibyl Vane and plans to marry her, but leaves her again, causing the death of the young woman who loved him dearly. After Sybil's suicide, Dorian Gray notices the first change in his portrait, which now reflects a streak of meanness. Dorian realizes that his wish has been fulfilled and that his portrait has changed in his place. His perception leads to - he is still under the influence of Lord Henry Wotton - that he now only pursues his amusements and lives completely irresponsible. With his behavior, he also throws some of his friends into disaster.

He hides the image, which not only ages in its place, but also reveals the traces of his unscrupulous behavior. When his friend Basil Hallward persuades him to show him the portrait, Dorian Gray's mental deformation leads him to kill Hallward, the painter of the picture.

He blackmails a former friend to dispose of the body, who does the same, but shortly afterwards takes care of himself. Neither death is associated with Dorian Gray. However, Sibyl Vane's brother James has been looking for him since his sister's death. When James Vane is killed in an accident, Dorian realizes that there is now no one left who knows and can reveal his secret and that it will therefore remain undiscovered forever. But he also realizes how much damage he has caused other people.

Dorian then turns to his picture and stabs the heart of his fateful self-portrait with a knife in order to free himself from its influence, which at the same time ends his life. When it is found later, the portrait is back in the state it was painted by Basil Hallward. Dorian Gray's face, on the other hand, shows the features of an old man with all the traces of the changes that have taken place inside him.

background

Manfred Noa was responsible for the buildings , the production company was Richard Oswald-Film GmbH Berlin. The film had a length of five acts at 1,766 meters, which corresponds to about 86 minutes. The censorship test, like the premiere, took place in July 1917. The Berlin police imposed a youth ban on the film (No. 40776).

criticism

The cinematographer wrote in 1917 that Oswald had “treated the character of Dorian Gray with extraordinary love” and “brought her close” to the viewer. Oswald's work speaks of “great artistic and moral seriousness, which stamps her into a peculiar and valuable appearance.” Main actor Bernd Aldor was praised for being“the best representative one can think of for Dorian Gray. He pushes back all achievements, of which those of Messrs. Pittschau and Ludwig are to be mentioned as particularly noteworthy. "

The Lichtbild-Bühne also found that Aldor “did an excellent job” in the film, but assessed the director's performance as the main reason for the successful cinematic implementation of the novel. The portrait of Dorian Gray is more important than Oswald's Let there be light! and the director's performance "masterfully ...". Oswald has “achieved the goal”, “what Wilde seeks to reveal in such a subtle way in his work”, in the “five acts of his work [to imitate] the great master in the picture. He knew how to show even the finest nuances through his masterly direction and undoubtedly earned himself a credit in doing so ... "

Film distribution and other films

According to information on filmportal.de, the film still seems to exist.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Film length calculator , frame rate : 18
  2. ↑ Der Kinematograph , No. 549, July 4, 1917. Quoted from Critique I at filmportal.de.
  3. ↑ Lichtbild-Bühne , No. 26, June 30, 1917, cited above. after review II at filmportal.de
  4. ↑ Film distribution at filmportal.de