"Life is a moment. There is no hereafter. So make it burn always with the hardest flame." - Lord Henry Wotton
The film drops us straight into the dark secrets of Dorian Gray with the murderous scene of Dorian, in a dark and isolated attic; repeatedly plundering a shard from his mirror into his loyal friend, Basil.
The emotions on Dorian's (Ben Barnes) face show nothing but pure evil and corruption as he brutally murders Basil. The innocence and purity Dorian Gray has already been lost leading us to urge for the answers to his corruption.
What has he been through? Why has he done this?
The next scene shows us how Dorian has hidden the body, as he struggles to lift the leaking chest of Basil's blood and body parts into the carriage. A tense scene is created as a police officer offers to help Dorian lift the chest into the carriage as it shows the blood dripping from it. Dark orchestral music plays to also build the tension, however this music seems to be repeated often throughout the movie.
He arrives at a dockyard, another classic thriller location, an isolated dockyard. Here he hides away his secrets, casting them along with the dead body of Basil to the bottom of the sea.The opening of the film is a basically, summarized version of the scene later on in the movie. This creating the mystery and causes us to ask the main question.Who is this Dorian Gray?
One Year Earlier...
The young, handsome and elegant Dorian appears from the train, the purity and innocent look on his face also contributes to the mystery, making us wonder what is to come that will corrupt the life of Dorian Gray. Oliver Parker decides to show the chest to create a mystery using a prop, however we already know the part in which the chest plays in his corruption later on in the movie.His old fashioned dress sense, the horse carriage and the buildings of London sets the story in or around the Victorian age.
Oliver Parker decides to show a small view of London with the Thames in the background, he uses the Thames to show a clear line of segregation between the rich and the poor. The camera shows the carriage arriving in the rich part of London; defining Dorian's wealth-fare, besides his elegant attire and a horse carriage, also a clear sign of his wealth.
Dorian has returned to his home city after inheriting his wealth and new manor from the death of his father. We are brought to a locked attic, where we witness a flashback of Dorian's childhood, another classic scene for a thriller. His harsh and brutal upbringing is shown to us through a flashback of Dorian being beaten as a little boy by his father, of which explains the scars, merely shown on his back later in the film. This could also be a reason for Dorian's ease of being manipulated into corruption.
We are then introduced to the beloved and friendly Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin), a well known painter who ironically painted the portrait of Dorian's father. Dorian is then persuaded to meet the Lord's and Ladies where he performs his musical skills on the piano, here Basil sketches him as he plays.
The Ladies are flattered by the charms and looks of Dorian of which draws attention from Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), who drops straight into offering Dorian a cigarette, first of all a classic thriller prop and secondly the first signs corruption.
After the performance, we are brought back to the portrait of Dorian being painted. At this moment, Wotton pays a visit insisting that he and Dorian should have a drink.We are then brought into the dark streets of London, the poor district where they visit the pub for a drink, an old, dark, broken down and gloomy shack for the drunken workers. Basil leaves to finish off the painting as Wotton corrupts the mind of Dorian; the beginning of the end, of which Wotton quotes 'burn always with the hardest flame' as Dorian gazes upon Sibyl, his future bride.
The next scene is an important part to the movie, here Basil has completed the perfection of his portrait of Dorian Gray. However, as glorious as the portrait is, Wotton continues to corrupt the Dorian into binding his soul to the devil for immortality.With a flicker of flames as Dorian accepts to sell his soul, a glow from the eyes of the portrait appears to show he has been gifted with everlasting life.
The key to the story of Dorian Gray.
We are then brought back to the old and rotten part of London, where we find Dorian in search for Sibyl, though she was not hard to find being the lead role at a small theatre, playing the role of Aphelia in Hamlet. The young Dorian immediately falls for her, and decides to marry her at the first chance he gets, the boring part of the thriller, long story short after a few meetings and a sex scene, they get engaged. However, he cuts his hand on a please of glass of which he bandages up, which is significant to later on in the film where the cut appears on the painting and vanishes from his hand.
A little celebration/bachelor party occurs a few days later, here we see Dorian with his guardian angel, Basil and his devil, Henry. In one ear we hear Basil congratulating Dorian on his engagement and in the other, Henry pointing out the other beautiful women that Dorian could take.
The young Dorian is easily persuaded and falls to corruption, of which brings us to our next scene where Henry takes Dorian to a brothel. The tension builds as they expected to be at Sibyl's performance as they are smothered by prostitutes; although at first Dorian shows hesitation leading us to think, finally he is going to control himself. However; it is obvious and yet again Dorian falls to Henry's persuasion, resulting in drug-taking and cheating.
They arrive at the theatre back in time for the end of Sibyl's show, where Dorian, Sibyl and Henry propose a toast for their engagement. The scene is tense between Dorian and Sibyl due to the mentioning of children and the change of personality in Dorian; this leads to the accusation of cheating on of which Dorian denies and charges out of the theatre. We see Henry overseeing the drama, looking entertained as if his "plan" is taking action.
He arrives back at his humble abode with a party of friends and women, however there is an unexpected appearance of Sibyl's brother James. Dorian is confused of his arrival and is completely oblivious to the spiteful looks and grieving of James; of which leads us to know a catastrophe has occurred... Sibyl has committed suicide, drowning herself in the river, quite ironic as she plays the role of Aphelia in Hamlet.
Through a series of emotional and violent shots, James is left unconscious after trying to strangle Dorian to death. Here Dorian is left grieving, frightened and weak, of which Wotton immediately lectures him into believing that the death of Sibyl is the start of Dorian's freedom. Leading to the next morning where Dorian is greeted by Basil; however he shows no signs of grieving or any emotions towards the death of Sibyl in any way.
This is the start of Dorian being lost within the corruption of Henry Wotton.
Dorian's corruption - sex, drugs, murder.
Years later
Wotton's daughter
Death of Dorian
To be completed.....
