Netflix has announced they will be creating a new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” titled “The Grays,” but the creative changes have fans of the original story appalled.
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” was first published in 1890 and follows the story of a young man, Dorian Gray, who sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth as he falls down the path of decay and corruption.
The story takes place in Victorian-era London and begins with Basil Howard, an artist, who uses Dorian Gray as his muse. He frequently paints the young man and is initially drawn in by Dorian’s youth and innocence, a pure soul. That is until Dorian meets Henry Wotton who exposes Dorian to his own beauty and, upon seeing Basil’s life-like painting of Dorian, instills the fear of aging into the boy. Gray says he would sell his soul for the painting to age instead of him and his wish comes true.
Under the influence of Wotton, Gray becomes more and more corrupt leading people to disaster and death. Not once does he age, but in return the painting grows old and rots under the influence of his soul.
Changes in “The Grays” will not only alter the setting from Victorian London to the modern-day beauty industry but will also depict Dorian and Basil as brothers.
Making Basil and Dorian siblings has caused controversy among fans of the original novel seeing as Basil expresses romantic feelings for Dorian.
“Setting it in the beauty industry makes sense because of themes within the book, but I’m not entirely sold on it yet,” expressed Aether Stravach, ’25, “I really don’t like the who brothers thing because in the book one of the first things you notice is Basil and Dorian’s relationship, which is not brotherly.”
More so, this change not only feels unnecessary but also inappropriate; many previous adaptations have simply kept the pair as close friends avoiding the homosexual implications.
In the novel, Basil glorifies Dorian in ways that portray a familial way would be odd, and in the “R” rated 2009 movie “Dorian Gray,” Dorian, played by Ben Barnes, and Basil, portrayed by Ben Chaplin, kiss.
Concerns follow as to how these modifications will affect the storyline and character relationships which are already complicated. Basil’s glorification of Dorian’s beauty prompts the painting and likewise the corruption of Dorian and the deaths of several characters.
“I feel like the plot will be affected heavily to the point it may barely resemble the book and the original themes will be lost. Changing Basil and Dorian’s dynamic feels wrong since the author purposely portrayed it that way,” explained Stravach.
Changes made to the novel’s queer themes cast a shadow of disgrace upon Oscar Wilde’s legacy.
“It’s completely disrespectful to Wilde and everything his stories stood for,” expressed Norah McCabe, ’25, “Considering the complete lack of freedom of speech and expression for queer people at the time, to remove an incredibly relevant queer subplot feels like a dismiss to Wilde’s very identity.”
The original novel holds significant historical significance as it was not only daring for its time, but its queer content played into the arrest of the author.
In Victorian Era Britain, men could be arrested if they were suspected to be queer under the charge of “gross indecency.” Wilde was arrested in 1895 after his relationship with Alfred Dougles was discovered by Dougles’ father who publicly spoke about Wilde’s questionable sexuality.
As explained on Dec. 9, 2019, by the History Channel in their article “Oscar Wilde Trial” the event was a fairly complicated affair. It began with Wilde suing for libel, but the tables turned as the court found evidence of him being queer.
They used “The Picture of Dorian Gray” against him as proof of his homosexuality. He was accused of using the novel’s homosexual themes to seduce his lover. This specifically referenced the feelings Basil had for Dorian.
In the end, Wilde dropped the libel charges but was in turn tried for gross indecency.
It was during this trial that Wilde gave his famous speech “The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name” where he analyzed his lover’s poem “Two Loves,” and openly stated there was nothing wrong with queer relationships.
The text was also heavily censored during and after Wilde’s life; the uncensored version of the novel was only released in 2011.
An article posted that year by The Guardian titled “Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray Published” explains how Wilde’s editor, JM Stoddart, censored and deleted the text without Wilde’s knowledge before its first publication in Lippincott’s Monthly.
When the uncensored version was published, Nicholas Frankel, Harvard Press editor, stated, “The time is ripe for the publication of Wilde’s novel in its uncensored form … It is the version of the novel that Wilde, I believe, would want us to be reading in the 21st century … I’m bringing it out of the closet a little more.”
The queer subtext, in this case, is more than just subtext– it’s history. It is often understood that the queer community was not accepted, the hate this book received upon publication and the arrest of Oscar Wilde is a prime example of this.
“It’s wrong,” stated Stravach, “Even if it’s subtext, it’s full erasure of Wilde’s identity. The book was most likely written with the queer subtext so people like him would see his writing and feel understood. Queer history is important to show because some people don’t understand that being queer has been around forever.”
With all of this in mind, it brings to question what it means to censor the queer themes of the book yet again and if it disgraces Oscar Wilde’s legacy.
