The One That Had Earnest in the Title

I thought this was probably the best film I've watched for this class so far. I had read the original script for a class back in my senior year, and I even liked reading it. That says something. We also watched the film back then, but it was the one made in the 50's. I thought before I started watching it that the new version was going to be way different than the old one. But I was wrong. They're almost the exact same, besides different actors and filming technology. Which makes sense because both films are based off of the same written work.

I found two themes in the film. The first being the consequence of lying, or at least of getting caught within your lies. This is most prevalent in Earnests use of Jack, or should I say Earnest's use of Earnest, one in the country, and one in the city. Jack uses this "Earnest" fellow to get away from everyone in the Country, and likewise, Earnest uses his friend Jack to visit the city. Of course, the entire film is pretty much based as Jack's lies become his downfall. Yet we see Algy do the exact same thing, but he gets away with it. Perhaps because he chooses to kill his friend off at the ideal time, as to cover his tracks. Once Algy decides to be Earnest, everything goes wrong. One girl loves two men, or two girls love one man, the men named Earnest. It's almost as hard to follow as Inception, really. I mean, he's him, but she likes him, not him, and he's trying to keep him away from her. Wut? However, when the lies are exposed, nobody is innocent, except the girls, of course. They instead become best friends.

I suppose that this lying game could be a criticism on the middle class, saying that those in the class are liars, but I didn't rally see it that way.

I did, however, see an incredibly large criticism on the high or rich class. Lady Bracknell is the epitome of the stereotypical stuck up and complicated rich individual. We first see this attitude in the scene where she first appears. Algy mentions how his friend Bunbury is sick once again, and instead of offering condolences or any form of grief, Lady Bracknell instead asks when he is just going to die, so that Algy and her could spend more time together. What a selfish old hag, right? Even when Bunbury is announced to be dead, Bracknell rejoices in the fact that he had finally "made up his mind about the matter." She is also greedy. Of all the questions she asks Earnest to see if he is suitable to marry Gwendolen, a majority of them are queries as to what he does and how much money he makes annually. Her greed is most prevalently exposed when she finds out how much money Cecily is worth. ₤100,000? Maybe she is good enough to have the interest of Algy...

Overall, good movie. No. Great movie.