GAY
FILM REVIEWS BY MICHAEL D. KLEMM
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GAY
FILM REVIEWS BY MICHAEL D. KLEMM
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Wilde Sony Pictures, 1997 Director:: Screenplay: Starring:
Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Jennifer Ehle, Rated R, 118 minutes |
Love
That Dares Not Speak Its Name
"A
wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious
attractiveness of others."
The past years have seen a resurgence in all things Oscar, and Buffalo United Artists is currently producing the Buffalo premiere of Moises Kauffman's Off-Broadway hit, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. For those who are interested in more about the author's life, and do not have the time to read Richard Ellmann's lengthy critical biography, there are three film versions available to choose from. Two films about Wilde were made almost simultaneously in 1959/1960. The first, Oscar Wilde, starred Robert Morley in an exuberant and flamboyant performance that certainly captured my vision of the man when I first saw the film 15 years ago. Movies were not as free as they are now to depict gay love, and so at least half of the film was devoted to the writer's trials for "gross indecency." The same, reportedly, is true of The Trials of Oscar Wilde, which starred Peter Finch. I was unable to rent this film, but Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video states that "the film amazingly tones down considerably the gay implications and offers instead an elaborate and intriguing courtroom drama."
Oscar Wilde was, of course, the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as numerous plays, including The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windemere's Fan and An Ideal Husband. Wilde was married ("I do need an audience") and fathered two boys. He was both a devoted husband and father, but he also enjoyed many gay affairs on the side. Wilde worshipped youth and beauty and he was often surrounded by young men. It was what Wilde called the "noblest sort of love," harking back to the Greeks when the younger man was often nurtured and educated by an older man.
The emphasis in Wilde is not the trial, but his personal life, particularly his stormy relationship with Boise. One of its greatest strengths is that it does not present Wilde as the usual bitchy stereotype. Instead, we see Wilde as a man of great passion and warmth - egotistical yes - and deeply complex. To Wilde, his life was also his art, and he pursued it with gusto. Yet despite his predilection for young men, he is also seen as both a devoted husband and father. Mitchell's script is remarkable in that it manages to tell the story without being one-sided. Wilde was by no means, perfect. While he indulges his pleasures, his wife and children are seen home alone and abandoned. Scenes of high society are contrasted with Wilde's forays into cheap hotels where he is enchanted by an assortment of "rent boys." His first homosexual seduction is preceded by a scene in which he passionately kisses his wife and proclaims his love.
But, like the giant in his tale, he could also be warm and loving, and was also quite capable of redemption. The children's tale both comments on, and sums up, Wilde's character while giving the audience a taste of the artist's elegant prose. There is much to admire in this film. Sexual scenes are presented frankly without any attempt to be "shocking." Wilde is not portrayed as a flaming queen. He is also not viewed as a lecher, nor is he seen as a complete angel. He flaunts unconventionality in the face of a stuffy and uptight Victorian society. An early scene shows Wilde stylishly dressed, and boldly walking through a small crowd of identically dressed Lords wearing black robes and wigs. His wit and his intelligence, combined with his arrogance, eventually does him in. Pursuing the lawsuit against Boise's father, especially in Victorian England, was an act of insane stupidity. As a result, he throws his life away, all for his love of Boise, a young and undeserving viper.
The public outrage over Wilde's activities had as much to do with class as it did with sex. The gasps heard in the courtroom make it clear that it wasn't just that Wilde had sex with men, he had sex with valets and stable boys! Gasp! Wilde is seen as a threat to society, corrupting its youth with dangerous ideas. The same society which gave him a standing ovation on the opening night of his play now curses and spits on him as he leaves the courtroom. Much less time is spent on his trial than in the previous films and the final scenes of Oscar's ruin are painful to watch.
Previous works about Oscar Wilde made him too foppish, this one seems much more human. As for the film's accuracy, I leave that to scholars to debate. But Wilde is a very entertaining and intelligent movie that may change many preconceived notions about the man. Wilde was screened in Buffalo for only one week last year, but at least it can now be rented on video. Because there is no mention whatsoever on the video tape box of Wilde's sexuality, you can find it for rent at your local Blockbuster Video.
More from playwright
Julian Mitchell: More from Jude
Law: More from Vanessa
Redgrave:
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The
renowned playwright/poet/novelist Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) has long been
the subject of serious studies in books, dramas and films. His literary
stature is unquestioned, as is his fame for his often caustic wit. Josephine
Hogan, muse of Buffalo's 
The new film, Wilde, directed
by Brian Gilbert, is a revelation. Based on the Ellmann biography, Julian
Mitchell (
Wilde's
biggest mistake was falling in love with Lord Alfred (Boise) Douglas,
a spoiled young aristocrat who both loved and manipulated his mentor.
Boise's father was the Marquess of Queensberry, a nasty and threatening
man who disapproved of Wilde's influence on his son. When the Marquess
left a card with the words "Oscar Wilde, posing as a somdomite [sic]"
at Wilde's hotel, Boise talked Wilde into suing his father for libel.
During the course of the trial, Wilde's affairs were revealed in detail,
and the writer was sentenced to two years in prison at hard labor. He
died a few years after his release. 
Using
Wilde's own prose, the screenwriter comes very close to summing up the
artist through a recurring narrative device. His masterstroke was to have
Wilde recite his charming children's story, The Selfish Giant,
on the soundtrack during key moments of the film. He is first seen telling
this story to his children. Then, his wife is reading it aloud to the
children from a published book while he is living in the West End. We
next hear the tale when Boise spends a holiday abroad; Oscar has returned
to his family, and the giant's selfishness, along with his new redemption,
is recited on the soundtrack. Later, as Wilde labors in prison, the fable
has reached the end where the giant is old and dying. Wilde was definitely
a giant, and he was often selfish. 
Boise,
as he appears throughout the film, is beautiful, charming, yet sometimes
icy and cold. I was reminded of Wilde's description of the first change
in Dorian Gray's portrait: the face remains splendidly handsome but with
a touch of cruelty in the eyes and the mouth. Dramatic licenses are surely
taken, but this version certainly depicts Boise as being the catalyst
of Wilde's downfall. During Boise's absence, Wilde returns to his family
and writes two of his finest plays. As soon as Boise returns, he neglects
both and returns to a life of wild abandon. 
Openly
gay actor Stephen Fry is superb in the title role. His portrait of the
artist is one of the richest characterizations I have seen on the screen
in years. He captures Wilde's flamboyance without overdoing it. Robert
Morley's "larger-than-life" portrayal in Oscar Wilde
was also wonderful, but Fry's performance is more subtle and more suited
to the film medium. The acting by all is exemplary, and Wilde
boasts terrific performances from