Search - Wilde on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1997 DVD Release: 03/19/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 57 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 20 Genres: Drama, Period Film, Biopic [feature], Gay & Lesbian Films

Literary genius, legendary wit, bon vivant, and gay martyr, Oscar Wilde was a man whose legend has grown to iconic proportions since his death at the beginning of the 20th century. Establishing Wilde (Stephen Fry) as a loving family man, complete with a wife (Jennifer Ehle) and two adorable sons, the film takes pains to portray him as a dignified genius who was as pained by what he considered his own sin -- his homosexuality -- as he was delighted by the sins of others. From his initial encounters with Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen), his first male lover, through his tragic affair with the beautiful and bratty Alfred Lord Douglas (a perfectly cast Jude Law), Wilde is seen as a conflicted fellow, warring with his own urges even as he dazzles everyone around him. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Stephen Fry - Oscar Wilde
Jude Law - Lord Alfred Douglas
Vanessa Redgrave - Wilde's Mother
Jennifer Ehle - Constance Lloyd
Gemma Jones - Lady Queensberry
Tom Wilkinson - Marquess of Queensberry

The life of renowned author Oscar Wilde is touched upon in the biopic Wilde. Columbia has done only a mediocre job on this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. There are many instances where the image appears soft and worn while the black levels don't appear as dark as they should. Overall, this is a very disappointing transfer by the studio. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround in English. While the mix is generally clear and free of any excessive hiss or distortion, overall this is a very flat and unimpressive soundtrack to the film. Also included on this disc are English subtitles. This "special edition" of =Wilde includes a nice commentary with director Brian Gilbert, producer Marc Samuelson, writer Julian Mitchell, and actor Stephen Fry. This is a fairly engaging commentary that should please fans looking for production insight and stories. Two documentaries, "Simply Wilde" and "Still Wild About Wilde," sport interviews with the cast and crew and cover not only the history of the film's production, but also some history on author Oscar Wilde himself. Finally, there is a short photo montage, four theatrical trailers, and some filmographies on the cast and crew. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide