"The Picture of Dorian Gray isn't awful, though it's certainly an instance in which an outright debacle would have made a much more interesting film." - Fernando F. Croce

Lewin's stately original remains the best of several adaptations of Wilde's darkly witty fable.

Wilde's novel receives as perceptive a treatment as could be expected from Lewin. Impeccably epigrammatic deliveries from Hatfield as Dorian and Sanders as an evil cad, plus the irresistible pathos of Lansbury's innocent songstress.

wow, that was hell fucked up when like the picture was all changing and shit but dorian wasn't

I wish we could see a bit more of Dorian Gray's corruption, but otherwise this a magnificent atmospheric tale with some wonderful reveals.

The vast array of Wilde's subject matter just doesn't quite fit into a 2-hour movie length feature. Most of the time it feels like we're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. But there are some great scenes, with excellent noirish lightning, some excellent script choices & social critique and the feeling of tragedy. It falls far short of being an out and out classic though.

I think there are significant episodes missing, but it already runs a bit long. Notable are the brief flashes of Technicolor. It's a nifty trick, and is wisely held back for special occasions. Less effective are the repeated ominous shots of the cat god statue. Hatfield gives a not particularly memorable performance, but one with a few nice subtleties. Sanders is the perfect choice for delivering Wilde's misanthropic quips. Very watchable and sometimes riveting, made me want to re-read the book.

Classic story that has more recently been remade to hell, but this version is a great film adaptation that is intriguing and frightening.

81.250

Always find that Oscar Wilde translates well to screen. This is a mediocre retelling that still contains a few decent performances.

An excellent adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel. Notice a few references to the author himself. Also, this is a nice decade piece for filmography, as you can see some shots, such as focus pieces such as a letter in front, as well as action in the background. Amazing story.

Excellent film.

Decent adaptation of a book that deserves better. The Egyptian cat thing was stupid.

Good Movie, Angela Lansbury singing that yellow bird song got stuck in my head

Reminiscent of classic tragedy, it acts upon a basic fear to bring out its horror and truth. Its rare that consistent narration works this well, a credit to the filmmaking here, also delivers a remarkable cast [George Sanders steals the show] and camera technique.

Though I must admit I prefer "the Photocopy of dorian gray's arse". Extra points if you know where that comes from