Movie

The Importance of Being Earnest

1952 · 95 min

A sparkling drawing-room comedy of verbal wit and elegant absurdity, performed with theatrical relish and never in a hurry.

Tagline: They don't come any wilder than Oscar Wilde's classic comedy of manners, morals and morality!
Overview: Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England use the same pseudonym ('Ernest') on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a comedy of mistaken identities.

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How it feels

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Tone: whimsicalstrength 2 of 3
satiricalstrength 2 of 3
lightstrength 2 of 3
campystrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
love
class
deception
family
Places: big city
single country house
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language none
Violence none
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	8
Realism	6
Romance	6
Tension	2
Darkness	1
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	3

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: comedy
Directed by: Anthony Asquith
Written by: Anthony Asquith
Starring: Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, Dorothy Tutin, Margaret Rutherford, Miles Malleson, Richard Wattis
Music: Benjamin Frankel
Cinematography: Desmond Dickinson
Runtime: 95 min
Country: United Kingdom
Languages: English

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The Importance of Being Earnest

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