The Portrait of Dorian Gray (2009)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The portrait of Dorian Gray |
| Original title | Dorian Gray |
 | |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| Publishing year | 2009 |
| length | 112 minutes |
| Age rating |
FSK 16 JMK 14 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Oliver Parker |
| script | Toby Finlay |
| production |
Barnaby Thompson , Alexandra Ferguson , Paul Brett |
| music | Charlie Mole |
| camera | Roger Pratt |
| cut | Guy Bensley |
| occupation | |
| |
The Portrait of Dorian Gray (Original title: Dorian Gray ) is a British film directed by Oliver Parker . It is a film adaptation of the novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde . The main roles were played by Ben Barnes and Colin Firth .
action
Dorian Gray, an unspoiled youth, enters the life of Victorian London . When his friend, the painter Basil Hallward, draws a portrait of him, he lightly promises that he will give everything, even his soul, if he can always remain so youthfully beautiful. In fact, he doesn't change from then on, even the scars of childhood abuse are gone. The dissolute lifestyle to which his patron Lord Henry Wotton seduced him did not change his appearance any more than the crimes he would soon commit. The portrait, however, which Dorian has now kept hidden in the locked attic, shows how he looked old at an early age with all the injuries. The first victim of his youth becomes his lover, the theater actress Sibyl Vane. After he violates her, the pregnant woman commits suicide. Henry has her brother Jim, who attacks Dorian and strangles, locked in a madhouse. After Dorian reveals the secret to his friend Basil, he murders Basil and sinks his body in the Thames .
After a trip around the world, during which he continued to indulge in debauchery, he returned to London disaffected, but outwardly unchanged. He meets Henry Wotton's daughter Emily, with whom he falls in love. Tired of pleasure, Dorian tries a fresh start, but old habits and old enemies prevent this. Even Henry is no longer kind to him. Jim, released from the madhouse, recognizes Dorian. At the first encounter Dorian can talk his way out of his youthful appearance, but he loses the cigarette case with his name engraved on it. The next time he meets him, Jim shoots him. Dorian is able to escape to the London Underground , where Jim is run over by a train. Dorian runs to Emily and finds comfort there. Henry refuses his daughter's connection, however. After discovering changes to the portrait in an old photo, he tries to find out the secret of Dorian Gray.
Since Dorian and Emily want to emigrate to America , he uses a farewell party to sneak into Dorian's house. He finds the painting, but is provided by Dorian. In the ensuing fight, Henry discovers Basil's blood-encrusted scarf. During the fight he succeeds in revealing the image, it shows Dorian's outdated, maggot-eaten face, decayed to a terrible ugliness. Henry lights the portrait, locks Dorian in and also opens a gas pipe. Dorian destroys his image and dies in the flames, while his appearance slowly changes to that of the portrait, but the picture again shows the original young Dorian Gray.
production
The portrait of Dorian Gray was shot from summer to October 2008. Filming locations were Ealing Studios and various locations in London . The National Lottery part-funded the film with £ 500,000 through the UK Film Council.
The film opened in the UK on September 9, 2009 and grossed around £ 3 million by December 6, 2009. In Germany it was released on April 15, 2010. The film drama started in Austrian cinemas on June 10, 2010, around two months late .
criticism
The film magazine Cinema writes: “Oliver Parker [...] sticks to the structure of the original, but his uninspired adaptation only marginally touches on the philosophical ideas of the book and instead relies on cheap shock effects. The powerless staging and the pale actors bury this classic of world literature instead of reviving it. "
Filmstarts.de says: " The portrait of Dorian Gray is superficial and dreadfully reactionary Gothic horror, which only hints at the narcissism parable of the original, but with a playful supporting cast and chic equipment at least gently entertains."
On Deutschlandradio Kultur it says about the film adaptation of the novel: “Now a new British film is coming to the cinemas, which tries to appeal to a younger generation with lots of special effects. Oliver Parker overcame himself a little, especially towards the end. He lumps too much and spills too little. "
In its review, Der Spiegel judged: "The latest film adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic The Portrait of Dorian Gray tries to make a noble horror film, but fails because of the casting of the main role." The Spiegel's filmreviewalso states: “It doesn't help that director Parker styles the whole thing as a magnificently equipped high-end horror film and has a few successful horror moments and some demonstratively tasteful sex scenes ready. Above all else, this film wants to look good - and it does - but it doesn't seem to care much about the inner workings of its main character. The soul is missing. "
Critic.de sums it up in its review: “The result is a film that reaches the target group-specific Twilight level and is aesthetically reminiscent of Burton's Sweeney Todd . [...] The sexualized evil reveals itself in briefly cut S&M scenes and similar 'shocking' material, which is so ridiculous in its intensity that it causes fear and anxiety for the imagination of the author and director. "
Web links
- The Picture of Dorian Gray in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Daniel Sander: Inside ugly on Spiegel Online from March 15, 2010
- The portrait of Dorian Gray in the German synchronous index
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Release for The Portrait of Dorian Gray . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , April 2010 (PDF; test number: 122 367 K).
- ↑ Age designation for The Portrait of Dorian Gray . Youth Media Commission .
- ↑ Cf. screenafrica.com ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Cf. ukfilmcouncil.org ( memento of the original from January 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ cinema.de : The portrait of Dorian Gray. Movie review.
- ^ Filmstarts.de : The portrait of Dorian Gray. Movie review.
- ↑ The Portrait of Dorian Gray . On: Deutschlandradio Kultur , April 14, 2010. Accessed October 3, 2013.
- ↑ Film adaptation of the novel "The Portrait of Dorian Gray": Inside ugly . In: Der Spiegel , April 15, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
- ^ Film review on Critic.de, March 3, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2013.
