Discuss the differences between Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel. How are they different? Which version has the most impact upon you or appeals to you the most? Why? Write an essay of 250-300 words.
3/16/2016
【英史assignment #1】The Picture of Dorian Gray (deadline: 4/20)
Discuss the differences between Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel. How are they different? Which version has the most impact upon you or appeals to you the most? Why? Write an essay of 250-300 words.
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410202023 英美三 蘇郁惟 Yui
About the movie, I like to look the change of Gray. From an innocent big boy to a manipulative corrupted man. The actor construes this part very well. He acts very exquisitely. We can know Gray's change and soul from his eyes, speaking tone and what he dresses. Plus, the last part, the romance of Gray and Emily. When Gray told Emily: "You have my whole heart. A WHOLE HEART." This line is really through my bottom heart. I think this line implies that for Emily’s sake, Gray finds his heart again. Therefore, Gray kills himself with brave. So, the director leads this movie toward a happy ending not a dramatic sad ending like the novel.
However, the movie isn't perfect enough for its careless montage and makes audience feels some scenes are incoherent. And the sound effect is also a terrible thing in the movie. The gasp of the picture spoils the aesthetic feeling of the movie. Besides, the orgy scene is too exaggerating to make audience out of play.
On the other hand, looking back to the novel, it’s fantastic. For it is not like the movie, it wouldn’t limit your imagination. You can set free of your imagination. The scene which present the East end of 19th century in London, the attic which stores the evil picture, and how does Gray live his lustful life. In conclusion, I prefer the novel, because I can set free of my imagination. But the movie has its own point to enjoy.
410102031 英美四 孫婉容
First, in the film, an unimportant but crucial character, Alan Campbell, is deleted from the film. To me, I think the character can reflect a part of Oscar Wilde himself because of the same hideous homosexual relationship, but in the film, it’s really pity that the part of untold relationship doesn’t present on the screen. Plus, the scene that Campbell helps Dorian destroy the corpse more attracts me because it’s more imagery than the boring scene which the film depicts (Dorian throws Basil’s body into the river.)I think it’s a shame.
Second, I’m not really fond of the ending in the film because I love the way that novel narrates (Dorian’s servant witnesses the knife stabs in Dorian’s heart.), it successfully creates the horrible scene and strongly ironic that Dorian is finally dead no matter how he tries his best to preserve the perpetual young and youth. On the contrary, when I watched the film, I couldn’t feel the ironic scene but only impress about the disgusting scene that Basil’s death.
In sum, the novel appeals me the most.
410202029 英美三 邱亮勳
The atmosphere of the book and the movie are very similar because they are all the style of decadent and Gothic. However, I think the book appeals me the most because it interprets the temptation of Hedonism and the change of Dorian's soul are better than the movie. For example, Henry's revelation to Dorian: The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. When I read that I felt how frightful Henry is because he tries to manipulate and corrupt people's mind to offend public morality. And Dorian's behavior, thoughts and wearing influenced by Henry and that makes me imagine endless.
I think the most differences between the novel and the film are the characters, the portrait and the ending. First, Sibyl Vane has the same identity, actress, in the film and the fiction, but she met Dorian at the first time in the different place. One is at the theater, another is in the club and this means Dorian' s conscience is also different because Sibyle's beauty and phantom that he loved and fascinated in the book is more self-center. Second, Basil's trait of homosexual in the book is more obviously than the film because the words imply indirectly, such as " He is all my art to me now. " and " He is much more to me that. " Third, the portrait in the movie is more horrible than the book because it not only groans all the time but also has many worm to warn Dorian how dispirited and dissolute he is. Although movie's sound effect and animation effects are pretty cool, I still like to read the book that filled with my own imagination.
410202031 游皓宇 Allen
About The Movie “The Dorian Gray”, Dorian shows his different personalities. At first, he is a young man with a pure heart and good temper. He treats everyone well and everyone like him. However, Lord Henry leads him to an unexpected situation, including smoking, parties, brothels, and so on. Dorian is affected by Henry; his darkness in his mind comes out and reflects on his unbelievable behaviors. In my opinion, the movie tries to focus on the process of being corrupt; nonetheless, it’s too realistic for me.
Compare to the novel, the movie enhances some parts in order to catch audiences’ attention. For example, the part that Henry takes Dorian to the brothel is one of the evidence. I think that the director focuses too much on this part and distracts people’s attention. On the other hand, the words and scenario in the novel is more elegant and beautiful. The words give readers a lot of space to imagine the plots. We won’t be limited by the scene of the movies. At the same time, we can think deeply and critically, and find all the interesting points. I would like to see the novel instead of the movie.
About the picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian’s face in the painting is getting rotten every day. Nevertheless, Dorian in real life still looks well and handsome. This is kind of irony because the Dorian that we see is a fake, unveiled guy. When anyone tries to see his picture, he kills anyone who wants to see. The truth and the surface are quite different and horrible.
410202013 林靖瑜 Xavier
There are several differences between Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and the movie adaptation.
In the beginning of the novel, we are only able to see Dorian himself from Basil and Lord Henry’s perspectives. Basil ‘knew that he had come face to face with some one whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if he allowed it to do so, it would absorb his whole nature’ when he first met Dorian. We can understand that Dorian’s existence is not purely being beautiful; he has great influence on other people, especially Basil. This further exposes some clues for us, the readers, to know Basil’s affection towards Dorian, his homosexuality. On the other hand, Lord Henry once heard of this good-looking and earnest young fellow from his aunt. Through Basil’s confession to Henry, both of their personality gradually appears. Due to Henry’s corrupted and immoral ideas, Basil forbade him to see Dorian. However, tragedy is unavoidable, three of them met.
In comparison with the novel itself, the movie starts with the scene that Dorian stabs someone in a filthy way, and he places the body in a dressing case then dumps it into the river. After that, the story flashes back to the first time Dorian arrived London, and we can see how handsome and innocent he was. Through his memory, we recognize that his grandfather constantly abused him, and he is traumatized deeply. For me, the beginning of the movie directly shows Dorian’s future corruption and insanity, and produces irrelevant information; that not only looses its focus, but also brings bewilderment to the audience.
Though Ben Barnes’ acting skills and his appearance is upon standards; the interpretation of the character, Dorian Gray, in the movie is a total failure for me. In Wilde’s novel, the characters have their confusion, perplexity, and even struggle towards human nature. Dorian is implied to struggle for his sexuality, even after falling in love with Sybil Vane. Regardless of his chaotic condition, Lord Henry continues to hypnotize the confused boy with his spells; unlike the novel, Henry directly brings Dorian to the brothel and encourages him to commit something immoral in the movie. Furthermore, the action of locking his own portrait in the attic symbolizes that Dorian tries to cover up his sexual orientation. However, the movie takes away this struggle completely and simply portrays him as a debauched that gives away his soul to the devil and exchanges it for immortality. That is why I prefer the novel better, because it produces space for imagination.
410202042 康如儀 Kira
The film does not show important plots or symbols. First of all, in the beginning of the novel, Lord Henry often plucks a beautiful daisy. It means that the small flower just likes Dorian Gray who is innocent and beautiful and Lord Henry will lead Dorian to a terrible future. Second, Lord Henry does not give Dorian a yellow book. Because the yellow book is so critical to make Dorian more and more corrupt. In addition, some scenes of the film are so sentimental that destroy whole the film. And the picture of Dorian Gray in the film is not only ugly but also funny because the laughing of the picture is very ridiculous.
The novel impacts on me very much. Because the change of Dorian makes me astonished. At first, Dorian is an innocent boy, but he was influenced by Lord Henry’s magic and strange words. Dorian becomes an evil. He gets happy and excitement from human body, and even smoking or drinking very a lot. What’s more, Dorian murders Basil who used to be his best friend. Because Dorian thinks that keeping young forever and doing many bad things are Basil’s fault. Actually, it is just Dorian‘s narcissism. Dorian loves himself very much. Although he once loved Sibyl Vane, his love is not the real love to Sibyl Vane. Dorian loves Sibyl Vane who plays every kinds of Shakespeare‘s characters. So, in the end, Dorian died because he destroyed himself.
林儀濃/Uriel/49802075
There are some differences I think that distinguishes the adaptation movie version and the original novel.
First, the movie version skips lots of details, such as the description about Basil’s studio that fills with all kinds of flowers which is one of the important hints that suggests Basil’s sexual orientation. Some of the plots in the novel also deleted and edited into more fast-paced sequences that lead to Basil’s death, in other words, it is merely let us to see how easy Dorian became a manipulative corrupted dark monster who indulges himself in obscenity, however, Dorian’s conscience is floating up and down, he is wandering around being good and being evil, and I don’t see that struggling in the movie. Therefore, at this point, I think the movie is lack of depth.
Second, the sequences of the half part after Dorian killed Basil starts to slow down, and adds a new character, Lord Henry’s daughter, Emily Wotton who is an innocent, intelligent young lady and cares about women suffrage, which is a brand new form of women to Dorian. Dorian thinks he falls in love with her, but he just loves the new type of women that he never encounters with. He is not in love with Emily Wotton. However, at the end of the movie, Dorian addresses to Emily, ‘You have my heart’, which in my opinion it clouds the spectators and misleads them in believe in that Dorian is truly in love with Emily, so he decides to end his life. In short, it ends in failure.
Besides, the sound effect is in poor taste, I doze off many times and shockingly awake because of the cheesy classic horror movie sound effect keeps knocking on my head and dragging my ears. Not to mention the erotic scenes filmed in the movie. It is vulgar and eyes-hurting. There are plenty ways to film the erotic scenes. Metaphor is one of them. For example, the filming on time-lapsing tarnished flowers can describe the deflowered girls by Dorian. It is not necessary to expose the obscenely sexual orgy in naked bodies or lapped tongue, because it is very easy turning the movie into pornography.
Overall, I favour the novel over the movie version.
410202045 楊涵喻 Alice
Many details in the movie adaptation are different from the novel’s, but I think what’s more important is that the movie adaption not only doesn’t display Oscar Wilde’s style but also loses three important elements in the novel.
The first element is florid and epigrammatic language style which Oscar Wilde is famous of. In the novel, Lord Henry uses many aphorism and witty words to corrupt Dorian. However, in the movie adaption, Lord Henry corrupts Dorian by taking him to a brothel. Instead of taking action, I think using the power of language to influence Dorian is much more powerful.
The second element is the forbidden desire - homosexuality. In the novel, there are some places are homoerotic, for example, Dorian praises how amazing when Sibyl plays male role, Dorian’s sudden absence and Basil’s affection for Dorian. On the other hand, in the movie adaption, Basil’s affection for Dorian was not well portrayed, not to mention others.
The third element is Dorian’s self-centered characteristic. In the novel, we can see that Dorian is self-centered in many places, for instance, he breaks up with Sibyl because she makes him feel ashamed, he makes Alan Campbell to handle Basil’s body for him no matter how unwilling Alan is, and why he leaves Hetty is because he wants to make the portrait looks better. In contrast, in the movie adaption, he not only deals with Basil’s body himself, but also sacrifices for Emily.
Also, I was disappointed by the way movie portrays the characters. I want to see more of Dorian’s struggle, Lord Henry’s satisfaction of his influence on Dorian and his unconventional characteristic, and Basil’s deep affection for Dorian.
Losing those three elements and the failure of portraying the characters make the movie adaption dull, that’s why I prefer the novel better.
410202041 李亞儒 Yana
After reading the novel and watching the movie, I found that are different parts between them. First, the actress, Sibyl Vane, in the novel is dead for abandoning by Dorian Gray, and the movie’s, too. But the movie has another male role, actress’s brother. He wanted revenged for his sister’s death. And he waited for long time to kill Dorian Gray, but later he died from train’s hitting. Second is the way of Basil’s death. In the novel, Basil is killed by Gray and his friend, and then Basil had been dissolved by chemicals. In the movie, Basil was dismembered by Gray, and then threw into the river. Third is influence for Gray. The novel shows us that the country girl made Gray face his portrait, and destroyed the picture by Gray. In the movie, Henry’ daughter influenced Gray to find his innocent heart back. Last, the movie has different point of view of Henry. He is a playboy and disturbs the Gray’s life, and in the end of the movie, he changes his thought and cannot accept that his daughter and Gray get together. The novel does not describe this plot.
Besides, I prefer to the novel one. Because I can imagine hoe vivid the protagonists are, even their appearance. The novel describes that Gray is in a rotten life, and lives a decadent activity. These settings can be imagined by us. But if it becomes the movie, we will be influenced by the scenes of actors’ presenting. For example, the dissipated setting in the movie is too real to watch. The whole imagination will be broken and influenced. And the male role in the movie is handsome, but his characteristic does not tally with Gray in the novel. So I like to read the novel, and imagine how the protagonists are.
410302012 張智宇
There are some differences between the novel and the film adaptation. First of all, the corpse of Basil, in the film, he maimed the corpse and threw it in the river. However in the novel, he blackmailed a chemist to burn it in the acid. Secondly, the reunion with James, in the film, Dorian visited the grave of Sibyl with repentance and encountered James who tried to kill him with a revolver and desisted. But the snuffbox revealed the identity of Dorian, and few days later James chased him and died of train accident. Nevertheless, in the novel, a woman called Dorian “Prince charming” in the tavern, and coincidentally, James was on the premises and noticed that nickname and determined to kill him. The next day, James attended a hunt and been shot died. Thirdly, the death of Dorian, in the film, there was a fierce fight between Dorian and Henry Wotton. Dorian killed him unsuccessfully and trapped in the fire. Henry left, broke the lamp to leak the gas, and locked him inside. And daughter of Wotton showed up and Dorian expressed his love to her and perished in the fire. Before he died, the picture transformed into the original appearance, so did Dorian. Nonetheless, in the novel, the last scene was that the splendid portrait hanging on the wall remaining youth and beauty and withered and wrinkled Dorian died with a knife in his heart. Fourthly, the death of Sibyl, in the film, she was found shot with dead body in the river. It’s quite ambiguous whether she is murdered or committed suicide. But in the novel, she committed suicide because Dorian wanted to break the link with her.
Last, Emily didn’t show up in the novel but exist in the film.
In my opinions, the characteristics of Dorian in the novel is more attractive to me. It’s more dedicate, sensitive, and sophisticated. The performing technique in the movie is too undisguised and too concentrated on expressing his sexuality and corruption instead of conveying the conflict and complication between Dorian and himself. He is supposed to be a round character. So on the aspect of character’s description, the novel shows more complete structure. Also in the film Henry has a directly tremendous impact on Dorian lack of the transformation, doubts, and struggle inside Dorian’s mind. And the movie is a little too dramatic and exaggerated for me toward the part of Dorian's death. The character Henry seems to be too boring to me as well. Perhaps, the pace in the movie should be fastened, but his influence on Dorian in the film let me recon it's not so intact and short of tension.
410202074 賴祖兒 Irene
There are several differences between the original novel and the 2009 movie adaption of The Picture of Dorian Gray. First, the point of view of the novel begins with Basil, but later switches to Dorian Gray. However, the whole movie is from Dorian Gray’s perspective. Second, the movie has changed the setting of the characters a little. In the novel, there are plenty of people who get acquainted with Dorian Gray but no one becomes his intimate friend. However, in the movie, they made Lord Henry have a daughter, who becomes Dorian’s bosom friend and even lover. The last difference, which I think is the most crucial one, is that in the novel, Oscar Wilde only uses words to describe Dorian’s downfall and vaguely narrates what he has done. In the movie, the actor actually acts all the dirty and filthy thing and the director bravely shows them to audience.
To me, the movie adaption has more impact on me because the plot really shocked me a lot. After reading the novel, I might have the understanding that Dorian loses his soul and enjoys all the immoral things, but I have no specific idea of what he actually did. However, the movie version made everything clear and direct, startling me throughout the whole movie. We can’t judge which version is the best because there’s no wrong to be direct or indirect. Just as Oscar Wilde says, art is only for art’s sake.
410202043 李勁霖 Raven
A Thought - Forever Young and Its Curse
If God gives a person an ability of “forever young”, is it a gift or a curse?
I prefer the movie than the novel. The movie Dorian Gray which the main character “Dorian Gray” is created by modern people has more feeling and thoughts than the novel. I like the part he memories Sybil Vane, he puts a lot of his emotions to regret his love one. In the story, he is a totally dick, who just care about himself, nothing more. But the most important, the movie makes me want to think about if I am forever young, what will I do?
I used to like to play a pc game called The Sims 4, it is a game of life simulator and the character you make and play will be your role in the game. But since it is a life simulator game, the character you play will evenly pass away, and it makes me feel desperate. So I go to the options and change the setting and the character I play will not pass away and stay young forever! At first, I think is a good idea that gives my character the ability to stay young forever is a gift. But after I play a few more days, I realize it is a curse. I have to see the people I familiar pass away one by another. And eventually I become the stranger in the town.
The movie makes me having the same feeling of playing the “undead and forever young” character, it makes me try to think about what if I am Dorian Gray and I have to face the sins I commit forever. The worst part in the movie is that Lord Henry finds out Dorian becomes a “monster”. What if the people around me realize I will not be old like them and start to treat me like a monster, it will be totally horrible and terrible.
Maybe “Rest in Peace” is a gift for everyone of God, not a horrible thing we should be afraid of.
410213005 張鈺翎 Albee
Although both the movie and the novel based on the same author, there are several differences between them. The movie adaption of the novel can not follow the exact storyline. In comparison to the novel, the readers can fantasy the whole story by words subtly which Oscar Wilde used.
In the novel, when Dorian Gray first meets Sibyl Vane, he is astonished by her appearance and her attractiveness of acting. We can see the Dorian’s innocence for his first love. Sibyl is described as a fawn to Dorian. On the other hand, Basil encourages Dorian to pursuit Sibyl. In a sense, it shows Basil’s homosexuality how deeply in his mind but no one can understand. He can not express his love to Dorian so that he chooses to hide his love by encouraging him. Besides, when Sibyl Vane performs as fiasco, Dorian displays total disgust to her. We can see a series of Dorian’s change from inner to artificial due to the acquaintance of Lord Henry. Dorian has already corrupted. Dorian actually loves himself not for Sibyl Vane.
In contrast to the novel, Sibyl and Dorian meet so quickly without exquisite display in the movie. Also, the movie focuses on sex. Lord Henry brings Dorian to the brothel even Dorian is still in a relationship with Sibyl. It represents more artificial to Dorian, who is totally corrupted by Lord Henry. However, the lost of description to Dorian’s inner struggle is the climax to the story. In Oscar Wilde’s novel, there are many points combined together, such as human nature, hedonism, and confusion. All of them are represented by word’s power but the movie only portrays Dorian’s life of fop, debauchery and orgies. That’s why I prefer the novel because we can use our imagination not watching the director’s imagination at work.
410202075 李家欣 Catherine
About the plot, the film and the novel have different version. For example, how Lord Henry and Dorian met. In the novel, Dorian met Henry in Basil’s studio, but in the film, they met at Henry’s party. Second, Dorian was attracted by a country girl in the novel; instead, he fell in love with Henry’s daughter in the film. Also, Dorian’s attitude in the end was different. He tried to become a better man because of his young lover in the movie, which is totally different from the novel.
I can’t say which one I prefer or impacted me the most because both of them have different features. I can imagine how Dorian Gray looks like and how the portray changes by only reading the novel. On contrary, the film limits my imagination and it is full of sex which makes the story too horny. On the other hand, the movie is filmed in different way. I didn’t even realize the difference until the instructor talked about it. We all get accustomed to put more attention on the actresses’ appearance than the actors’. Most of the actresses in this film are not as beautiful or young as typical movies. I think it’s really an interesting thing to notice. Each of them has advantages and I have different reflections on them.
Both Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and the movie adaptation are about greedy and forbidden desire. However, there are many differences between the two. Except for the different presentations in written words and visual images; through the atmosphere, characters’ depictions, and the ways of corruption of Dorian Gray, these elements make me choose the Wilde’s novel as the better version.
At the beginning of the book, the decadent and aesthetic depiction of the studio as well as a series of aphorism express the idea of Oscar Wilde’s philosophy. The film starts with the bloody scene that we can recognize Dorian thrusts at someone and disposes the body by throwing it into the river. Unlike the novel, the movie adaptation gives the audience a direct prediction of the story, which lacks the mysterious and vague imagination of the three main characters.
Focusing on the process of Dorian’s corruption and homoerotic male relationships, a copy of the yellow book given by Henry is a key point, which has a dramatic influence on the change of Dorian in the Wilde’s novel. After that, Dorian gradually falls into the gulf between the corruption of his soul and the beauty of his body. As for the film, Henry leads Dorian to the brothel directly, where opens a chain of rough, immoral, and ridiculous hedonic scenes. An issue of homoerotic male relationships is also an important component in both versions. Dorian, a manipulator, is an object of fascination and obsession for Basil. And Alan Campbell, who is being blackmailed for covering up Basil’s death, ends up not showing up in the film. The clues of homosexuality are implicit in the book, which indicates the social prejudices in Wilde’s time. In contrast to the book, the film presents them in a more straightforward way.
In short, despite all CGI in the film are impressive, I still prefer the beauty of words in Wilde’s novel.
41020A039 英美三\ 李季穎
I think it is very horrible when people who is easy affected by someone is like Gray. He is played on Henry’s hand. The process of his change impress me deeply. His changeable personality is imperceptibly. The most horrible thing is that Gray is that Gray is not conscious of his change. He is affected by Henry day after day.
I hate his selfish and egocentric personality. He just like Sibyl when she stand on the stage acting the drama. His superficial love which just hurt someone loving he - she is Sibyl. Because of it, he feel guilty. Nevertheless, he depress his feeling instead of revealing it and he indulge in debauchery. I think he choose to do a lot of things to escape from his guilty. Nevertheless, he is afraid in fact. I think many people is like this personality. To me is not exception. I think when I am afraid of something, I start to escape from it and face it. Sadly, it cannot solve the problem in fact.
In the movie, I like the character is that Hetty Merton. She is brave. She is a woman who is modern. She seek her favorite things enthusiastically. Not only her appearance but his personality is so charming because people can’t see the kind of the women at that time. In the movie, she is so courageous seeking his love. I admire her so much because she is pretty cool. I hope I can become a girl is like Hetty Merton.
410102040 英美四 林欣慈 Alice
After finishing Wilde’s novel and the movie adaption, I find several differences between them. On the one hand, in the novel, Wilde is good at using aphorism and elegant words, which helps the readers fall into the magic world he creates easily. On the other hand, in the movie adaption, it put much more emphasis on hedonism, and horrible crime scenes to draw audiences’ attention, skipping several important elements.
First, Sibyl is being developed as an extraordinarily beautiful actress with a nice voice. Her amazing stage acting earns her a standing ovation in a third-rate theater. There is an important scene of Romeo and Juliet in the novel. However, in the movie, the director deletes that part, which can accentuate Sibyl’s amazing performing skills.
Second, as a brilliant scientist, Alan Campbell, only exists in the novel, and he is forced to get rid of Basil’s body for Dorian. There is nothing left after Alan uses an unknown chemical approach. In contrast, in the movie, Basil’s body is put into a big wooden case, and being dumped into the river.
Finally, the way of death of James Sibyl in the movie is highly different from the novel. To revenge for his sister, James has followed Dorian for many years. In the novel, he gets killed because of the gun shot. It will not be expected that James is hit by the on-coming train in the movie adaption, which is too exaggerating for me.
To sum up, Wilde’s word magic is much more powerful than the movie adaption. The front part of movie is interesting, but it slowly gets annoying and unrealistic in the end. I prefer the novel better, because readers can interpret the classic story with their own perspective.
410202001 英美三 林冠宇 Neil
I prefer novel to movie because I always enjoy the true story what the author write, not like movie made by other people. This movie just gives characters come alive but they just like different people (not totally) and the reason why this thing happen I think is they have to worry about box office and funds. I have to say Dorian is really handsome in the movie but he’s way to corruption just too fast. He becomes hedonism not only himself but those around as well, with Lord Henry planning behind the every scenes, also they overdo the sex scenes in the movie. Lord Henry is not really like imperious and canny person who slowly corrupts Dorian in the novel. He just becomes a pimp then takes Dorian to every brothel. Basil is still a poor guy, he dead also very miserable but in the movie they delete Basil ♂strong feelings♂ for Dorian. Sibyl just becomes not important characters in the movie; her death is the turning point for Dorian in the novel but it’s not the point anymore. James–Sibyl’s brother still very protective of his sister but hit by a tram because in the movie time changes very fast. Alan Campbell just gone! Finally we have new characters Lord Henry’s daughter who is not in the novel.
I don’t like people change the story what the author write because the thing really want to tell us or the meaning really want to tell us, perhaps it just lost and gone. It just becomes another person work not the author work.
410202034 謝岱蓉 Dona
There are differences between the novel and the movie adaptation.
In the novel, the beginning of the setting is in Basil’s studio and Dorian, who has already become friend with Basil shows up later. Besides, Dorian forces his friend, Alan Campbell to help him deal with Basil’s body. After that, Dorian meets a country girl who is innocent knowing nothing. As for the movie adaptation, the story is depicted in flashback. We can know Dorian killing Basil in the beginning and then the scene turns to the first time Dorian comes back to London. The way Dorian copes with Basil’s body is to cut it into pieces throwing in the sea by himself. In this version, Lord Henry afterwards has a daughter who is similar to the country girl in the novel and she falls in love with Dorian. Instead of coolness in the novel, at the end of the story, Lord Henry plays a father who tries to protect his daughter and discloses Dorian’s secret successfully.
The movie version is not very bad, but the novel version appeals to me the most. While I was reading the novel, I was imagining Dorian Gray’s appearance approximately and also Lord Henry’s. However, the movie disappointed me that Dorian looks not beautiful enough and Lord Henry does not look very wicked. Furthermore, I do not like those lecherous parts, for they are too much absurd and ridiculous overly. About Lord Henry, I like the way he behaves and keeps in the novel. He does not really care about Basil and Dorian, and both of them are just like his puppets. Therefore, I felt astonished and weird when I saw him reveals his love to his daughter and even protects her.
These are the reasons why I like the novel version better.
410202038 英美三 張榮桀
There are many differences between the novel and movie. First, in the beginning of the novel, we can only imagine who the Dorian Gray is through the conversation of Basil and Henry, but in the movie, the first character shows up is Dorian Gray and the whole movie begins in the scene of killing to flashback. Second, there are some new elements added in the movie, Sibyl Vane’s brother comes to Dorian Gray for revenge because of his sister’s death. Another is time, Dorian Gray comes back to London with his youth remained and other people get old, which emphasizes Dorian Gray’s youth. In addition, Dorian Gray falls in love with Henry’s daughter which is another difference between the novel and the movie. Besides, there is another difference in the movie. In the movie, when Dorian Gray kills Henry, he doesn’t ask Alan for help while he separates the body and throws it into the river by himself. Although both the movie and the novel are surrounded by the concept of Carpe Diem, I prefer the novel to the movie. In the novel, Oscar Wilde is good at using adjective to describe the atmosphere of the century then, the decoration of the house and the detail of Dorian Gray’s portrait, for example and it is very difficult to present on the movie. Furthermore, in the novel, Oscar Wilde doesn’t write very detail in the scene of Dorian Gray seeking for sex to fill with his satisfaction in the movie, which destroys the sense of beauty to me. I like the novel because it has a space for us to image by ourselves, which makes Dorian Gray stay mysterious and we can also stay curious about the change of Dorian Gray’s portrait.
410301022 俞亭安 Emily
Although the 2009 movie is based on Wilde's "The picture of Dorian Gray", There are still some differences between them, in the beginning of the novel, Wilde uses Basil's point of view, describing scenes he sees, and how perfect and innocent Dorian Gray is he in his eyes, however, the whole movie uses Dorian's view, I think this two different views have their own advantage and disadvantage. In Dorian's perspective, we can see how he feels about everyone's infatuation with him, and how a young boy thinks of love and the society, but I like the story begin with Basil's view more because only through Basil's perspective can the readers know his feelings to Dorian, how hard he suffer when Henry wants to meet Dorian, and the most important of all, how strong he adores Dorian.
The other differences I want to talk about is the different interpretation of Dorian's downfall in the novel. Wilde uses an obscure tone to describe it, but the movie uses a lot of sexual scenes to interpret this part, I can not tell which one is better, movie and novel have different ways to express, after all.
I like the novel more, but there's a scene in the movie which impresses so much- the change of Dorian's portrait, I like the way that the movie shows the dramatic transformation of the portrait, it turns so creepy and ferocious that I can't believe that it was an innocent and handsome boy. To sum up, I like the novel more that the movie because words can describe more meticulous.
410102010 英美四 王潔安 Jessie
The Picture of Dorian Gray in Words and Vision
The novel The Picture of Dorian Gray depicts the dark sides of desire and corruption. It is such a powerful and intriguing novel that one cannot help but indulging in Oscar Wilde’s resplendent words. Such a great novel has been made into a movie in an attempt to bring the wonderful plots to screens. However, words and visual sensations are different after all, and thus the novel and the movie have delivered different messages.
In the novel, Dorian is depicted as a self-centered chap who cares about no one but himself. He wants to be good for the sake of restoring his picture, not for stopping the sufferings of others. But in the movie, Dorian has a heart after all. He actually falls in love with Emily. He lets Emily go because he loves her, not for the redemption of his ugly self in the portrait.
Another difference is the role of Lord Henry in the novel and the movie. In the novel, Lord Henry is an eloquent man yet with a broken personality. He loves no one, and likes to destroy beautiful and innocent things. Yet such wicked conscience is not fully portrait in the movie. Lord Henry has a daughter who he loves dearly, and he wants to protect his daughter from the corruption of Dorian. The parental love really stands apart.
The movie does not make characters as horrid as the novel does, and these differences have made this movie mediocre. The novel leaves more imagination for plots and characters, and the corruption and evil is emphasized to correspond with the dark sides of human nature. Such a great novel is without a doubt very hard to surpass.
410102071 英美四 陳翰韋 Rian
There are many differences between the novel and the adaption movie. First, the characters differ. In the novel, a friend of Dorian Gray, Alan Campbell is asked to make Basil’s corpse disappear, but he doesn’t show up in the movie because Dorian Gray throws it in the river by himself. Also, in the movie, Emily, Lord Henry’s daughter gets close to Dorian and even falls in love with him, but in the novel, Oscar Wilde doesn’t say Lord Henry has a daughter, and he even gets divorce at the end. Second, the movie makes Dorian Gray discover his conscience through Emily. However, in the novel, Dorian Gray kind of gradually gets disappointed with what he has done so far and wants to be a better man. Third, the death of Sibyl Vane and James Vane are different between the novel and the movie. Sibyl Vane dies of eating the poisonous chemicals in the novel, but is discovered dying in the river in the movie; James Vane is shot by Dorian’s friend when hunting but is struck by the train when chasing Dorian.
In the movie, the director tries to depict Dorian with many psychological reversal and recognition. Through the novel, we are able to know more details of Dorian Grey. Nevertheless, it brings me fewer sense of horror (elements of Gothic) in the novel than in the movie. Critically speaking, I am satisfied with the shock on watching the movie. Though the space of imagination has been shrunk, I am definitely fulfilled and appealed by the Dorian Grey’s story, which is also depicted by Dorian himself.
I prefer the original novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). instead of the movie adaptation Dorian Gray (2009). , but there are still something to say about the movie.
It seems difficult to show the whole story within two hours. Although Dorian Gray. visualizes our imagination of Dorian Gray's appearance and his fleshy lifestyle, it doesn't help us as audience explore the spiritual world of the characters. Visualizing the story can give the audience/ readers a very direct confrontations of the sex, murder, and filth of the east London Dorian Gray experiences. The director uses a lot of special effect to make the illusion of Dorian Gray when he is immersed in sex and drugs. The gloomy feeling of the streets represents Dorian Gray's inner world of a continuously corrupted morality.
In terms of the differences between the two, there are more detailed descriptions of the tensions between Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane in The Picture of Dorian Gray. However, we can not get enough information from Dorian Gray. about Gray's reasons of departure. Sibyl Vane poisoned herself to death in the novel, but in the movie, she was found drowned to death in the river. On the other hand, I think the painter Basil Hallward should be an important role. Somehow, the Basil in Dorian Gray seems to be just a passer-by. There should be more focuses on Basil's homosexuality, instead of explaining everything in one scene, which Dorian Gray hints Basil to give him a blow job.
410202040 英美三 邱奕瑄 Katniss
There are several similarities and differences between Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel. Both of the movie and the novel successfully create the atmosphere of hedonism, debauchery, and orgy, but the reason why Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane break up is quite different between the two versions. It is Dorian’s extravagance that lead their love to the end in the movie, while it is unacceptable for Dorian and he cuts off all ties with Sibyl after he listens to her confession that she hates the stage in the novel.
Compare the movie with the novel, the movie put less focus on how Henry corrupts, manipulates, and transplants his temperament into Dorian, and how the innocent boy transforms into a possessed man, but adds the subplots of Dorian falls in love with Henry’s daughter, and Jim’s revenge for his sister’s death. I like the added subplot of Emily since it can bring out the dislike and even hostile of Henry, but the part of Jim’s revenge is necessary for me.
I enjoy the novel more than the movie. Though the horrible groan and the animation of maggots coming out from the portrait’s mouth and eyeballs express the utterly putrid of Dorian’s soul vividly in the movie, the overemphasis of describing the sex and violent scenes makes me sick and disappointed. It is too naked and somehow breaks the beauty of imagination when I read the lines of the novel. I prefer the version of novel which I can keep my own imagination in my mind.
410202076 英美三 林怡君 Elsa
There are several differences between Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaption of the novel.
First of all, the difference of them is the beginning. The novel begins at the studio of Basil and we can know who Dorian is through the talk of Bail and Henry; however, the film director, Oliver Parker, shows Dorian himself to audience at the first cut in the movie. I think Oscar Wild’s version is more attractive to me since he makes me curious about Dorian Gray.
Secondly, the death of characters is quite different between the novel and the film. For example, in the novel, Sibyl commits suicide because of eating poison, but she dies because of being drowned in the river in the movie and James, Sibyl’s brother, is killed by gunshot in the novel but by train in the movie.
Finally, the reason why Dorian dies is different. In the film, Henry is mad with Dorian Gray who fell in love with his daughter Emily Wotton. He wants to find and expose the secret of Dorian. When he discovers the portrait of Dorian Gray, he fights with Dorian, who comes to stop him, and starts a fire. Dorian has no choice because he is locked and he decides to say good bye to his lover; in addition, he pokes the portrait by sword to end his absurd life. However, in the novel, there is no Emily. Dorian never really loves anybody except himself. The reason why he dies is that he wants to be free in the novel.
In my opinion, Oscar Wild’s version appeals to me the most. This version presents the personality of all characters delicately. I love those imaginations in my mind according to Wild’s words than the movie.
410302058 英美二 石浩祥 Ziv
There are lots of differences between the movie and the novel. Take character for example, Alan Campbell in the movie isn’t stated as detailed as in the novel. There are some kinds of homosexual factor in the novel, and the way Dorian dealing with the dead body is quite different. In the novel, he begs Campbell to help him destroying the dead body, while he clears up the body himself by cutting it in to pieces and throw into the river. And the end of the story is quite different, too. Lord Henry’s attitude toward the relationship between Dorian and his daughter is the same. He totally disagree their love. Therefore, due to his intense anger, he uses the interval of a party to sneak into Dorian’s house in order to figure out his secret. Finally, he finds out the picture and how Dorian ends up in the movie is that Lord Henry burns his picture and locks him in the secret room. And this is how Dorian dies in the movie. But in the novel, he decides to end his own life. This is also the evident difference. For me, I prefer the version of the novel. Because of those inner thoughts which the movie isn’t able to provide and also lots of beautiful, exquisite words and lines in the novel, it offers me more imagery, suspicious and treacherous atmosphere. The novel encloses the indulgence in pursuit of the appearance through vividly portraying the ambiguous, bizarre affections between Dorian and the picture. It eventually makes people lose themselves and fall into the distorted soul. That’s the great lesson I learn from this story.
410102051 英美四 黃昱孜
Although the novel of The Picture of Dorian Gray and the adaption movie clearly reveal the process how Dorian is being corrupted, there are still several differences between them. First, the struggle of Dorian since he knows Sibyl Vane’s death I consider this part is quite important because it indicate Dorian’s first betrayal of his soul. For example, he feels strange that his first passionate love-letter has been addressed to a dead girl rather than feel regretful or guilty for Sibyl’s death. But in the movie this section is deleted from the plot, if this being showed in the movie could make the audiences reinforce how self-center and corrupted Dorian becomes. Second, the scientist, Alan Campbell who is forced to use chemical way to help Dorian dispose of Basil’s body only exists in the novel. And in the movie, Dorian puts Basil’s body in a big wooden case and through it into the river. Third, the ending is different. In the novel, lastly Dorian says if the whole things can be start over, he would be a good man. Also he thinks about to confess his sin merely hopes the picture will looks better, but the picture turns out to be the same. He feels horrible, despairing then stabs to the picture to destroy it. In contrast, in the movie I cannot sense the human struggle and disillusion of Dorian.
In summary, I prefer the novel than the movie because through Wilde’s words and description can have more understanding and imagination about the characters’ innermost world.
410202007 英美三 洪明蓁
I think the most important part of the differences between the movie and the novel is the depiction of the character, Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde’s depiction of Dorian Gray implies a struggle between human nature and moral while the portrait is like a mirror, which reflects facts that Dorian is not willing to face. In the novel, Dorian is first an innocent boy whose beauty is beyond everything in the world. However, as Dorian and Henry’s bond gets tider and tider, Dorian’s struggle between human nature and moral grows stranger. But he then finally turns into a self-centered devil who cares no one but himself. On the other hand, the movie depicts Dorian as a debauchee who exchange his soul with devil for eternal youth. He then gets lost in his own lust and pleasure. Rather than being a total devil and finally leads to self-destruction, the movie lets Dorian faces the truth and dies for somebody he loves in the end.
I find the novel is more fascinating and shocking. Besides making more spaces for the readers to imagine, the novel successfully raises readers awareness of immoral behavior and corruption. Unlike the novel, the movie directly points out the consequences of immorality. Hence, the ending of the movie makes the whole movie like a fable. To me, it seems like a cliche. However, the movie's depiction of the portrait is undoubtedly astonishing.
410102018 英美四 林庭筠
After watching the movie adaptation of Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, I found out that some details are changed noticeably in the movie. In the movie, the personality of the protagonist is different from those in the original novel.
In the novel, Dorian is selfish, and he only cares about himself. He is also jealous of everything whose beauty does not die and the portrait that Basil has painted. Therefore, he hopes someone can exchange the portrait and him, so he could be always young. Besides, in the end of the novel, Dorian meets a girl in the little village, so he thinks that he wants a new life, and he would become a good person. However, when he thought of it, Dorian begins to wonder whether the portrait had changed or not. I think this part represents that Dorian still only cares about himself and never change. By contrast, in the movie, Dorian wants to be always young so that he can indulge himself in the decadent events forever. In the end of the movie, Dorian meets Emily, Lord Henry’s daughter, who makes Dorian Gray turns back to an innocent person. It seems that Dorian really loves Emily and wants to be innocent again in the movie.
The ending of the movie highlights Dorian becoming an innocent person. However, I prefer the novel more than the movie, for the romance between Dorian and Emily gives the movie a happy ending. The audiences would not think of the heavy meaning behind Dorian Gray’s life, but the novel makes an impression on description of Dorian Gray’s the corruption and makes the reader consider the moral problems behind the story.
410202021 張媛媛 Vivienne
There are many different perspectives from the original novel to the film. Here, I would like to mention three elements that the novel is much more powerful than the film.
The first thing is that the novel shows us how fancy the surrounding around the characters is with a lot of witty words, aphorism and adjectives, which describes how fashionable the environment around Henry, Dorian, and Basil is. However, in the film, we cannot sense the strong description Oscar Wilde would want to present to the reader or the audience. In the novel we can imagine widely and freely without being framed by the setting of the film. The words which are chosen by Oscar Wilde are far more powerful than the vision of the film and fill the wide space of readers’ imagination with abundant choosing of vocabularies.
The second thing is that the emotion of forbidden secret, which is homosexuality that cannot clearly see in the film. Basil doesn’t show his feeling toward Dorian as the novel does. From his action, the way he speaks to Dorian, we can hardly notice his adornment toward Dorian in the movie. Instead, we can how deeply Basil is into Dorian with lots of caring behavior mentioned, and the way he try to prevent Henry and Dorian to idle around together in the novel.
The third thing is about the corruption of Dorian. In the film, we may see that in the end Dorian seems to be a better man when he’s trying to save Henry’s daughter from rescuing him from the locked room. However, in the novel, from the moment when Dorian desires to stay eternally young, his life has become a disastrous corruption. He cares nothing but his portrait. The things which he has done are for the portrait. This part of showing his corruption is the hugest difference between the novel and the film. The movie would like to show us that a person may transform into a better man with morality when he is near to death. On the contrary, the novel describes Dorian who is dying is still the one who cares only his portrait and his appearance from the beginning to the end without any moral rule.
Above all, I prefer the novel than the film, since the novel gives the readers more imagination and uncertainty about how the story goes on. And with abundance of witty words and aphorism, Oscar Wilde takes the readers into the world of his literature.
410102029 彭靜怡 Blaire
Although the plot of film follows the novel, there are a lot of differences between the movie and the novel. Firstly, the way Dorian meets Henry is different. In the novel, Dorian encounter Lord Henry by coincidence; however, in the film, Dorian meets him at a party hold by Henry. Secondly, in the novel, the portrait of painting directly sends to Dorian’s house without being displayed, but in the film, most people have seen the painting in Dorian’s house. Thirdly, the reasons why Dorian break up with Sibyl are completely different between book and film. In the book, Dorian takes Basil and Henry to see her perform after bragging about her skill as an actress. When she does such a poor job, he is both ashamed and embarrassed that’s why he rejected her and she commits suicide by swallowing acid. On the other hand, in the film, Dorian doesn’t even go to see her performance, because he goes to club with Henry and then he argues with sibyl.
In addition, the way how to deal with the corpse of Basil Hallward is also distinct. In the movie, Dorian Gray gets rid of the corpse on his own, while in the book, Alan Campbell is forced to help Dorian dismember the corpse with acid. He is blackmailed by Dorian threatened that the secret held between them will be revealed if he rejected to help him. Next, the child abuse is presented in the movie, and Dorian Gray has the scar on his back. However, in the novel, Dorian simply had mentioned he had hateful memories about his grandfather but it doesn’t mean he got physically abused by her grandfather. In my opinion, when I read the novel, there is no real evidence can prove he is abused. The one thing I can assure he has a mean grandfather. In the novel, there is a yellow book given from Henry and it had a great influence on innocent Dorian. However, there isn’t kind of book in the movie. Last but not the least, the motivation of stabbing the portrait is slightly different. In the novel, Dorian stabs the picture because he think that is the only way he can kill the past and start over but it seems like Dorian has not clue that stabbing this picture will harm him in any way, yet in the film, It seems like here Dorian is doing this not only to kill the monster of the painting but to compensate for what he did in the end. The movie adds a moral sense the book does not have
To be frankly, although the movie did create the Gothic atmosphere and factors which can visualize the horrible part in the movie, for example, a terrifying and gasp picture, a rotten picture, I enjoy the novel more. I think the movie put emphasize on the sex, violent thing too much result in ignorance of the eternal mind of Dorian.
英美三 賴璟毅 Zac 410202022
There are differences between the original novel and the film adaption, and I prefer the novel.
First, I think Dorian experienced an identity confusion in the novel. The portrait is like a mirror, reflecting the reluctance to face his inner struggle. Dorian was enlightened by Basil, but he fell in love with Sibyl later. This represents gender fluidity of Dorian. Dorian's beauty attracts both men and women, however, in the movie, we only see that Dorian giving his soul to Satan in order to exchange for eternal youth. His degeneration has nothing to do with guilty but his pursue of the aimless pleasure. Moreover, the film’s visualization of the promiscuous scenes in the novel is overdoing to me.
Besides, the biggest adaption is the extension of storyline. The appearance of Henry’s daughter is like a symbol of the coming of the industrial revolution. Here comes the new times, all the people become old expect Dorian. Also, the ending is different from the novel, but I think it is not a bad adaption. Lord Henry cause a fire in order to destroy the portrait and Dorian. As Lord Henry drags his daughter away, Dorian's last words make me thinks that he is really fall in love with Emily. Finally, it is strange that the portrait remained and Lord Henry kept it. It seems that Dorian's soul may still be within the portrait even after his death, making a mysterious ending.
410002061 申傳勝 Shawn
After seeing the movie of Dorian Grey, if I have not read the novel, I would give a good comment to the movie; but as a reader of the novel, I believe that the movie focuses too much on the entertainment and anime part.
Compared the movie to the novel, although some of the plots are changed to fit in with the audiences, the plots of the movie proceeds as the novel; but in some scenes, I think the movie over uses the anime to describe the devil inside Dorian’s mind.
Honestly, I like the novel better than the movie. In the novel, Lord Henry’s words are like the dense fog to misguide Dorian to the hell. It is creepy to read the words that spoke by Lord Henry, the words he says seemly are not harmful, but truly are the whisper of devil.
In the end of the story, I like the novel’s technique to show the collapse of Dorian’s mind.
410302062 英美二 王郁婕
There are a lot of differences between the movie and the novel. Movie starts the story with Dorian Gray getting off the train; fiction, the conversation between Basil Hallward and Lord Henry in the studio. The most parts of movie describe Dorian Gray, a few of other characters’ description. I prefer the novel, it provides all the details of characters’ feelings and how they affect each other.
In the fiction, there are lots of parts showing Hallward yearns madly for Gray. But, in the movie, it seldom displays. If there is more description of Hallward’s love, the story will be more attractive.
After reading novel, we all know Gray is a homosexuality. But movie didn’t portray it well. Movie didn’t mention that Dorian praises how charming Sibyl is when she plays male role.
There is one scene that Lord Henry wants to make Gray leave Sybil. In the novel, Lord Henry uses a lot witty words to change Gray's mind; movie, Lord Henry takes him to a brothel. I think movie's way is weaker than novel. It makes movie more superficial and mediocre.
There is one advantage movie has. In the final scene, Gray becomes ugly. Movie uses animations to make actor more terrifying. It really impressed me a lot. While watching that scene, my stomach keeps stirring. I couldn’t bear to watch the movie.
I prefer the novel better. While reading the novel, readers can image how those characters appearance. Actually, Gray’s appearance in the movie makes me a little disappointed.
410302013 施采妤
Compared to the movie, Dorian is more charming in the book, I think. He is more mysterious and fascinating by the words described by Oscar Wilde. I like the details in the novel. The clear descriptions of Dorian’s expressions, clothing, and emotion are so vivid that I can imagine his look easily. In the movie, just to talk about the look of whom played Dorian, it’s enough to make my imagination destroyed. In my imagination, Dorian’s face is more delicate, handsome, and look younger, and his hair should be shorter. In the latter of movie, I think the Dorian could perform better to show more sophisticated of Dorian’s heart. I don’t like the scenes that Dorian keeps having affairs with women, especially those mothers, although those are kind of funny. When Dorian gets together with Emily, I was almost cheated that he did change his heart and I thought when he goes back to see the picture, he will see the picture perfectly like its original look. But nothing happened. Both of us just got deceived. But I am wondering the scene that before he dies he looks at Emily, the emotion in his eye looks so sincere. Is that love? Is that true? I still can’t have the answer. In the movie, the most impressive part is that Dorian goes to Sibyl Vane’s tomb and tears. He thought of her and arose his little conscience. I think he did love her, but he’s so silly and doesn’t have his own opinions at first that he was dirtied by Henry.
There are two parts which are the most different between the novel and the movie that I want to discuss. First, the character, Henry, who is the incarnation of Satan, keeps seducing Dorian Grey away from innocence to evil. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Henry always stands for the evil side, and what he said to Dorian is so creepy and horrible. However, in the end of the movie, the figure of evil changes into a right man who tries to stop Dorian and reveals his disgusting secret. It is really confused by seeing a bad guy becomes a good person suddenly.
What’s more, the purpose of destroying the picture by Dorian himself is quite different between the novel and the movie. In the novel, Dorian wants to destroy the picture by the knife which he uses to murder Basil is because of hate and no pleasure anymore. But in the end of the movie, Dorian destroys the picture for protecting the woman he loves from knowing the secret, so he perishes together with the picture.
The novel appeals to me the most because the portrait of the character and the story are so vivid, but I think it is illogical when watching the movie.
There are several differences between Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel. First difference is the role of Dorian Grey. Dorian is a person who only cares about himself in the novel. He tries to be good just in order to let himself feel better instead of stopping the sufferings of others. For example, on the face, he writes the letter to Sibyl Vane to restore the relationships, but in fact, he just wants to release himself from the sense of guilty. Although Dorian wants to stop this kind of corruption many times in the novel, he fails to change and becomes wicked at the end. While, in the movie, Dorian finds his heart back when he really falls in love with Emily. He asks Emily to leave because his love is real. And he bravely destroys the corrupted pictures and kills himself. The ending in the movie makes me feel that Dorian is not as horrid as in the novel. Second difference is the role of Lord Henry. In the novel, Lord Henry is a man who keeps destroying beauty and innocence. He transplants his temperament into Dorian and brake Dorian’s innocence. However, in the movie, Lord Henry is not fully present as evil as in the novel. For example, we can see that Lord Henry wants to protect his daughter from Dorian in the movie because he knows how broken personality Dorian has. His love to protect his dearly daughter shows that he has parental love. And his love makes me think that he is not actually a real devil. After compare the differences of role, I prefer to the novel because it give us more space to image. I can image about every role by myself and stay curious about them. I don’t like the movie because it focuses too much about sex which breaks the imagination of the novel and distract people’s attention easily.
410202006 英美三 林禹彤 Erin
There are many differences between the novel and the movie.
In the novel, Dorian brings back the picture after Basil finishes drawing. He doesn’t agree Basil to display the picture in the public because he finds it grows old and ugly.
The girl whose name is Sibyl is Dorian’s girlfriend. She died after having the agreement with Dorian. We doesn’t know if she is commit suicide or not. Moreover, Dorian meets a girl and falls in love with her, but in the end, he leaves her without the reason. In the movie, the picture is displayed in the public immediately after Basil finishes it. Afterward, Dorian hides the picture in the locked room because he finds the picture grow old and ugly. His girlfriend, Sibyl, is killed by him. He dismember her body brutally then throws into the river. He also meets a girl in the movie. She is Henry’s daughter. The novel doesn’t has a kind of character. His daughter loves Dorian very much, they even married.
The characteristic of Dorian is very crazy and easy to be effect. Dorian’s life between the novel and the movie, is almost same. But he is more promiscuous in the movie, his inner desire is totally summoned. He lives a licentious life after he finds out the picture can substitute for his evil.
I like the novel more because I have the imagination of the story in my mind when I read it. When I see the movie, the scene is totally different of what I image. The movie is too pornographic and the characteristics are not darkness as the novel.
The differences of movie and novel, is the power of the imagination. In the novel, Oscar Wilde used a lot of beautiful words to describe the views, the senses, and the evils. I think that the book makes me image a lot. But, I also think the movie can make me understand the most part of the novel quickly. Besides, the movie has the senses of the auditory and the visual.
In the movie, many things had happened too quickly, it lost the darkness and the mentality of each character. The novel is changed by the movie so did the real meanings.
410302032 英美二 袁涵茵 Rita
I enjoy the movie although I like the original novel more. The origin words give readers imaginations. A story will be different while different person read because everyone has different standard. Same plot, but words complete the difference between people. That’s how words fascinate people all the time. However, big screen shows the whole vivid picture to spectators, more easily to understand but less imagination for people to think about. For instant, Oscar Wilde described Dorian as the most beautiful person in the world with blondie hair and green eyes. We wouldn’t see how exactly Dorian looks like or how beautiful he is, but we will imagine our “the most beautiful person” when seeing Wilde describe Dorian and how others react when seeing Dorian. On the other side, in the movie, Dorian has brown hair and eyes, different from novel. Honestly, the actor is kind of beautiful but I think his temperament isn’t fit Dorian. When Dorian in the movie first came out, it means to set a unified beauty standard in this movie, spectators have no choice but to accept it, even though the actor may not good enough for somebody. That’s why I like the novel more than the movie.
There’re many difference between the novel and the movie. In novel, Lord Henry stands evil side from the beginning to the end. He cares nothing, only if there’s something interested him. On the contrary, Henry in movie turn out to be gentle and stable in his middle age. Knowing that Dorian is distortion and depraved, he tries to keep Dorian from influence his daughter. Henry’s daughter is another difference. She is an original character of the movie. I think Dorian in movie is different from the one in novel as well. In novel, Dorian seem to be more clever and more feminized; though at the beginning of the movie, Dorian looks clumsy and native, much more like an immature man than a neutral boy.
英美二 陳 璞 410302016
The movie and the novel have various differences but both of them have their own speciality. However, I prefer the version of novel better. Here are some points I would like to point out. Aside from the slightly difference of the plot in the novel, the movie is rather dramatic and full of effects. For example, the movie starts with the flashback; we can see Dorian getting rid of the corpse by throwing the box down the river at the beginning of the movie. The movie also adds new characters in the movie to create the complex relationship of the characters. The dramatic part of the movie is mostly the effects, like the disgusting maggots falling out of the portrait’s eye as Dorian’s soul starting to corrupt and the effect on the ugly and moaning portrait of Dorian Gray. Also, The movie exaggerates many parts of the novel; I think the movie tends to show more the corruption of Dorian in physically behavior rather than mentally. I have a deep impression of Dorian Gray being promiscuous after Henry lured him to corrupt his soul in Hedonism. Furthermore, the point of view of the character is mainly Dorian, unlike the third-person narrating the story in the novel.
What I love about the novel’s version is its delicate description of third person narrating; it gives the characters delicate descriptions to let readers picture the characters personality and thoughts vividly in our minds. I prefer the version of novel is also because it is more literally beautiful in description. Through the word description, I can strongly feel the feelings and the thoughts of the characters. I think the novel can have more impact on out inner thoughts than the movie.
41010274 英美四 曾凱婕 Sherry
After I read the novel and the movie adaption, I thought both of them are quite successful. Nevertheless, I preferred the novel instead of the movie. That was because the movie contained a lot of crucial and vicious visions. When I watched the movie, I felt so scared. That was why I did not enjoy this movie a lot. I preferred the novel which included the obscure descriptions. I found that there were several differences between them. The followings were my opinions.
First one was the point of view between the novel and the movie. In the novel, it was from Basil’s point of view to Dorian Gray’s. However, in the movie, it was only from Dorian Gray’s point of view. Second, in the movie, the character, Alan Campbell was removed. Thus, we did not see how Alan Campbell reflected Dorian Gray since they two had the same homosexual relationship. And, we did not see how Alan Campbell helped Dorian Gray to destroy the corpse. Last, how James Sibyl was dead was totally different between the novel and the movie. In the novel, James Sibyl was shot by a gun. In the film, he was dead because he was hit by a train.
To tell the truth, the obscure feeling which the novel portrays appeals me more. Due to this kind of atmosphere, the readers can image the vision by themselves. However, if the movie only contains the obscure feeling, the movie must let people feel bored. Although I do not like the movie, I can understand what the director wants to express to readers.
英美三 410202074 賴祖兒
There are several differences between the original novel and the 2009 movie adaption of The Picture of Dorian Gray. First, the point of view of the novel begins with Basil, but later switches to Dorian Gray. However, the whole movie is from Dorian Gray’s perspective. The setting and technique of the novel makes Dorian Gray more mysterious and untouchable. Second, the movie has changed the setting of the characters a little. In the novel, there are plenty of people who get acquainted with Dorian Gray but no one becomes his intimate friend. However, in the movie, they made Lord Henry have a daughter, who becomes Dorian’s bosom friend and even lover, and makes Dorian start to think about conscience and morality. The last difference, which I think is the most crucial one, is that in the novel, Oscar Wilde only uses words to describe Dorian’s downfall and vaguely narrates what he has done. All the corruptive attitudes and actions of Dorian Gray need to be imagined and built up by audience. However, in the movie, the actor actually acts all the dirty and filthy thing and the director bravely shows them to audience.
To me, the movie adaption has more impact on me because the plot really shocked me a lot. After reading the novel, I might have the understanding that Dorian loses his soul and enjoys all the immoral things, but I have no specific idea of what he actually did. However, the movie version made everything clear and direct, startling me throughout the whole movie. We can’t judge which version is the best because there’s no wrong to be direct or indirect. Just as Oscar Wilde says, art is only for art’s sake.
The differences of movie and novel, is the power of the imagination. In the novel, Oscar Wilde used a lot of beautiful words to describe the views, the senses, and the evils. I think that the book makes me image a lot. But, I also think the movie can make me understand the most part of the novel quickly. Besides, the movie has the senses of the auditory and the visual.
In the movie, many things had happened too quickly, it lost the darkness and the mentality of each character. Actually, I enjoy the author describes Gray’s desire of fame and beauty, the contradiction in his deep mind, and the hypocritical, selfish, cool, cruel performances. Moreover, the erotic scenes is excessive that miniaturized the original main idea of the novel.
One of the difference between the novel and the movie is the ending. In the novel, Gary die with mysterious in the room, the author dose not describe the death in detail so that give the readers more imaginative spaces. In the movie, the ending is, Gray is revealed the ugly secret by Henry, and then he commits suicide with fire. In addition, before Gray commits suicide, he conflicts with Henry and almost kills him but he does not. And when Emily wants to save Gray, she is stopped by Gray. In my perspective, the actions are seen as Gray has conscience and he wants to be a good person.
The novel is changed by the movie so did the real meanings.
(前一份未滿字數250，所以重傳一次，SORRY!!!)
410185071 許馨文 Queenie
First, I want to talk about the corpse of Basil Hallward. In the novel, Dorian asks Alan Campbell to utilize his professional knowledge of chemistry to destroy the corpse of Basil Hallward. However, Dorian stealthily moves the body of Basil Hallward, and then he throws it into the river in the movie. Second, Lord Henry's daughter Emily does not exist in the novel, but Emily appears in the movie. In addition, Emily falls in love with Dorian Gray in the later plot of movie. Third, I want to talk abou the place which Dorian Gray meets Lord Henry. In the novel, Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray meet Lord Henry in garden.(or studio) Nevertheless, they meet on another at a party in the movie. Then, Sibyl Sibyl Vane commits suicide by taking prussic acid in the novel. On the contrary, we cannot make sure whether Sybyl died for suicide or murder, because they just find the corpse of Sibyl in the river. Last, I think the movie condensed many plots in order to save time.
Both versions have their own advantages. Reading novel can make me to imagine different appearances of characters, and it is an enjoyable thing for me. I think the casting in this movie is great, and every actors and actress acted appropriately in the movie. (Except the actress who acted Sibyl Vane) In fact, I like movie more than novel, because it has a well-knit plot. When I read the novel, it describes something about settings. (Sometimes, I really wanted to skip through those descriptions)
410302020 英美二 簡嘉俞
I find that the movie uses many adaptions and adds more dramatic effects. About the adaptions, for example, first of all, the novel is chronological, while the movie begins with the flashback, Dorian throwing the box he used to put Basil’s corpse into the river. Second, the point of view of the film mainly focuses on Dorian rather than the 3rd person narration in the novel. Third, Dorian should meet Henry in Basil’s studio, but in the movie, they met at Henry’s party. Besides, Dorian was appealed by a country girl in the novel instead of attracting by Henry’s daughter, a totally new character. The following come the huge differences. According to the novel, Dorian should be an extreme narcissistic person, so his intention to do good things is merely to reduce the corruption of his portrait. Yet, in the film, he really changes and finds his conscience and morality back, choosing to leave alone in the burning locked loft due to his will for protecting his love, Emily. Then, Henry, in the novel, stands for the demon, tempting a beautiful boy with the innocent soul into pursuing the hedonism and releasing his evil side in human nature. He doesn’t care the consequences, just enjoying in his great impact on Dorian. In the movie, on the contrary, he turns out to be a father zealously wanting to prevent his daughter from getting harm by the distorted and depraved Dorian near the end.
I still prefer the novel to the film because the movie can’t be as meticulous as the novel. Additionally, it only shows the corruption of Dorian’s soul in physical way, using too many sexual and promiscuous scenes to illustrate his life of fop, debauchery and orgies. I don’t appreciate that part, but I like how the movie visualizes the transformation of the portrait like the disgusting maggots crawling out of the eye of Dorian. These effects make the portrait more creepy and ferocious to emphasize the horror of the falling from hedonism, although they’re too scary for me. When I read the novel, I feel myself intoxicated by Wilde’s depictions. As long as I read what Henry said in his witty words, I feel myself becoming another Dorian, deeply indulging in what he portrays and allured unconsciously by his philosophy. Making me wondering whether he’s just the last straw awakening my inner vice, or he’s the one who intentionally pollute my pure soul? These are the things that movie adaption can’t bring to me. Undoubtedly, the more carefully I relish every single detail in the book, the better I can explore the different aspects of human- the forbidden desire, the corruption of human nature, the longing of eternal beauty, and the pursuit of the pleasure in life.
410302010 英美二 洪寧孺
I prefer the novel to the film of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Not only for the reason that it’s the original version, but for it’s not as dramatic as the film, without those cinematic elements and techniques. As for the cast, I think Ben Barnes suits the character pretty well. However, Colin Firth doesn’t seem to be devious and beguiling enough to me. Moreover, I don’t consider the addition of the character, Emily, necessary for the film. I think it might obscure the main theme of the plot. To be frank, I don’t understand the intention of the director, having Dorian Gray and Henry’s daughter having a romance, making Lord Henry and Dorian’s relationship more complex. Different from the novel, the film unfolds with Dorian Gray stabbing someone and dumping the wooden box, with the corpse inside, into the river. It foreshadows the corruption of Dorian, letting the audience know that the character is going to become wicked somehow in the very beginning. On the other hand, simply by reading the novel, readers won’t have a clue that the pure and innocent Dorian would become such a vicious person someday until the middle part of the story; The part which he were as if cast a spell by Lord Henry’s hedonistic attitude toward life. The novel highlights Dorian’s homosexual tendency and his struggle, while we can’t see much of it from the film.
410202075 英美三 李家欣 (Revised)
About the plot, the film and the novel have different version. For example, how Lord Henry and Dorian Gray met each other. In the novel, Dorian met Henry in Basil’s studio, but in the film, they met at Henry’s party. Second, Dorian was attracted by a country girl in the novel; instead, he fell in love with Henry’s daughter in the film. Also, Dorian’s attitude in the end was different. He tried to become a better man because of his young lover in the movie, which is totally different from the novel.
I can’t say which version I prefer or impacted me the most because both of them have different advantages. I can imagine how Dorian Gray looked like based on my sense of beauty, how the portray changed and how Dorian changed from an innocent boy to immoral and corrupt by only reading the novel. On contrary, the film limits my imagination and it is full of sex which I think it makes the story too horny and lacks of the aesthetic that the novel has. On the other hand, the movie is filmed in different way. I didn’t even realize the difference until the instructor talked about it after we finished it. We all get accustomed to put more attention on the actresses’ appearance than the actors’. Most of the actresses in this film are not as beautiful or young as typical movies. I think it’s really an interesting thing to notice. Each of them has advantages and I have different reflections on them.
There are two parts which are the most different between the novel and the movie that I want to discuss. First, the character, Henry, who is the incarnation of Satan, keeps seducing Dorian Grey away from innocence to evil. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Henry always stands for the evil side, and what he said to Dorian is so creepy and horrible. However, in the end of the movie, the figure of evil changes into a hypocritical man who tries to stop Dorian and reveal his disgusting secret. It seems that Henry wants to protect his daughter from being hurt by mysterious Dorian, but actually, he himself wants to know how to keep perpetual youth just like Dorian.
What’s more, the purpose of destroying the picture by Dorian himself is quite different between the novel and the movie. In the novel, Dorian wants to destroy the picture by the knife which he uses to murder Basil is because of hate and no pleasure anymore. But in the end of the movie, Dorian destroys the picture for protecting the woman he loves from knowing the secret, so he chooses to perish together with the picture. It seems that Dorian has mended his way.
The novel appeals to me the most because the portrait of the character and the story are so vivid, but I think it is illogical in some way when watching the movie.
410202037 英美三 徐翊庭
In my opinion, the adapted movie’s plots and atmosphere are similar to the novel, for instance, both of them present same elements inclusive of the gothic, hedonism, and Faust’s image. Also, the film does not make itself modernized, briefly, movie present the era as same as and novel in 1890. However, there are some details in the film that has differences from the original novel. The first one is Basil’s body that Dorian Gray gets rid of the corpse, and throw it in to the river while, in the novel, Dorian makes Alan Canbell use acid to crush the corpse. Another different one is that the woman who Dorian love after 18 years turns out, in the film, Lord Henry’s daughter. The third one is that Henry destroys the portrait while, in the original version, Gray kills himself so that it can perish the portrait. Then, I like the movie more than the book, because I am a visual reader and I am impressed stronger by actors and actresses’ mood, acts and what the inner desire is in it. I like the changes, day by day, of portrait most. Gray sells his soul out to exchange the immortal youth, just like make deals with Faust horribly, however, with fading and injuring at each time, the portrait itself which replace Dorian Gray to present the darkness of his heart. At last, it becomes too disgust and ugly to distinguish who beautiful Dorian Gray is. The portrait is regarded as the mental state that normal people cannot perceive. In the reality, every people have own portraits or photographs. I think the author wants to give a moral that we need to remind and reflect ourselves, or we will fall down like Dorian does
410202028 英美三 杜元 Mark
I found several differences between Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel. First, take the plot that Lord Henry first met Dorian Gray for example; Dorian met Henry at Basil’s studio in the novel. However, in the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel, they met each other at Henry’s party.
Second, I also found that there exit some differences about the corruption of the characters. Lord Henry affects Dorian by using some witty words like aphorism in the novel. However; in the movie adaption, Lord Henry makes (or we can even say ‘‘corrupt’’ ) Dorian experience a whole new world by taking him to experience the brothel life.
Third, Basil’s death is totally different between the novel and the movie adaptation.
I was disappointed by the way that the film portrays Basil’s death. Because I want to see more about the graphic and the struggling part of Dorian’s internal monolog. In the novel, Basil was killed by Dorian Gray and his friend, and then the way of Basil’s death was dissolved by chemicals. But, in the movie adaption, Basil was just dismembered by Dorian, and then threw his body into the river. The way that Dorian abandons Basil by throwing his body into the river cannot totally present the struggling feeling of Dorian’s monologue.
In novel of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, we often come to know characters best not through what they say, but through what they are thinking or what the speaker says about them in the narration. The speaker mediates the meaning of what we read through his or her point of view. However, in film, the speaker almost disappears. Sometimes a speaker’s perspective is kept through by the use of a voice over, but generally the director must rely on the other tools of film to reproduce what was felt, thought, and described on the novel. Therefore, I prefer the authentic and original novel to the 2009 movie adaptation.
410297071 民發三 楊雅婷
The core between the novel and the adapted movie is the same. The young and beauty Dorian corrupted and influenced by Lord Henry who was cynical. The portrait which Basil painted would replace the dirty things what Dorian done and what evil thought Dorian had, and made Dorian physical perfectly. There are many differences between the novel and the movie. For example, in the novel Dorian was taken to meet Sibyl by Jew, but in the movies he went to the box by himself and it was also the influence to Henry. Also, the ways and the reasons that Sibyl killed herself are different. One is drink poison in the theatre after Dorian and Sibyl have a row for her bad acting, and the other one is to drown because Dorian had an affair which Henry took him to the red light district for. I think in the novel is more dramatic and can point out more about the personality of Dorian. Sibyl still died as a role from some Jacobean tragedy. She played her last part. It seemed that there is no real Sibyl. Her death is a real romance, passion and love in reality just like every romantic story. The changing of actress is what Dorian love at the beginning and also the end, but who Sibyl is. Moreover, in the novel, Dorian suicide by the same knife which he killed Basil. He killed himself because he wanted to be free and get out of the wrong past. Still, for his own. It’s very different. At the end of the movies, Basil seems died for Emily who he really loved in fire which Henry made. It’s kind of sacrifice, regret and complement for what he had done. Book showed the evil side of human even at the end and movie played what audient wanted to see, people would change to be good. In my opinion, Basil, Henry and Dorian are the same person. It may symbolize that people will have different version in every stage or at the same time. We always want other to see or good side that represent to the youth, beauty (appearance) and the role of Basil, but, in fact, we all have evil thought that represent to the role of Henry. It will always influent our behavior and mind. The portrait symbolizes the darkness of our heart and the secrets that we don’t want others to know.
4101027072 英美四 莊鈞翔
When comparing to the novel and movie of Dorian Gray, I prefer the novel version because I can genuinely immerse in their story by reading words, and to feel characters’ emotion. Words can create imagination, so I can create many marvelous scenes in my mind and manipulate the story with my own thoughts.
Although the plot doesn’t change a lot, there are some differences between the novel and the movie. The first one is how it narrates the story. The novel uses third person narration, but the movie mainly uses Dorian to narrate the story. Second, the way that Dorian meets Henry is different. One is by coincidence and another is that they meet in a party. The third thing is Henry’s studio. There are many kinds of flowers in Henry’s studio which implies his sexuality, but this important scene does not exist at all, which is a pity for me. Finally, this is also the reason why I love novel version more. I think Dorian is more attractive in the novel, so I realize how magic the word is. After I finish the novel, I must say it is much different from my imagination. In the novel, Dorian is more mysterious and charming.
I think it is really hard to present a novel by movies because of the limited time and lack of creation and imagination. Although movie brings me graphic to connect the story, I still enjoy the novel because of the imagination it brings to me.
I think the most important part of the differences between the movie and the novel is the depiction of the character, Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde’s depiction of Dorian Gray implies a struggle between human nature and moral while the portrait is like a mirror, which reflects facts that Dorian is not willing to face. In the novel, Dorian is first an innocent boy whose beauty is beyond everything in the world. However, as Dorian and Henry’s bond gets tider and tider, Dorian’s struggle between human nature and moral grows stranger. But he then finally turns into a self-centered devil who cares no one but himself. On the other hand, the movie depicts Dorian as a debauchee who exchange his soul with devil for eternal youth. He then gets lost in his own lust and pleasure. Rather than being a total devil and finally leads to self-destruction, the movie lets Dorian faces the truth and dies for somebody he loves in the end.
I find the novel is more fascinating and shocking. Besides the fact that the novel creates more spaces for the readers to imagine, it successfully raises readers awareness of immoral behavior and corruption. Unlike the novel, the movie directly points out the consequences of immorality. Hence, the ending of the movie makes the whole movie like a fable. To me, it seems like a cliche. However, the movie's depiction of the portrait is undoubtedly astonishing. And we can also feel the emotion of each character directly through our eyes.
410202049 張韵妤
After finished both of the novel and the 2009 movie adaptation. I think there are a lot of differences between the novel and the film adaptation. Take the characters, for example, in the novel, there are so many descriptions about the charming characteristic of Lord Henry like his words of aphorism, his witty lines and how he uses the art of talking to manipulate Dorian. But there don't seem to have many frames about those features of Lord Henry in the movie. And as for Basil, in the movie, he seemingly is not an important character at all. The description of the painter was not that clear and essential in the film. Of course, his picture of Dorian Gray became the vital theme of the story. But there was not many portraits of Basil's fascination and enthusiastic toward Dorian and that makes the picture didn't seem to carry on too many affections of Basil. And the plot of the movie is also different from the novel. For instance, the revenge of Sibyl's brother and the relationship between Dorian and Lord Henry's daughter.
Although in the movie adaptation, Dorian is really beautiful, I prefer the novel version. Because I really enjoy the description of aesthetics and the alluring language of Lord Henry. Besides, the novel can give me the vivid imagination of the adventures of the characters. The movie is good but there are too much sexual intercourse scenes of Dorian. And I don't appreciate that it makes Dorian so very brute and less attractive.
410002061 申傳勝 Shawn
(Repost of the assignment)
After seeing the movie of Dorian Grey, I would like to give a good comment to the movie if I have not read the novel. But as a reader of the novel, I believe that the movie focuses too much on the entertainment and the anime part. Or maybe it is just the power of writing, it is better to describe the state of Dorian’s mind by words rather than anime.
Compared the movie to the novel, although some of the plots are changed to fit in with the audiences, the plots of the movie proceeds as the novel; but in some of the scenes, I think the movie over uses the anime to describe the devil inside Dorian’s mind.
Honestly, I like the novel better than the movie. In the novel, Lord Henry’s words are like the dense fog to misguide Dorian to the hell. It is creepy to read the words that spoke by Lord Henry. The words he says seemly are not harmful, but truly are the whisper of devil.
In the end of the story, I like the novel’s technique to show the collapse of Dorian’s mind. In the book, Dorian realizes that the only thing that could save his soul is to regret for all of his sins. Compared to the movie, Dorian tries to nail a dagger into the picture. Finally the picture, however, it returns to its original appearance and Lord Henry keeps it.
The technique of how the movie settles the end of the story was impressive, but in my opinion, I consider it leaves the less imagination for the audiences.
410302036 朱恆慧
I think there are a lot of differences between Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel. First of all, in the movie, there are a lot of plots which are not based on novel. For example, the affair between Dorian and Sibyl is not same as the novel. Next, the tones of these two works are quite different. Oscar Wilde narrated the story in a more aesthetic way. On contrary, for me, I think that the narration of the movie is a little bit too shallow. The interactions between the characters are good examples. The characteristics in the novel are more round than the movies’. Take Dorian Gray for example. I think he is a round character in the novel; the change of him is profound and exquisite, and it is also an important part of this story. I think Oscar’s Dorian is the core of the novel, he does move on the story. However, in the movie, Dorian Gray becomes a flat character. The transformation of Dorian is too intentional. It just like his change is all for the plot, not for himself.
Oscar Wilde’s version appeals me more. Actually, I do not like the movie at all. I think the novel is more profound than the movie. I like the way Oscar Wilde elaborates the story and the duologues in the story are appealing. When reading the novel, it seem like those characters are the different perspectives of Oscar Wilde, and they are try to convince me of Oscar Wilde’s value or thought.
410202009 符新
For me, I like the original novel more. The movie is terrible in my own opinion. There are few reasons why I don't like the movie and the reasons are also the differences I want to point out.
First of all, the protagonists in the movie doesn't come out with the right impression I have in my mind while reading the novel. Dorian supposed to be an incomparable, perfect beauty; having a naïve and simple heart according to the description in the novel but the imagery of him in the movie is not like that. Naivety becomes stupidness and the perfect appearance is not persuasive. Dorian would be a lovely, adorable and attractive young man (or boy) if you read the novel but the movie makes him a flat, dull, ridiculous character. Also I think Lord Henry in the movie is not deep, evil, calculating enough while Basil is almost forgotten as and important character. The three protagonists' characteristics is flattened and thus the movie don't give such strong impression comparing to the novel which give an enormous space of imagination for readers.
Secondly, the element of promiscuous in the movie is way too much that I almost think it's a pornography. I think the director wants to bring out the imgery of Dorian getting indulgent and absording the evilness from Henry. However the transformation of Dorian is not just like that. There are actually more inner struggle and paradox of his conscience inside him. The transfomation is actually a process of finding his true self. The powerful sexual scenes weaken the deep meanings we can find in the novel and distract the audience from thinking them.
At last, the movie doesn't present the detail feelings between the three men which decreases the homoerotic atmosphere. It might reduce the color of this work and I think this is why the movie is not appealing to me.
41020A017楊佳靜
After watching the movie, I found that there are some different from the novel. First, the main characters did not express the strong features which described in the novel, such as Dorian Gray suppose to be very charming, and fascinated by Lord Henry, and Lord Henry suppose be crafty and evil to puzzle Dorian Gray. Besides, Sibyl is not very beautiful as the novel described. Second, the movie did not emphasize the affection between Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and Basil Hallward, this is an important part to express home sexuality in the novel, but it is a little regret that the movie is fizzled out this part. The last one is the ending of the movie is be adapted that Lord Henry’s fell in love with Dorian Grey, but Lord Henry did not agree with this affection. This plot makes me think that the director wants to focus on heterosexuality rather than home sexuality. However, Dorian was be killed by Lord Henry with his portrait, although it is a little ridiculous, I think it is an impressed ending.
Above all are my opinions about comparing the movie and the novel, and I think I like the novel more because the words can make me have more images about Dorian Gray, because the appearance of the character is not I image, and that is why I am a little regret about this movie. Besides, I prefer the affections in the novel, the love between Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and Basil Hallward. Although they are not clear express they love each other, it still can read the emotion in the novel. That is why I prefer the novel.
410202056 林田珦儒
I'm looking forward to the movie way too much, so that my opinion might not be fair between the novel and the movie. The novel is still better than the movie, I think. The way Wilde described the characters' personalities is perfect, at least for me. I can feel what's in that character's mind and the reasons why the character choose to do something deeply. Like Gray, those things he did are just ridicules, but through the sentences and words that Wilde wrote, I can truly understand and even sympathize the situation that Gray had to face.
But when I watched the movie, those plots are passed through too fast. Especially, after I read the novel, I know what things should appear in this part and what things should not, this kind of thoughts really influence my mind when I watched the movie. The movie is still good, but the novel is better than that. Sometimes the scenes and the views in the movie are just different with what I imagined. But I do like the picture of Gray that Basil draw, that is really beautiful and just like what I imagined when I read the novel. And the scene that Gray and Lord Henry met each other is better than what I expected. Because I think the atmosphere in that plot is difficult to present, but the movie did it well. But I have to say twice, the novel is better!
4101027072 英美四 莊鈞翔
When comparing to the novel and movie of Dorian Gray, I prefer the novel version because I can genuinely immerse in their story by reading words, and to feel characters’ emotion. Words can create imagination, so I can create many marvelous scenes in my mind and manipulate the story with my own thoughts.
Although the plot doesn’t change a lot, there are some differences between the novel and the movie. The first one is how it narrates the story. The novel uses third person narration, but the movie mainly uses Dorian to narrate the story. Second, the way that Dorian meets Henry is different. One is by coincidence and another is that they meet in a party. The third thing is Henry’s studio. There are many kinds of flowers in Henry’s studio which implies his sexuality, but this important scene does not exist at all, which is a pity for me. Finally, this is also the reason why I love novel version more. I think Dorian is more attractive in the novel, so I realize how magic the word is. However, after I finish the novel, I must say it is much different from my imagination. In the novel, Dorian is more mysterious and charming. The creation and imagination that words give us can’t be easily performed in a movie.
I think it is really hard to present a novel by movies because of the limited time and lack of creation and imagination. Although movie brings me graphic to connect the story, I still enjoy the novel because of the imagination it brings to me.
410285026 李靜潔
The difference between Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 2009 movie adaptation of the novel is the way they interpret the Dorian the main character. In the movie Dorian accept everything from Henry without questioning. Without any mediating or suffer in his mind, Dorian embrace the change very easily. However, I think in real life everyone will consider every detail about life then consider whether to accept or not. I prefer the novel version, Dorian. When the first time Henry tries to corrupt Dorian, Daria’s mind change rapidly and struggle it. The progress of Dorian’s corruption also has difference between novel and movie. The progress in the movie is too fast and easy. It seems Dorian accept the ugly side of himself and he make good use of this as a fatal weapon. In the novel Dorian find out the secret and has struggle in his mind. We can feel the inner struggled in his mind and Dorian still not enjoy the joy about his secret.
The novel version by Oscar Wild has the most impact on me. Because the novel creates the figure Dorian so perfectly that the movie cannot surpass it. Although in the movie the actor looks very handsome and spends effort working about this character. The novel leaves more space for the reader to imagine Dorian, Basil, Henry and their relationship. During reading the novel I can feel the struggle inside Dorian mind and feel empathy for this character. However, I do not feel the same as watching the movie, the Dorian in the movie just like an evil figure. He hurts people without sadness and mercy. In thenovel Dorian looks back picture when he believes that he does something great. We can feel that inside his mind he still hope he can survive from this terrible curse.
There are two parts which are the most different between the novel and the movie that I want to discuss. First, the character, Henry, who is the incarnation of Satan, keeps seducing Dorian Grey away from innocence to evil. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Henry always stands for the evil side, and what he said to Dorian is so creepy and horrible. However, in the end of the movie, the figure of evil changes into a hypocritical man who tries to stop Dorian and reveal his disgusting secret. It seems that Henry wants to protect his daughter from being hurt by mysterious Dorian, but actually, he himself wants to know how to keep perpetual youth just like Dorian.
What’s more, the purpose of destroying the picture by Dorian himself is quite different between the novel and the movie. In the novel, Dorian wants to destroy the picture by the knife which he uses to murder Basil is because of hate and no pleasure anymore. But in the end of the movie, Dorian destroys the picture for protecting the woman he loves from knowing the secret, so he chooses to perish together with the picture. It seems that Dorian has mended his way.
I used to like movie more because I can know the character (including their personality) and the story directly. However, I think it is illogical in some way when watching the movie. This time, the novel appeals to me the most because the portrait of the character and the story are so vivid,
410202033 廖家寧
One of the characters I am interested to investigate is Lord Henry. I think the most different part from the novel is that the movie adds a new character that make Lord Henry have other aspects to be regarded.
His attitude totally alters on who is the object, especially when things comes to his own daughter. Now I wonder his motivation that he seems to have no choice but to make negative influences on Dorian Gray. Yet he knows it well that he is provoking and mislead Grey. And that is why he asks Gray keep away from his daughter, and attempts to stop his daughter approach Gray. He seems not to have no reason not to be blamed for Grey’s corruption. Of course, Grey have to take responsibility for his deeds. But I question why Henry as an experienced predecessor have to poison a young man’s soul, instead of leading him to a decent path. He won’t even give it a thought to let his daughter to touch these dark sides. I know Grey is vain and impressionable so he is misled. It is himself that makes his own self-destruction. But is he worth all these damage? I question it is the only way that Henry can do to get control of Gray?
I think maybe in this part, Henry represents the outer circumstances. And it is definitely a pity to see a young pure mind becomes polluted and a young kind heart becomes cold and cruel. Gray did not stick on his principles. But it seems that he has no principle.
英美二 410302010 洪寧孺
I prefer the novel to the film of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Not only for the reason that it’s the original version, but for it’s not as dramatic as the film, without those cinematic elements and techniques. As for the cast, I think Ben Barnes suits the character pretty well. However, Colin Firth doesn’t seem to be devious and beguiling enough to me. Moreover, I don’t consider the addition of the character, Emily, necessary for the film. I think it might obscure the main theme of the plot. To be frank, I don’t understand the intention of the director, having Dorian Gray and Henry’s daughter having a romance, making Lord Henry and Dorian’s relationship more complex. Different from the novel, the film unfolds with Dorian Gray stabbing someone and dumping the wooden box, with the corpse inside, into the river. It foreshadows the corruption of Dorian, letting the audience know that the character is going to become wicked somehow in the very beginning. On the other hand, simply by reading the novel, readers won’t have a clue that the pure and innocent Dorian would become such a vicious person someday until the middle part of the story; The part which he was as if cast a spell by Lord Henry’s hedonistic attitude toward life. The novel highlights Dorian’s homosexual tendency and his struggle, while we can’t see much of it from the film. It’s a pity that the film focus on displaying how indulgent Dorian Gray is when it comes to lust. I think the directors should’ve cut some of those scenes when he hangs with the prostitutes, since it makes the audience consider him as a heterosexual guy and neglects his struggle as a homosexual person on the inside.
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