Dorian Gray: Morality takes a back seat

There is no pleasure to be found in everything that is moral and good, or at least that seems to be the message that screams out the most from Dorian Gray, the 2009 movie which is based on the Oscar Wilde classic novel titled The Picture of Dorian Gray. However, it is debatable whether the key message is to live life in the moment and not worry about its consequences, or in fact, the message could be that every action we take is a seed sown towards our final outcome. But the message to take away from the story is entirely relevant to the perception from which it is watched.

Dorian Gray is a young man who is blessed with good looks and has recently come into a large fortune owing to the death of his grandfather. He moves to London to live in the house he has inherited where he is surprised and impressed by the fast paced and modern lifestyle. At one of the social gatherings he is invited to, he meets Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton who become his companions in this new life. Basil, an artist by profession, offers to paint a portrait of Dorian in the likeness of one owned by his grandfather, while Henry begins to influence Dorian’s perceptions about morality and pleasure. In this mix, Dorian vehemently states that he would be willing to sell his soul to forever keep the beauty that he perceives in his finished portrait. Henry continues to influence Dorian’s ideas of morality and leads him into a path of decadence and debauchery. As Dorian’s sins and age start to catch up, he realises that he no longer ages but his portrait bears the marks of his life, leading him to spiral further into his hedonic lifestyle.

While the plot stays afloat with decent performances by the cast, the movie lacks any conviction or flair. With multiple instances of terribly shoddy editing, abrupt transitions and a finale which is a huge letdown from the build up of the plot, Dorian Gray isn’t really one for the keeping.

Whether to be taken as an adaptation of a famous piece of work which managed to refocus society’s take on morality, or just another Hollywood drama-fantasy, is entirely up to the audience watching it. The experience of watching this 2009 adaptation can be worth the watch or a complete waste of time; it all depends on the perception.