The Picture of Dorian Gray

The movie, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is based upon the gothic horror novel by Oscar Wilde. It portrays the classic struggle for external beauty and the sacrifices some deem worthy for endless youth. The handsome Dorian Gray begins the movie a moral person. Everyone has their faults and Dorian was no exception to this but he was an overall good person. The trouble begins when Dorian is having his portrait painted by Basil Hallward and is introduced to Lord Henry Wotton who shares his ideas about beauty and youth. The unfortunate realization that youth and beauty are fleeting traits cause Dorian to wish his portrait will age instead of his body. Dorian’s wish is granted and as his sins increase, including seduction and murder, his portrait becomes more and more jarring to look at. While Dorian stays as handsome as ever, his portrait grows more grotesque with each evil deed until it is barely recognizable. In an act to save the woman he loves, Dorian stabs his portrait in the heart. When he is discovered dead next to his portrait, it is revealed that he had become what he feared for so long, aged. His portrait returned to its original state while Dorian’s face became ugly and disfigured. I felt the message of this movie was that there is more to life than looking beautiful and that you should be satisfied with what you have.
The scene I found the most captivating in this movie was in the beginning half after Dorian had already proposed to Sibyl Vane. Dorian was all set to marry Sibyl until he talks with Lord Henry, who convinces him that life is all about pleasures and that marriage will not lead to anything other than misery. It is at that point that Lord Henry devises a plan for Dorian to follow that will seduce his fiancée. The scene plays out as follows: Sibyl meets Dorian in his study and he reads her a poem. Dorian then asks Sibyl to stay with him that night and when she politely turns him down, he becomes cold and indifferent and asks her to “let herself out”. Sibyl is confused and hurt so she returns to him for the night in order to please him. The next morning he writes her a note ending their engagement. The interesting part of this scene is how most people are manipulating each other with the exception of Sibyl who sadly just fell in love with the wrong guy. Lord Henry influenced Dorian to commit his first evil act by using his fiancée to satisfy his lust. Dorian then manipulates Sibyl to get what he wants and when he is done he simply breaks up with her and moves on. This act starts Dorian’s quest for all the pleasures of life and the portrait begins to reflect that. This scene foreshadows Sibyl’s fate along with Dorian’s. Sibyl was so distraught from Dorian’s letter that it appeared she would do something drastic and Dorian seemed so clam and nonchalant about his actions that it was clear he would only continue to get worse as time goes on. It is amazing how one justified misdeed can lead to a lifetime of similar actions.