Salome's Last Dance: Difference between revisions

Salome's Last Dance
Directed by	Ken Russell
Written by	Ken Russell
Produced by	Penny Corke
Starring	Glenda Jackson Stratford Johns Nickolas Grace Douglas Hodge Imogen Claire Imogen Millais-Scott
Cinematography	Harvey Harrison
Edited by	Timothy Gee
Distributed by	Vestron Pictures
Release date	1988
Running time	87 min.
Language	English
Budget	$800,000 or $1.4 million

Salome's Last Dance is a 1988 film by British film director Ken Russell. Although most of the action is a verbatim performance of Oscar Wilde's 1893 play Salome, which is itself based on a story from the New Testament, there is also a framing narrative written by Russell himself.

Plot

Wilde (Nickolas Grace) and his lover Lord Alfred Douglas (Douglas Hodge) arrive late on Guy Fawkes Day at their friend's brothel, where they are treated to a surprise staging of Wilde's play, public performances of which have just been banned in England by the Lord Chamberlain's office.

In the play, all the roles are played by prostitutes or their clients, and each actor (except Grace) plays two roles, one in the brothel and the other in the play. King Herod (Stratford Johns) begs his young stepdaughter Salome (Imogen Millais-Scott) to dance for him, promising to give her anything she desires, much to the irritation of her mother, Herodias (Glenda Jackson). Salome ignores him, choosing instead to try and seduce John the Baptist, who is Herod's prisoner.

John responds by loudly condemning both Herod and Salome in the name of God. A spurned and vengeful Salome then agrees to dance for Herod — on the condition that she be given anything she asks for. Herod agrees, but it is only after the dance is over that Salome asks for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod is appalled, tries to dissuade her, but finally gives in to her request. The scenes from the play are interwoven with images of Wilde's exploits at the brothel.

Cast

• Glenda Jackson as Herodias / Lady Alice
• Stratford Johns as Herod / Alfred Taylor
• Nickolas Grace as Oscar Wilde
• Douglas Hodge as John the Baptist / Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas
• Imogen Millais-Scott as Salome / Rose
• Denis Lill as Tigellenus / Chilvers
• Russell Lee Nash as Pageboy
• Ken Russell as Cappadocian / Kenneth (as Alfred Russell)
• David Doyle as A. Nubin
• Warren Saire as Young Syrian
• Kenny Ireland as 1st Soldier
• Michael Van Wijk as 2nd Soldier
• Paul Clayton as 1st Nazarean
• Imogen Claire as 2nd Nazarean
• Tim Potter as Pharisee

Production

Ken Russell had been signed by Vestron to a three-picture deal after the success of Gothic, of which this was the first. Imogen Millais-Scott went blind three weeks before filming after contracting glandular fever but Russell insisted on still using her.

"It's a tale that can be interpreted in many ways," said Russell. "Years ago, I wrote it into a script titled Space Gospel, which was the New Testament in science-fiction. It didn't work out. I also thought of using the opera with the dance of the seven veils for my segment in Aria... but they wanted $3,000 a minute for the music."

The film was shot in three and a half weeks.

Russell said, "Although the play was never produced in London during his lifetime - even though he had Sarah Bernhardt actually in rehearsals for it before it was banned - I just made up the conceit of showing it in the brothel to give a flavor of what his life at the time was like, and at the same time give a hint of the homosexual relationship with Bosie that really was his downfall. All of this is interwoven with the play, which is about love and corruption and deceit anyway."

Russell later claimed he made the film on a bet that he could not make a movie under $1 million. The film was made for $1.3 million.

Shortly after filming Russell said "The critics haven't worn me down, so maybe I'm trying to wear them down. I'm also trying to reach a wider - and younger - audience, and make films that are more visually stimulating. It isn't easy. I've never made a film I was totally happy with. That's what keeps me going: the next one must be better."

Reception

This film met with modest critical praise. The review in The New York Times called it "a perfumed, comic stunt," but noted that "Mr. Russell forces one to attend to (and to discover the odd glory in) the Wilde language, which, on the printed page, works faster than valium."

The Los Angeles Times called it "languid and tedious... virtually devoid of genuine eroticism of any persuasion but also is so static that the play itself bores rather than involves."

External links

• Salome's Last Dance at IMDb
• Lair of the White Worm at BFI