Everything wrong with Dorian Gray (2009) in 637 words... spoilers!

When I discovered there was a movie version of The Picture of Dorian Gray I was pretty excited to see it. I love watching books I've read come to life. However, like most cases, the movie was nothing like the book. Standing on it's own, Dorian Gray would be a pretty good movie, nothing special though. However, when you compare it to the book it's pretty inadequate to say the least. Here's some reasons why:

1. Dorian is a scrawny dark-haired young boy... nothing like described in the book. Where are his golden locks and muscular physic?
2. Colin Firth was another casting mistake. Although he looked similar to how I pictured Lord Henry Wotton, how could I possible picture him as a negative influence and overall pretty sleazy man, when I just watched Mamma Mia two days earlier?
3.  The movie opens with Dorian stabbing Basil over and over. Although I appreciate the dramatic aspect, it's a bit of a spoiler for people who haven't read the book.
4. Basil's painting goes on display in the movie, and people love it. This contrasts the book, because Basil was adamant on not showing anyone the painting. 
5. Sibyl Vane doesn't kill herself by poison, but instead drowns... more on that later.  
6. Instead of indulging on materialistic items, the movie version of Dorian Gray expresses his lack of a soul by having a lot of sex. Definitely not my favorite montage. 
7. Basil and Dorian get very intimate in the montage mentioned above. Although there was hinting of that in the book, Wilde never came right out and said they were gay or bisexual.
8. Although Dorian kills Basil exactly how it is described in the book, movie Dorian doesn't blackmail his house servant into disposing Basil's body. Instead, Dorian chops it into pieces then throws the pieces into a river, the same river Sibyl committed suicide in. That part was very hard to watch. On top of that, the pieces are found, and there is a hunt for the murderer (Dorian is never considered).
9. Sibyl Vane's brother does try to kill Dorian twice, just like in the book. The first time the depiction is word for word, however, the second time it was much different. The short version is that James Vane chased Dorian on to train tracks, almost killed Dorian, then was hit and killed by a train. Nothing like the book. 
10. Not only does the painting age, but it literally comes to life. You can hear it moaning and groaning throughout the movie, and at one point it stretches out of the painting. 
11. One of the BIGGEST differences is that Basil has a daughter who falls in love with Dorian. Dorian tries to resist her charm, but fails. To say Basil was upset when he found out would be a severe under-exaggeration. 
12. The final scene is super dramatic, just like in the book, but the movie strays quite a bit from the original ending. Basil ends up confronting Dorian about his relations with his daughter, and sees the painting. Dorian tries to kill him in attempt to keep his secret, but fails, and Basil ends up locking Dorian in the attic and lighting it on fire. Dorian then says a tearful goodbye to his lady-friend (Basil's daughter), and confronts the painting at last. The painting, which is really gross at this point, emerges from the canvas while Dorian attempts to stab it. Finally, the painting smashes into Dorian's face at the same moment that Dorian plunges the sword though the canvas. The movie ends, just like the book. Dorian's lifeless body is shown looking really old and disgusting, and the painting returns to it's original state. 

So if any of that confused you, I suggest watching the movie and reading the book for clarification. You probably won't regret it. 

If you want to learn something, read this book

Well, I can honestly say I did not expect this book to end the way it did.  After reading the last line I genuinely had to take a moment to compose myself. As shocking as it was, I am overall very happy with the end of The Picture of Dorian Gray. It gave me the perfect amount of closure, while still causing me to think about every aspect of the book. The only thing that I wish had been clarified was who the devil was. My suspicion still lies on Lord Henry Wotton, because of his incredibly negative influence on Dorian, but I suppose I will never really know.

So, with the conclusion of this book came my conclusion that the main themes of The Picture of Dorian Gray revolve around vanity, the value of youth and beauty, and negative influences

Vanity: Dorian's first mistake:
I'm not sure how to incomes this theme into one sentence, but vanity certainly is highlighted throughout this book. It is the source of Dorian's corruption. His obsession with his youth and appearance is what drives him to sell his soul to the devil. After that, everything he does is to please himself. He finds pleasure in material things, that are ageless and beautiful, just like himself. Wilde writes:"nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing".This highlights Dorians complete lack of regard to priceless things, like relationships. Dorian feels free of any and all social constraints, he does not care to make personal connections, and (quite brutally) ends one of his only pure relationship. Dorian is overflowing with vanity, and in the end it causes his death. This shows that one should not focus on the materialist aspects of this, i.e. appearances, money, jewels, etc. Doing so only makes one vain, and vanity only leads to further corruption.

Youth and Appearance: 
Youth is something easily taken for granted, and in Dorian's case, it becomes more than that. Dorian was so desperate for youth that he gave up the one thing that make him human, his soul. By selling his soul to the devil (Harry?), Dorian paid the ultimate price. It was creepy to watch him change from a vain but innocent young man, to a (still) vain and deadly statue of his former self. Oscar Wilde put into perspective how youth is a blessing not to be taken for granted. Dorian did not cherish his youth, and in the end that is what destroyed him.
Due to his beauty Dorian was exempt from his actions. Dorian literally confesses to murdering Basil, and it is brushed aside due to peoples perception of him. It seems he was able to do anything he wanted, and no one cared because he was so attractive. Only in his death was he punished. Wilde highlights how this is the case in our society, both in the time of publication and now. People are often exempt from their wrong-doings due to looks and social status. This is encompased by the painting of Dorian. Dorian does not have to bear the consequences for any of his actions, instead they are represented on the picture.

Steer clear of bad influences:
Obviously Dorian did not avoid being negatively influenced by Lord Henry Wotton. This book shows the strong effects of negative influence, especially if you do nothing to avoid it. Dorian easily succumbed to Harry's influence, and greatly change his personality because of it. Oscar Wilde shows how you must develop yourself as an individual, and not mold your personality around others in your life, especially when it is in a negative light.

All of these themes are very relevant today. They revolve around the titled and wealthy percent of population, making Wilde's overall message aimed at wealthy upperclass citizens. The Picture of Dorian Gray highlights societies corruption, and is completely relevant even today.

This book was completely different than I expected. I dove in anticipating fantasy and magic, and found dark humor and irony. Although it was not what I though it would be, I am very happy to have read The Picture of Dorian Gray. It definitely challenged me in new ways, and introduced me to an author I greatly enjoy.