The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) film review

I had already expected this film to be better than the 2009 version. There's something about old films, created in a time when fewer special effects and camera tricks were known and used, that makes them more accurate, less over-the-top, and altogether more realistic. I also enjoyed the fact that it was black and white, and that the spoken word was typically old fashioned and posh: it all fitted the image that the book itself had led me to visualise in my head very well. I also liked the narration, feeling that it meant more of the actual descriptive writing from the novel could be added to the novel, without the characters having to speak it. The actors cast were good choices - I particularly like Lord Henry Wotton. His quick talking, matter-of-fact, well-spoken tone was highly accurate to the novel.
  I only had a few issues with this film, the first being the amount of make-up Sibyl Vane wore. She had round eyes and fluttery lashes, with full, pouty, dark lips: it seems that the fashions of the 1940s were interfering with the make-up choices for this film. While I understand that actresses were the of the few that were seen to be 'allowed' to wear make-up during the Victorian era, I thought this was a little too much, considering the context. 
  My second peeve was that again, Dorian Gray was not blonde! He was certainly attractive, and his hairstyle suited the context... but I feel that an actor with 'crisp, gold hair', as described in the book, would have helped him stand out from the other characters more. 
  There were a few changes/additions in this film interpretation of the novel. Basil's niece was clearly a replacement for the character of Hetty, and I felt that, while the family tie did not add a lot to the story, the change in character did not detract from the story at all. There was also the addition of the character 'David', who was in love with Basil's niece, despite her choosing Dorian Gray over him. I actually thought that this added a sense of real love and romance, coming away from the lust and more cynical feelings of love that Dorian provides. However, this new character, David, is the one who discovers the horrific portrait in this version. Other than making other characters in the plot realise that Dorian was hiding a huge secret, I felt that this scene added nothing effective to the story; Dorian still decided, on his own terms, to go and destroy the portrait. 
  In terms of the portrait itself, I preferred it over the 2009 version, as it seemed less supernatural - it did not come to life and lean out from the painting. However, I still thought it was a little too gory and disfigured - almost cartoonish.
  In all, I enjoyed this film version more. Perhaps I am too focused on films needing to be accurate to the novel they are based on, but I think, when a book is as fantastic, and has so much hidden meaning, as The Picture of Dorian Gray does, there needn't be so much drastic alteration and exaggeration in visual versions.