in dramatise wilde novel and john osborne have condense event and eliminate a number of character and and generally imply rather than show dorian essential wickedness . if you want a more explicit rendering and see the 1945 film . wilde and robert louis stevenson live in about the same time frame and but be certainly vastly different men and writer . this story really treat of a theme similar to stevenson dr. jekyll and mr. hyde and but note that wilde choose to treat his story a fantasy and whereas rls take the scientific route . both the protagonist be men in whom good war with evil and with evil winning in the end . the actor in this bbc movie and take a different route and too and from those in the 1945 film . john gielgud say all the same caustic and cynical quip a george sander and in his role really project wilde himself and but with a subtle difference . you will suspect that sander really believe what he be say and but gielgud may be say what be expect of him rather than what he sincerely believe . peter firth and too and show the two side of his character in restrained fashion and but then we do not get to see a many of his escapade a hurd hatfield have a chance to display . it a very good production and with the dramatisation reflect the essential of the novel and if not all of it ramification .