Final answer:
Oliver Parker's film adaptation of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' accentuates the satirical and comedic elements of Wilde's play through visual elements, actor portrayals, and cinematic techniques, while upholding the essence of a Comedy of Manners.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 2002 film adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Oliver Parker, the comedic tone and social commentary of Oscar Wilde's play are enhanced through carefully chosen visual elements, character portrayals, and cinematic techniques. Parker's film employs costumes and set design reflective of the period to satirize the excesses of the Victorian upper class, embodying the play's nature as a Comedy of Manners. The use of wit and irony is made prominent through the actors' delivery of lines, with performances that are exaggerated yet maintain a veneer of earnestness, which underscores the satirical intent while contributing to the playful tone of the film. Additionally, significant actions and gestures among the characters further expose the superficialities and hypocrisies of Victorian society. Overall, Parker remains true to Wilde's original work while utilizing the visual and auditory possibilities of film to amplify the play's themes of societal critique and the trivialities of social status.