like a drunken harlot ;)

like a drunken harlot ;)

Al final recién se volvió interesante.
Espere más de la combinación Ken Russell/Oscar Wilde. Ame a Glenda, ella como siempre increíble.

Al final recién se volvió interesante.
Espere más de la combinación Ken Russell/Oscar Wilde. Ame a Glenda, ella como siempre increíble.

Incredibly vibrant and charming. Weird and beautiful. As a certified Wilde Expert™️, though, I have to say the casting choices for both Wilde and Bosie were insane. I’ve never seen these men in my life.

Incredibly vibrant and charming. Weird and beautiful. As a certified Wilde Expert™️, though, I have to say the casting choices for both Wilde and Bosie were insane. I’ve never seen these men in my life.

Oscar Wilde goes to see a rendition of his own play, Salome.

I originally meant to watch this as a double feature with Marquis from the next year, but I was tired at the time I finished that film, and I never really got around to it. In retrospect, I think the funnier double feature would probably be Jesus Christ Superstar, which has the additional benefit of setting sacrilege against sacrilege. For Marquis, I'm not sure what the best double feature would have been, but maybe I'll figure it out in the future.

I have, of course, immediately fallen in love with Imogen Millais-Scott, who plays Salome. Her sudden fascination with John the Baptist is played amazingly, as she first cloyingly asks questions about the prophet, then grows increasingly aggressive in her desire to meet him. And I've obviously fallen in love with Douglas Hodge, whose John the Baptist is filled with an immensity of conviction, and whose Lord Alfred Douglas is filled with a lot of affection for Wilde (and, of course, often filled with Wilde himself).

I love the peeping of John the Baptist during the dance of seven veils. The concession of religion to the greater mystery of love. John's speech to Salome, and Salome's speech to John after his death, both filled my eyes with tears.

The parallel is clear, and invested with tragic irony. Wilde is Salome, and Bosie is John the Baptist. But while Salome is the downfall of John, it is Bosie who is the downfall of Wilde. Wilde, of course, comments on that point exactly, recasting himself as John the Baptist. But I don't think that Russell, or Wilde before him, were being censorious with either that play or this film. Doesn't Wilde cry for the both of them, after all?

"Are you not afraid, daughter of Herodias? Did I not tell you I heard the beating wings of the Angel of Death? And has not the Angel come?" "Let me kiss your mouth!" "Adulteress's daughter! There is only one man who can save you, it is he I was speaking of." away from the stage, "He was my brother!" back on the stage, "Go and seek him out." off stage, "Closer even than a brother." on stage, "He is in the boat in the see of Galilee, teaching his disciples." off stage, "I gave him a little box of perfumes, and a ring of agate which he always wore on his hand." on stage, "Kneel down by the water's edge and call his name." off stage, "In the evenings, we would stroll by the side of the river amongst the almond trees." on stage, "When he comes towards you..." off stage, "And he would tell me stories about my country." on stage, "...and he comes to all those who call him...prostrate yourself at his feet, and ask forgiveness of your sins." "Let me kiss your mouth!" "Be cursed, daughter of an incestuous mother. Be damned! I will not look at you. You are accursed, Salome. You are accursed!"

alt. quote: "You mustn’t look at people like that! Something terrible could happen!"

alt. alt. quote: "Tell me what to do now, John the Baptist! Neither rivers nor floods can drown my passion. I was a princess and you humiliated me! I was a virgin and you raped me! I was chaste and you filled my veins with fire! Oh...why didn't you look at me, John the Baptist? If you had looked at me, you would have loved me, I know you would have loved me. And the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death. One must look only to love..."

Oscar Wilde goes to see a rendition of his own play, Salome.

I originally meant to watch this as a double feature with Marquis from the next year, but I was tired at the time I finished that film, and I never really got around to it. In retrospect, I think the funnier double feature would probably be Jesus Christ Superstar, which has the additional benefit of setting sacrilege against sacrilege. For Marquis, I'm not sure what the best double feature would have been, but maybe I'll figure it out in the future.

I have, of course, immediately fallen in love with Imogen Millais-Scott, who plays Salome. Her sudden fascination with John the Baptist is played amazingly, as she first cloyingly asks questions about the prophet, then grows increasingly aggressive in her desire to meet him. And I've obviously fallen in love with Douglas Hodge, whose John the Baptist is filled with an immensity of conviction, and whose Lord Alfred Douglas is filled with a lot of affection for Wilde (and, of course, often filled with Wilde himself).

I love the peeping of John the Baptist during the dance of seven veils. The concession of religion to the greater mystery of love. John's speech to Salome, and Salome's speech to John after his death, both filled my eyes with tears.

The parallel is clear, and invested with tragic irony. Wilde is Salome, and Bosie is John the Baptist. But while Salome is the downfall of John, it is Bosie who is the downfall of Wilde. Wilde, of course, comments on that point exactly, recasting himself as John the Baptist. But I don't think that Russell, or Wilde before him, were being censorious with either that play or this film. Doesn't Wilde cry for the both of them, after all?

"Are you not afraid, daughter of Herodias? Did I not tell you I heard the beating wings of the Angel of Death? And has not the Angel come?" "Let me kiss your mouth!" "Adulteress's daughter! There is only one man who can save you, it is he I was speaking of." away from the stage, "He was my brother!" back on the stage, "Go and seek him out." off stage, "Closer even than a brother." on stage, "He is in the boat in the see of Galilee, teaching his disciples." off stage, "I gave him a little box of perfumes, and a ring of agate which he always wore on his hand." on stage, "Kneel down by the water's edge and call his name." off stage, "In the evenings, we would stroll by the side of the river amongst the almond trees." on stage, "When he comes towards you..." off stage, "And he would tell me stories about my country." on stage, "...and he comes to all those who call him...prostrate yourself at his feet, and ask forgiveness of your sins." "Let me kiss your mouth!" "Be cursed, daughter of an incestuous mother. Be damned! I will not look at you. You are accursed, Salome. You are accursed!"

alt. quote: "You mustn’t look at people like that! Something terrible could happen!"

alt. alt. quote: "Tell me what to do now, John the Baptist! Neither rivers nor floods can drown my passion. I was a princess and you humiliated me! I was a virgin and you raped me! I was chaste and you filled my veins with fire! Oh...why didn't you look at me, John the Baptist? If you had looked at me, you would have loved me, I know you would have loved me. And the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death. One must look only to love..."

Ken Russell absolutely outdid himself, the camp of this production goes hand in hand with Oscar Wilde's flamboyant writings, dress, and life. As much as I tend to focus more on Mis-en-scene in movies compared to the other aspects, something else managed to catch my attention more; the actress of Salome. I cannot begin to explain the disappointment to find this is the only movie that she has ever starred in, her facial expressions and voice fit the character so well that even if you don't watch this movie I beg that at least see a clip of one of her scenes.

Ken Russell absolutely outdid himself, the camp of this production goes hand in hand with Oscar Wilde's flamboyant writings, dress, and life. As much as I tend to focus more on Mis-en-scene in movies compared to the other aspects, something else managed to catch my attention more; the actress of Salome. I cannot begin to explain the disappointment to find this is the only movie that she has ever starred in, her facial expressions and voice fit the character so well that even if you don't watch this movie I beg that at least see a clip of one of her scenes.