THE HAPPY PRINCE is not a happy story, neither the children’s tale by Oscar Wilde nor this biopic about Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde was one of the world’s literary greats, the author of “The Importance of Being Ernest” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” among others, and also a figure famous for his flamboyant clothing, his sharp wit and sparkling conversation, which made him a favorite of London society in the late 19th century Wilde was a figure who had a glorious rise to fame and fortune followed by one of the most tragic ends. However, THE HAPPY PRINCE gives us only the tragic end, presenting Wilde’s glory days in a few too-short flashbacks.
What led to Oscar Wilde’s downfall was being gay, which was illegal in England at the time. After years of delighting audiences with his witty plays and being the toast of London society, Wilde foolishly became involved in a court case with the Marquess of Queensberry (the one who wrote the rules of boxing). The Marquess’ son, Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, who was Wilde’s lover, had encouraged Wilde to bring the court case against his father but it disastrously backfired, and ended up with Wilde himself being put on trial for being homosexual. Wilde was convicted and sent to prison for two years, after which he fled to France with plans to re-start his career.
Wilde was never able to recover from the blow, an especially tragic fate for an author whose work had made so many laugh. Wilde’s rise and fall life seems perfect material for a great film but THE HAPPY PRINCE only gives us the fall, the time after the trial when Wilde tried and failed to re-start his life and career in France. The film picks up Wilde’s story after he is already in exile in France but jumps around in time as we witness his sad decline.
Rupert Everett both directs and stars as Oscar Wilde in exile, in this lush, literate, admiring period drama. Everett does not particularly look like Wilde but he delivers a moving performance, particularly in scenes where he speaks passages from the author’s works. In exile, Wilde still has supporters, notably his loyal friends Reggie Turner (Colin Firth) and Robbie Ross (Edwin Thomas). Colin Morgan plays the handsome and spoiled Bosie, who despite the opposition of his friends joins the forgiving Wilde in exile, where he causes more trouble and heart-ache. Emily Watson plays Wilde’s wife Constance, of whom the author is still fond despite his attraction to men. This sterling cast is also joined be a few other notable British actors in small roles, particularly Tom Wilkinson.
THE HAPPY PRINCE begins Oscar Wilde’s story with the author in Paris some years after his release from prison, when the nearly penniless Wilde is drowning his sorrows in absinthe. From that point, the drama jumps back and forth in time, illustrating both hope and despair in the author’s post-trial exile. There are moments of defiance and flashes of wit and artistic flare, although the overall trajectory is downward.
Before things get underway, the film opens with a prelude of Wilde reciting his children’s story “The Happy Prince” to his own two young sons> the story is a magical but sad fairy tale, in which a sparrow left behind by his flock meets the statue of a now-dead prince who had never known sadness in life. The sparrow shows the prince the suffering of the poor, and the jeweled and gold-clad statue is so touched, he begins to give pieces of himself to the poor with the help of the sparrow. The film uses the telling of Wilde’s children’s story as a running theme, returning to it periodically, with Wilde recounting the tale either to his sons before his conviction or two French orphans he befriends in his exile in France.
The film is clearly a labor of love for all involved, and there are very talented people involved. The subject is admirable, and the production itself is lavish, the locations breathtaking, and the acting nicely done. Besides the excepts from the children’s story told throughout, there are other snippets of Oscar Wilde, which are the most magical moments in film.
The film has its glowing moments for the true fan. THE HAPPY PRINCE is a visually gorgeous film, filled with period locations and costumes in beautifully photographed shots composed with painterly loveliness. Even shots of poor streets of Paris in snow have a quiet beauty. Besides the children’s story, the film has other snippets of Wilde’s works, which provide some of its best moments. From time to time, the drama seems to pause and linger in a golden moment, generally as Everett is reciting some of Wilde’s works against a breath-taking romantic or scenic backdrop. The visual bounty in gorgeous sets, costumes and locations, along with fine acting and loving period detail, are major assets in the film.
Still, the film can be heavy going for any but the most ardent Wilde devotees, making one wish for a little absinthe oneself to make it through all the author’s heartbreaking decline. The drama focuses on only the saddest parts of Wilde’s life, which makes it feel unbalanced, and the film is also a bit unfocused and rambling at times. We get too little of the wit and humor for which Wilde was famous, although the film does have moments of magical delight.
THE HAPPY PRINCE only covers the fall portion of Wilde’s rise-and-fall story, making it a rather heavy, sad film albeit a well-acted and beautifully photographed one. The drama is more suited to serious Oscar Wilde devotees who know his story well, than a less knowledgeable general audience, where a bit more of Wilde’s wit could have brought into sharper focus how great the loss of this literary figure was for the world.
THE HAPPY PRINCE opens Friday, October 19, at Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
