Salome

I just finished watching this movie. I think it has been unfairly rundown by critics. Yes it is historically inaccurate, but how many Hollywood epics are actually accurate ? The answer is hardly any.

To me movies are essentially entertainment, and this movie really did that. Most of this was down to the casting of the stunningly beautiful Rita Hayworth in the title role. Her much mentioned "dance of the seven veils" is without a doubt the highlight of this film.

The performances by the rest of the cast are decent if not exceptional. Stewart Granger is the Roman commander who is secretly a Christian, Charles Laughton plays Herod, a man as much obsessed with pursuing Salome as with trying to spare John the Baptist for fear of what God will do to him in retaliation (he believes John the Baptist to be the Messiah).

It is definitely not one of the greatest epics and some of the dialogue is not the best, but the movie is certainly not the worst of Hollywoods many Biblical epics. It is far more entertaining than "The Robe" and Rita Hayworth's radiance is extremely easy on the eye.

Don't bother watching this film for historical accuracy. Watch it instead for entertainment value only and to see why Rita Hayworth was worshipped as a Goddess.

You can almost feel the debauchery oozing out of Charles Laughton's Herod as he oils his way through the film. And Judith Anderson's Queen Herodias is completely over the top, but you can see where she's coming from and that she's a product of her circumstances. Stewart Granger is almost out of place here as he's the only one not seriously hamming it up, but he still does a relatively convincing job as Commander Claudius, improving as the film progresses.

I love this film for the wonderful elocution-lesson delivery of the dialogue and the gloriously artificial colouring which give a lovely fantasy recreation of biblical times: even though bad things happen, they just don't seem that bad. And even after all these years Rita Hayworth's dancing is a vision to behold for men and women alike.

Banished from Rome by Emperor Tiberius Augustus : Cedric Hardwicke , Salome : Rita Hayworth abandoning her boyfriend : Rex Reason , returns to Jerusalem , there being infatuated by both , a good-looking Roman Centurion : Stewart Granger , and the licentious Herodes : Charles Laughton who is lasciviously after her , while John the Baptist : Alan Badel loses his head .

Spectacular and colorful film , with plenty of some viviv large-scales scenes , certainly , but lacks fidelity to Holy Bible , this is very free and loose rendition based on Ancient Scriptures . Here outstanding Rita Hayworth and her famous dance , as she sinuously shedding her Seven Veils . The best perfomances go to Alan Badel as a fanatic John the Baptist along with Charles Laughton as a lascivious Herodes Antipas and well supported by the usually baddie Judith Anderson as his Queen , Herodias . Including other illustruous secondaries as Sir Cedric Hardwick as emperor Tiberius , Arnold Moss , Maurice Schwarz , Rex Reason, and Basil Sydney as Pontius Pilatos .

It contains a moving and stirring musical score by George Duning , adding some religious and oriental sounds . As well as evocative cinematography in Technicolor by cameraman Charles Lang , though a perfect remastering being really necessary . The picture benefits itself to be shot in location in Israel, though wasted because of no too much exteriors . This Biblic rendition far from faithful to its origin , and according to Columbia Pictures and it was professionally directed by William Dieterle , though it has a few gaps and failures . Dieterle was a good director, making nice films and some masterpieces , as he directed the following ones : "Devil and Daniel Webster" , "Hunchback of Notre Dame" , "Juarez" , "Life of Emile Zola" , "Quick Let's get married" , and his greatest success : "Portrait of Jennie" , among others. Rating : 6/10, acceptable , but neither extraordinary , not notable , but passable . The yarn will appeal to Rita Hayworth , Stewart Granger and Charles Laughton fans .

Salome certainly isn't a terrible film, far from it. But I do think, as a biblical epic it is flawed in many ways. The costumes and the scenery were a joy to the eyes, and the music was beautiful and a treat to the ears. The acting is pretty good too, with Stewart Granger handsome in his role, and Judith Anderson deliciously cruel as Herodias, though Anderson to be fair has given better performances in classics like And Then There Were None and Rebecca. Charles Laughton gives one of his career's weakest performances, but he is good as King Herod to some extent. The film's portrayal of John the Baptist from Alan Badel was also fine, but Salome's creme de la creme is Rita Hayworth in the title role. Entirely captivating and so beautiful, and she danced beautifully in Dance of the Seven Veils which also happens to be a scene from Richard Strauss's opera of the same name. However, the film's flaws include pedestrian pacing, an underdeveloped script and a story that suffers from a lot of tampering. Overall, deeply flawed, but watchable biblical film, that is worth watching if only for Hayworth and Dance of the Seven Veils. 6/10 Bethany Cox

the first temptation is to criticize it. very hard. and it is the normal reaction. because the film has potential and the right cast. but for director seems be more seductive the easy way. the dance of Rita Hayworth, the sketch of the force of Charles Laughton, Judith Anderson in a role as game of stereotypes. the result - not the best. after decades, it is not a real sin and it is a wise option to see it as piece from a long chain of religious/historical films from the "50. but the case of "Salome" remains different. for the simple motif than it is not an ordinary film from the "50. and only way to discover it out of not inspired solution of script or director vision is ... to imagine it.