Blue Devil's production of Dorian Gray is reconstructed in the '60's. Dorian is a wannabe pop star; Sybil Vane finally has a decent part and is an older actress, secretly married to her younger man. But all this is about to change horrifically.
In gaying/queering up the production, the ethics and morality of the play are sharply exposed, like poor Basil's skeleton will be later on. In a previous version, Dorian was a vlogging English student espoused by creepy older men who wanted to hitch a ride on his trajectory. In Dorian 1965, if you really think about it; powerful men promote and market Dorian; break up his happy marriage and push him into embracing moral destruction and decay and using and abusing everyone around him whilst wearing a veneer of charm. This is beyond grooming; it's horrific.
Like Adam and Eve seeking eternal life and to live free in the Garden of Eden, Dorian uses his perfect painting to hide his true behaviour and heart as he behaves monstrously, corrupting and destroying his wife and her career and talents; breaking his marriage; abusing friendship and love for his own sadism and needs, and purely for the feel of power. Underneath the 1960s grooviness, (a mixture of Blow Up and British kitchen sink plays in mood), the real nastiness and indeed viciousness of Dorian Gray is seen as he decays morally and manipulates everyone around him.
Harry, for all his outward charm, is similarly seen as repellent and deceitful as he and Dorian challenge each other over moral codes, then cling to the one thing they won't do - for Harry - murder; for Dorian - abusing his own daughter.
Though missing the dramatic destruction of the painting at the end and the Jekyll to Hyde reverse transformation; this version gave back Dorian Gray its guts and morality. The production is wonderfully filmed - moving between black and white to technicolor for the 1970s and back to monotone for the '90s. The filmed version has some wonderful filmic touches (mimicking '60s and '70s film styles) and yet gives us enough to feel that we are still watching a play. Really well edited - as the 'audience' the camera and editing are always where you want to be positioned and perfectly poised to keep you engaged, and yet still in theatre mode. Costuming and hair also deserve a special mention - for giving a sense of era and for time passing.
Though Maximus Polling (who seems to specialise in eye popping full frontals) is beautifully charming, he unleashes the vicious nastiness and repellent manipulative side in full force; almost becoming an idol/sculptural form that Basil worships. Sybil Vane's avenging brother has vanished to be replaced by a blackmailed and deranged former lover, previously a married BBC arts journalist; who experiences the worst from the shameful Mr Gray.
At the end Dorian seems to want to repent, but Harry is a false priest and offers no absolution, no hope; just further moral degradation for the show of it; (almost thrilled by the depths to which Dorian will go), and ultimately rejection as ...he too has principles to stand on!
Reverse it and what Wilde is really saying is that true friendship, marriage, nurturing relationships are important and to be valued, and the real horror in this play is when these things are destroyed by a desire for youth, fame, social brilliance and popularity. I wonder if Wilde was ramping up his own experiences here as a sudden celebrity, wit about town and esteemed playwright - to not be valued for himself by so many grasping men and women (theatre owners, critics, society hostesses and forth), but only for the appearance he could make.
Moral of the story: don't love Dorian Gray.....
Comments