‘The Trials of Oscar Wilde’ Blu-Ray Review – Peter Finch Shines In Compelling True Story

The Trials of Oscar Wilde chronicles the true story of the renowned playwright’s courtroom clashes with the Marquess of Queensberry and the tragic turn his life takes because of it. Peter Finch (Network) gives a fascinating, BAFTA-winning portrayal of the brilliant Irish writer, who brings a libel suit against the Marquess (Lionel Jeffries, The Quatermass Xperiment) after he accuses Wilde of seducing his son, Lord Alfred Douglas (John Fraser, Isadora). The hearing results in Wilde’s own scandalous trial and prosecution for gross indecency and sodomy. Directed by Ken Hughes (Cromwell, The Internecine Project) and co-starring Yvonne Mitchell (The Queen of Spades), James Mason (The Man Between) and Nigel Patrick (The Sound Barrier), The Trials of Oscar Wilde is a riveting, controversial look at the most notorious court battle of the late 19th century.

For thoughts on The Trials of Oscar Wilde, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

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Video Quality

The Trials of Oscar Wilde makes its Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer that appears to be derived from a really solid older master that holds up really well. The presentation is stable throughout most of the runtime with delineation being handled without much issue. The image does experience some minor degree of flickering which may bother more sensitive audience members. Instances of print damage such as nicks and lines occasionally pop up, but overall clarity and detail is admirable. 

This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit thick. The picture has a few moments of noticeable softness, but colors are saturated particularly well with the bright hues coming through. Skin tones are natural and consistent with some subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with only a small amount of crush in spots. This presentation may have looked a bit better with a new master, but fans of the film will be pleased to see how good it looks. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty decent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film well within its sonic ambitions. One thing you might notice is the vibrancy of the Ron Goodwin score and the fidelity of the music. Despite the strength of these elements, the dialogue and other important information never gets overpowered. Environmental effects are robust and give some nice texture to certain scenes, especially when it comes to chatter in the courtroom. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track shows no major age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included. Kino Classics has provided a great track for this one. 

Special Features

• Trailers: The nearly four-minute trailer for The Trials of Oscar Wilde is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Room At The Top, The Chalk Garden, Isadora, He Who Must Die, The Queen Of Spades, Murder By Decree and The Internecine Project. 

Final Thoughts

The Trials of Oscar Wilde is a very compelling portrait of an event that could be a slog in the wrong hands. Thankfully, director Ken Hughes knows how to structure this tale to get audiences fully invested in all of the key players before devolving into the chaos of the scenario. Peter Finch puts forth a dynamite performance which keeps you transfixed throughout the lengthy runtime. The film probably could have been trimmed a bit for pacing, but overall this is a solid film worth your time. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation but next to nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the talent involved or interested in the story, you should not be disappointed with this purchase. Recommended 

The Trials of Oscar Wilde is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.