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| - Some major themes and characters are retained in the film; however, new characters and plot inventions are introduced. The film opens with Dorian disposing of Basil Hallward’s body and proceeds to flashback to one year earlier, when young Dorian Gray first arrives in London to inherit his abusive father’s estate. Dorian has his portrait painted by Basil and almost instantly falls under the debaucherous influence of Lord Henry Wotton, who instills in young Dorian his doctrine of new hedonism. After Wotton incessantly emphasizes the value of youth and beauty, Dorian, admiring the portrait, inadvertently sells his soul in return for eternal beauty and youth. Following an evening out with Lord Henry, Dorian comes across a theater, where he becomes enthralled with the young actress Sybil Vane. After sharing some time together, Sybil spends the night with Dorian. During the evening, Dorian accidentally cuts his hand, and Sybil tends to the wound, noting that he will have a scar. It is because of this cut that Dorian first realizes his eternal youth; his hand heals without a trace of the wound, which is instead manifested in the portrait. Dorian tells his friends that he and Sybil are engaged to be married, but Lord Henry, remarking on his own wife’s pregnancy, says to Dorian that “children are the beginning of the end.” Thus, Dorian rejects Sybil, who is despaired over her love for Dorian as well as the fact that she “gave [her]self” to him, and goes with Lord Henry to a brother; heartbroken, Sybil drowns herself. Sybil’s brother, Jim Vane, comes to Dorian the next day to tell him that Sybil has not only been driven to suicide, but was also pregnant with Dorian’s child. Jim tries to kill Dorian, but is restrained and removed by Dorian’s servants. Throughout these events, Lord Henry has fueled Dorian’s growing hedonism, and consequently, Dorian has become estranged from Basil Hallward,whom he kills by stabbing with a shard of mirror after showing him the changed portrait; Dorian disposes of the body by dumping it in the Thames. Meanwhile, the portrait shows increasing change as Dorian ages and commits various sins. Dorian leaves London for more than ten years, unquestionably partaking in all sorts of pleasurable pursuits, and the film continues with Dorian Gray’s welcome-back party into London's high society; all of his acquaintances have aged considerably, but Dorian appears young as ever, a fact which shocks and arouses suspicion amongst the party goers. Lord Henry begins to exhibit a disdain for Dorian Gray’s hedonistic lifestyle and becomes especially wary when his now-grown daughter, Emily, a determined suffragette, becomes romantically interested in Dorian. Moreover, Dorian’s relationship with Emily causes Dorian himself to genuinely consider giving up his self-gratifying lifestyle. Leaving an opium den, Dorian is again confronted by Jim Vane, who is still seeking vengeance, and attempts to convince him that he can’t possibly be the same man who knew Sybil, as he is hardly older than twenty; later in the evening, Vane, having learned Dorian’s real identity, chases Dorian into the London Underground and is killed by an oncoming train. Soon afterwards, Dorian and Emily are making plans to go away together when Lord Henry, having just seen a photograph that reminded him of Dorian’s portrait and deal with the devil for eternal youth and beauty, breaks into Dorian’s house to find the portrait, and, coming across Basil’s blood stained-scarf in the attic, tussles with Dorian before ultimately uncovering the portrait. Terrified by the grotesque picture, Lord Henry throws a lamp at it, causing the picture to catch fire; then, he locks Dorian in the attic and unscrews the gas lamp in an attempt to catalyze an explosion. Meanwhile, Emily pleads with Dorian for the key to the attic gate, but Dorian realizes he genuinely loves her and turns his back, instead choosing to stab the portrait with a poker to destroy it as his body begins to rapidly age, matching the picture. Lord Henry drags Emily out of the attic, which is soon incinerated. The film ends with Lord Henry visiting to the attic several months later to find the portrait of Dorian Gray returned to its original youthful condition.
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