The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)

 Anthony Asquith's "The Importance of Being Earnest"


Everyone knows the classic Victorian play "The Importance of Being Ernest" and the hilarity that ensues when its characters become tangled in double lives and social obligations. The original source material, written by the iconic Oscar Wilde, first premiered at the St. James Theatre in London in 1895. The work has since become an iconic representation of Victorian-era British humor, spawning numerous adaptations, including Anthony Asquith's 1952 version, perhaps the most notable. 

Asquith seems to me to be the most suitable filmmaker to adapt this work, as he had become one of the most prominent British directors of his time. His films often reflect the fractured British sensibility and its layers of manufactured pretensions, making "The Importance of Being Earnest" a perfect fit for his direction.

I have always loved the source material and find its humor uproarious. With this adaptation, I would note that the directing style Asquith chooses to employ leaves the source material thankfully intact. There is not really a need for any experimentation that would detract from Wilde's impressive and subtle prose. The use of color also is a vital element in telling a story about fabrication and 'construction' in the world of societal pretention. I do like this film and feel it to be a great adaption.



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