WILDE 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
2 :-) :-) for the selfish giant
Directed by Brian Gilbert Cast Stephen Fry Jude Law Vanessa Redgrave Jennifer Ehle Gemma Jones Judy Parfitt Michael Sheen Zoë Wanamaker Tom Wilkinson (I) Written by Richard Ellmann Julian Mitchell
There is so much that can be said about a man who was so talented, that he almost thought that he could have it all. This great play-write of the late nineteenth century was undeniably one of the most charming men to have graced the British Empire with his witty discourse and intelligent writing. Yet somehow his downfall came not so much because he was gay, but because he was selfish.
So why hasn't this movie been released in the US yet? Well I hear it has to do something with the revealing homosexual scenes and the censorship board. For main stream cinema this is not your average smooch between Tom Selleck and Kevin Kline from IN AND OUT. These guys, Stephen Fry, Jude Law etc etc really know how to kiss. I'm talking lips, tongues, close ups you can tell they're all out, no holding back. This is not surprising considering Stephen Fry (BLACK ADDER) has had plenty of practice in real life prior to this excursion into male bonding. Not to mention the numerous ‘pretty boys' recruited to fill Oscar Wilde's bed get to cuddle him, sit on top of him, get behind him, play with each other in front of him. There are no close ups of any erections travelling the ways of in and out holes, but enough to give a gay man a hard on throughout the movie – so I hear. This is after all an art house movie and the director would not in any way want his film mistakenly labelled as pornographic.
So the main characters are superb in this movie. The very talented Stephen Fry plays Wilde as naturally as he is gay and portrays the man with great humanity and dignity. Jude Law's temperamental impersonation of ‘Bosey' is also memorable, but I fear the pretty lad may end up with a price tag label wording ‘Hire me if you need a toy boy who isn't afraid to show butt and kiss arse.' Vanessa Redgrave puts on a very liberal performance as the unconventional Irish mother who brought the genius into the world, and also worth mentioning is the darling Jennifer Ehle from TV's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, as the silent suffering wife.
An end quote from Wilde, ‘One must do as one's nature dictates' is a seriously flawed argument. He has overlooked factors like responsibility and sacrifice. There are many things in life that we may want to do, but we do not carry out these actions because the consequences are too far reaching for all concerned. This statement is not in reference to being gay or not being gay, but applies to everyone. Sometimes we must say NO to the thing our very nature dictates. It has nothing to do with sexuality, but to do with responsibility. Oscar Wilde had the responsibility of a father and husband to fulfil. This became an obligation when he allowed his passions to become unchecked. People will argue that Bosey destroyed Wilde with his wanton desires, but really the man was his own undoing when he travelled down the path of pure self gratification with little thought of whom he hurt in due course. I think Wilde knew that in the end his nature and poor choices destroyed the people that mattered most, his wife and children. Perhaps if he were never married Wilde would not appear the selfish giant he was, but the martyr he tried to be.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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