The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray wishes, on the day his portrait is finished, never to age. The wish is granted: the years pass and his face does not change, while anyone looking at the painting sees something else. Wilde's idea survives intact here, but the film's real power comes from a technical decision. The production is in black and white. In four shots only, the moments when the portrait is displayed, it switches to three strip Technicolor. That sudden burst of colour is the strongest thing in it, because the audience does not see the picture as Dorian sees it, they see more than he does. The corrupted version was painted by Ivan Le Lorraine Albright and took over a year to complete; the youthful one was by Henrique Medina. Albert Lewin directed. The film won the Oscar for black and white cinematography from three nominations, with Angela Lansbury nominated in the supporting category. Its flaw is that the narration explains the text too thoroughly, and Dorian's moral collapse is mostly stated rather than shown. Who it is for: viewers who like classic gothic adaptation. Who it is not for: anyone who needs pace.