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Yar, you be here: Wilde - Special Edition > Customer Reviews
Wilde - Special Edition Customer Reviews (16 - 17 of 17 Reviews)
The Wilde life and times...
The first time I saw this movie was on the big screen in a London theatre. I couldn't dream of a more appropriate place to see this wonderfully lavish telling of the true story of Oscar Wilde. Much of the movie is taken directly from Oscar's own confession, "De Profundis". Both Steven Fry (brilliantly known from "Blackadder" and "Jeeves and Wooster") and Jude Law are close to flawless in their performances as Wilde and Bosie. Fry achieves a subtlety of expression rarely seen in film nowadays; he demonstrates the gentle nature and greatness of spirit that most literary scholars would not be aware was the essence of Oscar Wilde. The tragic but utterly human downfall of Wilde may clearly be seen as the direct result of his tempestuous and ultimately fatal relationship with the petulant but beautiful Lord Alfred Douglas. Wilde may be an unlikely martyr, but nevertheless remains an inspiration to anyone who dares to be true to himself. I recommend this movie highly to those persons with the open hearts and minds to appreciate this great man.
"I put all my genius into my life. . ."
". . .I put only my talent into my works."Wilde is a truly moving and beautiful tribute to one of the forgotten geniuses of fin de siecle literature. In a deeply convincing performance, Stephen Fry shows both the glittering sheen of wit and the seldom-seen humanity beneath the Irish genius that was Oscar Wilde. Jude Law, doing his usual excellent job, portrays Bosie as both a petulant and spoiled brat and a young man starved for the affection he could never have as a child. The supporting cast are wonderful, particulary Michael Sheen as Robbie, Vanessa Redgrave as Speranza, and Tom Wilkinson as the Marquess of Queensbury. Ever since learning of him, I have held Mr. Wilde in deep respect, as an artist, a genius, and a person who would not become a hypocrite like those who so easily condemned him. The entire sequence from the trial scene to the release from prison was one of the most moving and cathartic moments I have ever witnessed on film. And in another vein, the movie does not shy away (like previous Wilde bios) from showing Wilde's intimate side. It gives a realistic and human side to a man I only previously beheld in black and white images from a distant century. Wilde is the finest film to come along in years. It is a viewing must for any conoisseur of cinema or literature.
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