Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

New Oscar Wilde film, Dorian Gray is set for release in the UK this week. Swide got an exclusive interview with director Oliver Parker to find out the inside scoop on the forthcoming film, if the hedonist pleasures of London still exist and why Dorian Gray is actually a glamorous rock star...

Autumn seems certain to be all about Wilde-mania - D&G have designed their fall/winter collection around his gothic classic, Dorian Gray and now a new film adaptation is set to hit the big screen bringing his wit and style to a new worldwide audience.

Ahead of the film's UK premiere on Wednesday, starring Ben Barnes, Colin Firth & Rebecca Hall, Swide headed to London's Cadogan hotel and site of Irish playwright Wilde’s arrest in 1895 for gross indecency (Room 118 was in fact Oscar Wilde's room, and can still be reserved) to interview British director Oliver Parker (The Importance of Being Earnest, St Trinian's) and to quiz him on why his new film looks set to reach a 'wilder audience'...

SWIDE: THIS IS YOUR THIRD OSCAR WILDE TITLE (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST IN 2002, 1999’S AN IDEAL HUSBAND) – WHAT IS IT THAT DRAWS YOU TO WILDE’S WORK?

Oliver Parker: My early career was as an actor, and I acted in some of Wilde’s plays, so I relish the opportunity to bring his work to a wider, more contemporary audience, as well as shake off the conventional respects of the plays.

I was approached to do the film seven years ago, but it was only about two years ago that I thought it had cinematic potential. I was keen to delve into the darker side of Wilde’s works, liberate their dialogue from the plays, and create a new world on screen.

THE IDEA OF SELLING YOUR SOUL FOR ETERNAL BEAUTY IS VERY CONTEMPORARY, AND FITS ALONGSIDE OUR CURRENT OBSESSIONS FOR BEING FAMOUS. DO YOU THINK THE BOOK, DORIAN GRAY IS MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER?

As with every classic, there is an eternal dynamic. (Dorian Gray is considered one of the last works of classic gothic horror fiction with a strong Faustian theme - making a pact with the Devil in exchange for knowledge) and its themes – those of obsessive beauty and youth are urgent!

Today it’s a case of what can we get away with now? With advances in technology we can act on these desires - as the Wilde quote says, “When the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers”. Making yourself more beautiful is now within our reach and it’s very compelling from a storytelling point of view and to try and answer what makes us obsess over beauty and celebrity?

DO YOU THINK OSCAR WILDE WOULD BE BLOGGING OR TWITTERING IF HE WERE ALIVE TODAY AND ABOUT WHAT?

Wilde would definitely be involved, but I think he would be shrewd about how he did it - he stage-managed his life. He wouldn’t give everything away; he had a great sense of mystery, and led a double life in certain respects. To give everything away on the net is to lose some autonomy, and he was a genius in the way he controlled information. I think he would have been tempted by film though; he was a great populist and compelled by character and dialogue.

THE STORY OF DORIAN GRAY OBVIOUSLY TALKS OF, “THE HEDONISTIC PLEASURES OF LONDON” – DO YOU THINK THEY STILL EXIST?

There are still pockets of it, and I think it goes in cycles. People are always pushing the limits of taboo, and of course it’s healthy in many respects. Now, it’s almost difficult to break with convention, part of the problem now for many radicals is limited repression. Directing this film, it was amazing to think only a hundred years ago the concept of two men kissing caused such an outrage, and of course this is why it’s so interesting to work with Wilde (the forthcoming film features nude scenes and gay kissing).

HOW DO YOU GET INTO THE MIND FRAME OF THE FILM – TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO GOTHIC LONDON?

It’s a gradual process, I do a lot of research and I’m always fascinated by contrasts, paradoxes…when I was younger I worked with Clive Barker (horror writer & director of the Hell-raiser series), and of course there are shades of darkness to all Wilde’s plays whether its murder or social climbing.

As so little of gothic London is left, the use of CGI (computer graphic imagery) was very liberating, we could create streets and landmarks that no longer exist. The wit of Wilde and the gothic of the story are not of course easy bedfellows and so I worked with Roger Pratt (cinematographer – Harry Potter, Shadowlands, Chocolat) who I was confident could create the ‘darkness’ and costume designer Ruth Meyers (LA Confidential, Beyond the Sea, The Golden Compass…). Ruth added a lot of glamour, she described Dorian’s look as “(Rudolf) Nureyev coming to London”, he has a rock star feel.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

I’ve just finished shooting St Trinian's 2 and I’m in the process of editing it. I’m developing a London based thriller based on the art world and looking at a book adaptation set in America. After four films back to back though I’m hoping for a rest too and a change to let my mind relax! I’d like to see what fate brings…

Director Oliver Parker is featured above holding a Oscar Wilde T-shirt inspired by the forthcoming film and designed by D&G, who held an exclusive London screening on Monday to celebrate the film's premiere.

The film is released in the UK on September 9th, in Greece on September 17th, Italy on October 23rd,  Australia November 12th and Finland on December 25th. No US release dates were available at time of press.

**With special thanks to Oliver Parker**

Kerry Olsen

Source: Oliver Parker/Dorian Gray

Photo Credits: Oliver Parker

 

TAGS: oliver parker dorian gray oscar wilde ruth myers roger pratt clive barker d&g dolce&gabbana ben barnes colin firth rebecca hall