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Today, poet and playwright Oscar Wilde is known just as much for his scandals as he is for his writing. But instead of examining his work or his notoriously wild adventures, the biopic The Happy Prince takes a look at his last tragic days.
The Happy Prince stars writer/director Rupert Everett as the famed poet. After serving two years of hard labor for gross indecency, his closest friends bring him to France, to begin a new life as Sebastian Melmoth. But despite the best efforts of his dearest friend, Robbie Ross (Edwin Thomas)—and Wilde’s own promises—he attempts to reconcile with his wife, Constance (Emily Watson), before finding himself racing off to reunite with Bosie Douglas (Colin Morgan), the love who led to his imprisonment.
Oscar Wilde’s story is one of great success followed by great tragedy. But while The Happy Prince occasionally flashes back to those triumphant moments, where huge audiences of England’s most prominent citizens hung on his every word, the film’s focus is on the aftermath of his years of incarceration and hard labor. It follows Wilde’s attempt to escape the scandal and outrage in England to start a new life while reigniting his career. From the opening scene, though, it’s clear that things don’t go as planned—that he ends up penniless and desperate, wandering the streets of Paris, controlled by his vices.
Still, there are moments when the poet’s personality comes shining through, thanks to Everett’s remarkable performance. At the best of times, his Wilde is boisterous and witty and completely erratic. And even at the worst of times, he maintains his wicked sense of humor. He’s a charming character who tends to draw a crowd of admirers no matter where he goes.
Despite the charismatic subject and his larger-than-life personality, though, the story feels rather random and haphazard. It frequently jumps back and forth through time without warning, with characters coming and going with little or no introduction. If you’ve studied Wilde’s life, you may have a better grasp on the characters and their connections. But it feels as though Everett was just a little too engrossed in his passion project—and, as a result, he failed to tell a story that will connect with wider audiences.
For fans of Oscar Wilde or Rupert Everett, The Happy Prince is well worth watching. It’s an often beautiful film with a memorable performance. But its haphazard storytelling and lack of development keeps it from being a powerful drama about a legendary artist.
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