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Wilde - Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Gilbert
Threat advisory: Severe - Severe risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
In 1883, Irish-born Oscar Wilde (Stephen Fry) returned to London bursting with exuberance from a year-long lecture tour of North America. Full of talent, passion and, most of all, full of himself, he courted and married the beautiful Constance Lloyd (Jennifer Ehle).
A few years later, Robert Ross (Michael Sheen), a young Canadian house guest, tempted Oscar and forced him to confront his homosexual feelings that had gripped him since his school-days. Oscar's work thrived on the realisation that he was gay but his private life flew increasingly in the face of the decidedly anti-gay conventions of late Victorian society. Then he was re-introduced to handsome young Oxford undergraduate Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Jude Law). Instantly mesmerised by the confident, dashing and intelligent young man, Oscar began the passionate and stormy relationship which consumed him and ultimately destroyed him.
Persons of interest
- Stephen Fry .... Oscar Wilde
- Jude Law .... Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas
- Vanessa Redgrave .... Lady Speranza Wilde
- Jennifer Ehle .... Constance Lloyd Wilde
- Gemma Jones .... Lady Queensberry
- Judy Parfitt .... Lady Mount-Temple
- Michael Sheen .... Robbie Ross
- Zoë Wanamaker .... Ada Leverson
- Tom Wilkinson .... Marquess of Queensberry
- Ioan Gruffudd .... John Gray
- Matthew Mills .... Lionel Johnson
- Jason Morell .... Ernest Dowson
- Peter Barkworth .... Charles Gill
- Robert Lang .... CO Humphreys
- Philip Locke .... Judge
- David Westhead .... Edward Carson
- Jack Knight .... Cyril Wilde
- Jackson Leach .... Cyril Wilde, aged 4
- Laurence Owen .... Vyvyan Wilde
- Benedict Sandiford .... Alfred Wood
- Mark Letheren .... Charles Parker
- Michael Fitzgerald .... Alfred Taylor
- Orlando Bloom .... Rent boy
- Oscar Wilde .... Short storywriter: The selfish giant
- Richard Ellmann .... Author
- Julian Mitchell .... Screenwriter
- Brian Gilbert .... Director
Cinematic intelligence sources
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
Pearls before swine.
All throughout history there have been examples of small-minded people destroying what they don't understand, of untalented fools attacking genius. The case of Oscar Wilde is one such event.
One of the most brilliant writers and speakers ever produced by the English speaking world, Oscar was Loved for being unique, hated for being different, as the advertising blurb goes. Some 80 years after his death, his wit is unparalleled, his plays are devastatingly funny, his children's stories are astounding. Stephen brings this man to life on the screen, not only physically (the resemblance is astounding) but mentally (delivery to die for).
Equally as fascinating to watch is Jude as the spoilt, passionate and excessively beautiful Bosie. (The scene when the two first meet is brilliant for its unspoken subtleties). Jude ranges from lost boy tears to lunatic violence and also has that incredible English talent for putting more syllables in a word than there are letters.
The dialogue is lush, witty, and revealing, the locations and costumes evocative... I could rave about this film all day, as my use of adjectives will attest. The spooky part was that, having just finished a doomed relationship, I could see all the little touches between Oscar and Bosie that I so recently experienced myself.
This is one of the best films that you will see this year; a bold prediction for the 14th of January, but true nonetheless. If you have never read any Wilde then do, or catch a performance of one of his plays, but definitely see this film.
In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. - Oscar Wilde.
Security censorship classification
M (Medium level sex scenes, adult themes, low level coarse language)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 15 January 1998
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