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Reviewed by Ivana Redwine
Tagline: "The story of the first modern man." Length: 118 minutes The movie "Wilde" (1997) is a biopic about Irish-born Oscar Wilde, one of the towering figures of late 19th-century English letters. Among his famous works are the plays "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "An Ideal Husband," the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray," and the poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol." Wilde was also the central figure in a sensational criminal trial, which ended in his being sentenced to two years at hard labor for engaging in homosexual activities that were illegal in Victorian England. Now Columbia TriStar is releasing a special edition DVD version of "Wilde" on March 19, 2002, which I thoroughly enjoyed watching recently at home. Beautifully shot with lush production values, "Wilde" chronicles a period of about 16 years in the writer's life, beginning in 1883. Early in the movie Wilde (Stephen Fry, in a memorable performance) marries Constance Lloyd (Jennifer Ehle), and they have two sons. But one evening somewhere along the way, Wilde is seduced by a young houseguest named Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen), apparently causing Wilde to confront for the first time the sexual attraction he had felt toward young men for years. Wilde's literary career soon starts to soar, and in 1892 he meets the love of his life in the person of Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Jude Law, in a fine performance), who eventually introduces Wilde to the world of male brothels. Eventually, there is a confrontation between Bosie's father and Wilde that results in the writer's 1895 conviction for homosexual activities based on the testimony of male prostitutes. During Wilde's trial, the prosecution quotes from one of his poems where he calls homosexuality "the love that dare not speak its name." The final part of the movie sketches the writer's two years in prison and his subsequent exile to the continent, where he goes into decline. The dialogue often sparkles with the sharp wit of Wilde's words, but the screenplay is choppy and piles on expository historical detail. I would have preferred something more psychological/literary that delved into Wilde, the man, and the prices he paid for the choices he made. I thought the film was especially strong when it focused on how Wilde's choice of lifestyle impacted his wife and children. Some of the expressions on Stephen Fry's face speak volumes about the complex emotions Wilde must have felt. With an actor of Fry's caliber in the title role, I just felt that the film could have done more with Wilde's inner turmoil. The special edition DVD comes with several good bonus materials, which are listed below. I found the audio commentary by director Brian Gilbert, writer Julian Mitchell, lead actor Stephen Fry, and producer Mark Samuelson to be particularly helpful. I thought their relaxed, freewheeling commentary was among the best I've heard on any DVD. The DVD also has two documentary featurettes, one made at the time of the film's theatrical release and the other made especially for the DVD, and both are worth watching. Selected Special Features on the DVD:
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