Review of Salome's Last Dance (1988) by Jenna I — 05 Jan 2018

God I wish we could go back in time and have Ken Russell direct every play ever. Or at least revive this as an immersive theater play.

As a Godless heathen I gotta admit I went into this a little blind as far as how I was 'meant' to feel about this story of Salome. I presume from Oscar Wilde's tears and the small bit of Biblical knowledge I possess that Salome is, for all intents and purposes, the 'bad' guy here. But I couldn't help but think - and I think Ken Russell is definitely here with me - that she comes across as more of the celebrated victor. I mean, starting off this play with three topless women dressed in Roman armor sodomizing a man in a cage with a large prosthetic penis... like, who could say that was 'evil'!?!

For serious though, more than anything the movie struck me as a story of how men are undone by beauty. Herod is undone by Salome and her mother. The solider is undone by Salome. Oscar is undone by Bosie, then the golden boy (and then Bosie again). And John the Baptist is spiritually undone by his love of God - captured and tortured - and then physically undone by Salome. And it's that exact male failure and embarrassment with themselves that, in the play, leads to Salome's unnecessary punishment.

Beautiful BEAUTIFUL set, great plot set up, fun play, insane costumes, amazing dance. And again a word about Russell's use of nudity... like boy, in any other movie I'd be side-eyeing so hard at the half naked women running around but in a Ken Russell flick he makes nudity not only equal opportunity (there's full frontal male nudity!) but also a power move. More natural, more classic, more power. JEAH boiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!