The Happy Prince

A film covering the last stages of Oscar Wilde's life that has generally received glowing reviews some referring to it as “a masterpiece”. It is extremely well made and Rupert Everett is exceptional in the role but it is very dark and not a film that one could say is “enjoyable”.

Rupert Everett says that he read more than forty books on Wilde so I guess that those scenes depicted in the film are based on real events. If that is the case I had no idea that he was such a dissolute character after his release from prison, drinking far too much absinthe and that he had a predilection for young boys almost verging on paedophilia.  Of course it’s another sad, almost depressing film. To have had the world at his feet and then to be plunged in to abject poverty after two years of hard labour would account for a great deal. His death was partly due to syphilis apparently. That’s a disease that must have been rampant in those times and incurable of course.

The film is partly in French and apparently Rupert Everett has played “The Importance of Being Ernest” in France in French so his command of the language is very good. It is to Rupert Everett’s credit that he doesn’t try to romanticise Wilde but showed a warts and all character, mostly warts that, in spite of the terrible injustice wreaked upon him, evokes little sympathy.

Rupert Everett is well supported in all the other roles by Colin Firth and Emily Watson to name just two.