I had never read the book or had seen any adaptation of it, although I knew the broad strokes from allusions in other works (like THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN) and just its presence in our culture. Angela Lansbury is really great and it was nice to see her younger than I have ever seen her. She really is a phenomenal actress, but before I saw this or THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE I only knew her how most people of my generation knew here — from MURDER, SHE WROTE and BEAUTY & THE BEAST. I can see a lot in her that reminds me of early Meryl Streep performances. The cinematography and editing are the best parts of the film. The lighting really adds a lot especially in the moment when Dorian kills Basil is really dark yet alive. The use of technicolor in the film is so amazing that when it is used, you are either taken aback by its beauty or disgusted by how vile it appears. I was shocked when the color appeared as I did not expect. It is so strange that George Sanders is top billed over Hurd Hatfield who actually plays Dorian Gray. Sanders’ character is a little too off for my books. He looks like a faustian character with his goatee. He also doesn’t seem to age with the rest of the cast either, making him a representation of the devil and evil itself.
