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The Secret of Dorian Grey - Raro Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK/Italy/West Germany, 1970
Director: Massimo Dallamano
Writers: Marcello Coscia, Massimo Dallamano, Günter Ebert
Cast: Helmut Berger, Richard Todd, Herbert Lom, Marie Liljedahl, Margaret Lee, Maria Rohm, Beryl Cunningham, Isa Miranda, Eleonora Rossi Drago, Renato Romano, Stewart Black, Francesco Tensi, Renzo Marignano

Release Date: December 18th, 2018
Approximate running time: 101 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"Taking place in London, a wealthy young man, Dorian Gray, is in love with an aspiring actress named Sybil. He is also in the process of getting his portrait painted by his ascot-wearing friend, Basil. When the portrait is finished however, Dorian complains that he will grow old while the painting will never change. On the same night, as if he has sold his soul to the devil, exchanging vanity for morality, he ends it with Sybil, and accepts the seductive offer of a woman whose party he attends. The next day, the painting looks slightly older." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “New digital HD transfer from original 35mm negative print.”

The Secret of Dorian Grey comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 21.3 GB

The source used for this transfer generally looks great. Colors look very good, image clarity is strong, black levels are good, and any compression-related issues are minor. Also, outside of a few moments, flesh tones look healthy. That said, despite having a solid foundation for this transfer to work from, this transfer has some of the issues that plagued far too many of Raro Video’s releases. Notably, digital sharpening and grain that, at times, does not look organic.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Also, range-wise, things sound very good. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with assistant director Maurizio Tanfani (30 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a slipcover and a four-page booklet with an essay about the film and a filmography for director Massimo Dallamano.

Summary:

Directed by Massimo Dallamano, who would only direct a total of twelve films before his untimely death at the age of fifty-nine. His most notable films as a director include What Have You Done to Solange? and What Have They Done to Your Daughters?. Before making the transition to directing, Massimo Dallamano was one of the most in-demand cinematographers. Some of his more notable films as a cinematographer included Gunfight at Red Sands, A Fistful of Dollars, Bullets Don’t Argue and For a Few Dollars More.

The producer on The Secret of Dorian Grey was Harry Alan Towers, who is most known for his collaborations with Spanish filmmaker Jess Franco. Most notably, Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion and Venus in Furs. And just like many of his collaborations with Jess Franco, The Secret of Dorian Grey would be adapted from a literary work, Oscar Wilde’s novel ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.

The narrative revolves around a man who is willing to give up everything, even his soul, to retain his youth.

The idea of retaining youth has crossed most of our minds at some point in our lives. And it is this aspect of Dorian Grey that has made this story endure and continue to fascinate each new generation that discovers it. Plot-wise, The Secret of Dorian Grey doesn't diverge too far from Oscar Wilde’s novel. The main difference between the two is that The Secret of Dorian Grey is set in 1960’s swinging London. And while there is a dated look to this adaptation, the underlining message of the story has not lost any of its luster, and one could easily argue that this story is more relevant now than it ever has been. In today’s world, we live in a society that’s consumed by beauty and lives well beyond its means. These two themes are central to Dorian Grey’s journey in the story at hand.

Visually, The Secret of Dorian Grey is overflowing with picturesque images that perfectly capture the beauty that Dorian Grey is so desperate to keep. And perhaps the most interesting choice of visuals are POV shots, most notably the opening sequences, which foreshadow what is yet to come at the film’s climax.

Without a doubt, The Secret of Dorian Grey’s greatest asset is its cast, especially Helmut Berger in the role of Dorian Grey. From a psychical standpoint, he perfectly embodies the Adonis psychical traits that one would expect from someone who’s portrayed as irresistible. Known for playing decadent roles in films like Luchino Visconti’s The Damned, Salon Kitty, and Beast with a Gun, he does a superb job realizing Dorian’s every want.

Many of the cast members are recognizable faces to anyone familiar with Harry Alan Towers' other films. Marie Liljedahl starred in the aforementioned Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion, and Inga, Margret Lee (Circus of Fear), Maria Rohm, Harry Alan Towers wife (Venus in Furs), and Herbert Lom (99 Women), who plays a devil-like character who leads Dorian on his perverse rites of passage. One scene in particular that is sure to make some viewers uneasy is a shower scene in which Herbert Lom’s character Henry Wotton caresses Dorian in the shower. A few other notable performances include Richard Todd (A Man Called Peter) in the role of Basil Hallward, the artist who paints Dorian’s portrait, and Eleonora Rossi Drago (Violent Summer). Ultimately, The Secret of Dorian Grey is a solid adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel.

Raro Video gives The Secret of Dorian Grey a serviceable audio/video presentation that leaves room for improvement.