Today I stumbled across the 1945 classic “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. The film stars Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury and Peter Lawford. I am an avid fan of black and white horror films and once I knew what I was watching I couldn’t look away.

Whether you are a hard core “Autist” or just an average “QAnon” like me I would recommend you add this film to your must watch ASAP list. Read on to find out why.

I thought I knew the story of Dorian Gray. Modern Pedowood would have you believe the films plot is as simple as Dorian’s portrait ages instead of him and consequently he keeps it hidden away lest someone destroy it and end his immortality. You may have been under the same assumptions. However this only scratches the surface of the deeply meaningful themes of this outstanding film.

In the movie Dorian Gray has an artist commissioned to paint his portrait. In his studio the artist has an ancient Egyptian statue of the Egyptian cat god Bastet. He paints the statue into the picture with Dorian Gray. The artist also has a friend, Lord Henry Wotten, he introduces to Dorian. Lord Henry is a disciple of the teachings of occultist Aleister Crowley. Like the snake in the Garden of Eden, Lord Henry influences Dorian Gray that the greatest of virtues is youth and living selfishly and for one’s self. As his portrait is finished by the artist, Dorian Gray comments he would give his soul to always be as young as the artist has portrayed him. Later Dorian notices that the cat statue’s eyes in his portrait seem to glow and that his image bears the signs of aging while he himself remains youthful. He starts to understand what is going on, stores the painting away in a secret room and begins to exploit the situation to his advantage. As his time goes on and Dorian has fits of conscience Lord Henry always seems to be around to nudge him towards further evil. After descending further and further into debauchery and murder Dorian Gray returns to the secret room to view his portrait. It turns out that the portrait is not of his likeness but of his soul. It not only bears the signs of his aging but also the grotesque manifestations of his sins in the form of lesions, repulsive open sores, bizarre growths, deep gashes and eruptions of boils.

In exchange for his eternal youth, Dorian Gray is forced to examine the sins of his life born out as grotesque scars and disfigurement in the vivid visage of his portrait. He becomes, repulsed, terrified and repentant. However the evil overcomes him again and he kills a dear friend.

I won’t spoil the end but the messages are vitally important for all of us.

How much better people would we all be if we were forced to confront the actual image of our own souls with the horrible and visible image of ourselves and the damage done to that image by a lifetime of our sins. Not as the world sees us but an image as we truly know ourselves to be, showing the ruination to that image caused by our lifetime of sins. Only we know those sins. The rest of the world may never know but we know. Dorian Gray was confronted by this image and the profound sadness as he hoped for forgiveness but doubted it possible.

As we move to the justice phase for those responsible for heinous crimes about to be revealed by #The Storm, let us have a good long look into the image of our own souls. Be humble and contrite. Confront those sins. Ask God for forgiveness then forgive yourself. Be more concerned about your soul than revenge or retribution of the evil ones.

In the movie, at the very last second possible, there was forgiveness for Dorian Gray. There is forgiveness for all of us if we ask for it. In the coming weeks and months we will need each other. We will need a profound sense of understanding and forgiveness for everyone. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. There will be plenty of retribution and punishment delivered. Let us not revel in it. Let us accept what comes and pray the dark angel passes our door.

     “I sent my soul through the invisible, some letter of that after-life to spell: and by-and-by my soul returned to me, and answered, I myself am Heaven and Hell.
                                            **Omar Khayyam**