Oscar Wilde in Film

Oscar Wilde in Film

Salome

Nearly all of Wilde's plays are worth visualizing. 'The importance of being Earnest' for example provides the best possible material for a film. It is witty, comic and fast. With a moral - a lie tends to make live complicated - but not too thoughtful so it would make the audience melancholic. Until today numerous attempts have been made to picturize 'Earnest': starting in 1952 with Anthony Asquith as director and Michael Redgrave as Jack Worthing1, ending in 2002 starring Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth.

The same is true for 'The picture of Dorian Gray'. The first adoption was produced in 1910 directed by Axel Strøm; the latest hit the cinemas in 2009, directed by Oliver Parker, who moved parts of the novel into the beginning of the twentieth century. People are fascinated by Dorian's beauty, his extravagant lifestyle and how it all turned into the exact opposite at the end, caused by his immorality and selfishness. The figure of Dorian alone is often used as well, for example in the 2003 movie 'The League of the Extraordinary Gentlemen' from Stephen Norrington, where Dorian turned out to be the betrayer. Or in the American comedy series 'Scrubs', in which a dreamy, handsome John Dorian and a cruel, inhuman Robert Kelso2 are two main characters.

Apparently the most fascinating of Wilde's pieces is 'Salome'. Not only has the material been filmed and staged as it was written, it has also been an inspiration for several songs: Peter Doherty and U23 both wrote songs called 'Salome'; music videos, for example the Smashing Pumpkins' video to 'Stand inside your love'4; an opera by Richard Strauss; other plays: Australian musician Nick Cave wrote a 5- act play entitled 'Salomé' and several movies, like the 1988- film 'Salome's last dance' directed by Ken Russell.

Billy Wilder's 1950- movie 'Sunset Boulevard' is also based on Wilde's, in 1891 published, tragedy. Set in the Hollywood of 1950 the former silent- screen actress Norma Desmond is desperate to make a 'return', as she calls it. Norma lives in an abandoned mansion; her only companion is her devoted butler Max, who used to be her first husband and the man who made her 'the greatest star'5 in the first place. She is certain to still be one of the biggest stars and her fans are waiting for her to make another movie, her delusion is encouraged by the fan letters she is still receiving, which are, however, written by Max to comfort her. Joseph Gillis, called Joe, on the other hand is a fallen scriptwriter with financial problems. Norma and Joe meet when he hides his beloved car in one of Norma's garages so the police cannot confiscate it. When Norma finds out about his profession she forces him to read the script she has written. This script ought to be her next big success and she is to play the leading role of Princess Salome. Joe considers the script as too long and too complicated. But since he is in need of some money starts to re- write it. The relationship between Norma and Joe is tense, but eventually, after an attempted suicide by Norma, they become lovers. Norma tends to over- evaluate herself and treats Joe like a puppet she can dress up and train. She is confident that her picture is going to be a great success. Cecil Blount DeMille, a famous director, rejects the story, but is not able to tell Norma because he knows how important stardom is to her. Norma begins to put herself under painful and reckless beauty procedures. Her insanity even grows when she finds out that Joe secretly meets Betty Schaefer, a young writer. After a fight, when Joe wants to leave for good, she shoots him. The arriving police find Norma sitting in front of a mirror, putting make up on. Max, who only seems to exist to please Norma, stages her last big performance: Norma glides down the stairs,