Salão Kitty

A visually impressive movie, very arty and with many subtle undertones. Packed full of pulchritudinous young females in various stages of undress and very risque in its day, the film is, however, very ponderous in places, particularly during the first hour.

Basic plot summary: In 1939 Berlin, the Nazi authorities take over the famous Salon Kitty brothel and pack it with new girls of good Aryan stock and impeccable National Socialist credentials. Their mission is to spy on their military officer clients and report back to their controllers about anyone who seems to be wavering from the Party line. All goes well until one of the girls, Marguerite, falls in love with a Luftwaffe pilot who has turned his back on Hitler and all he stands for.

I first saw Salon Kitty in a provincial Scottish cinema with my school pals; nudity was the attraction, and "X" was the certificate. UK Channel 4 recently screened it during their "Censored Weekend" and, as a middle-aged man no longer completely mesmerised by the (considerable) display of rosebud nipples, I was able to enjoy the extraordinary sets and costumes, the operatic staging (production designer Ken Adams - a man of many credits) and the convincing performances of Helmut Berger as the self-intoxicated, onanistic, ruthless, cynical swine who makes the mistake of abusing the indomitable Madame Kitty (Ingrid Thulin - accomplished cabaret turns and remarkable legs for her age).

Many interesting things are hinted at but not explored, such as the contest between the Nazi/Nietzschean will to power and the subtle strengths of womankind. Many things are inserted for gratuitous sensation (the schoolboy was appreciative!). The film is what it is - European soft porn, an exploitative caricature of history, but well done the makers for giving their smut such a visually memorable vehicle. It was too much to ask for a truly engaging drama as well.

'Salon Kitty' was Tinto Brass' movie immediately prior to his infamous attempt at a big budget porn crossover 'Caligula'. While it isn't as notorious as that much talked about film, it is no slouch in the outrageousness department itself! Camp cult legend Helmet Berger (Visconti's 'The Damned', Franco's 'Faceless') plays Wallenberg, a ruthlessly ambitious Nazi who sets up Salon Kitty, a high class brothel to entertain his fellow officers. Unbeknown to Madame Kitty (Ingrid Thulin, who played Berger's mother in 'The Damned') Wallenberg has the place bugged and uses the information for blackmail purposes. The beautiful Margherita (Teresa Ann Savoy, who like many of the cast went on to appear in 'Caligula') one of the patriotic party members Wallenberg recruited to work in the brothel eventually discovers this and plots, with Kitty's help, to bring down the dangerous megalomaniac before he destroys them all. This ludicrously over the top sexploitation classic features nudity galore, 'Cabaret' style musical numbers, and many flamboyant sequences. You're either into this kind of movie or you're not, and if you are it is one of the most entertaining of its kind. Also stars b-grade buff faves John Steiner ('Tenebre') and John Ireland ('Satan's Cheerleaders').

Outrageous, unsettling, exploitative and courageous, it is also slightly overlong. The current running time at well over two hours is due to the more contentious material being put back in but maybe some other scenes might have been cut to compensate. I love the film, the scenes of debauchery and nudity, male and female, the decadent singing and dancing and the glorious sets by Ken Adam but it is a slight story and as the end draws near it begins to stumble and repeat itself. Always preferable to the much lauded Cabaret there is a real sense of foreboding, of a major calamity and despite the roars and champagne popping at news of the invasion of Poland and later the fall of Paris, we can't help waiting for the biggest crash when the nasty, ugly men in the wonderful costumes get their comeuppance.

"Salon Kitty" is a cinematic journey into the seedy goings-on at Madame Kitty's Berlin brothel, where the prostitutes are SS-trained, patriotic beauties. While this premise may sound intriguing, the actual delivery is drawn-out and, it must be said, a tad boring. 20 minutes cut have been cut out of this movie and it would have been more effective as a result.

Scenes of debauchery are limited but interesting. The scene where the SS girls are viewed with a variety of sexual partners as a test to see how they react is deliciously dark and unsettling. I'm not easily shocked but this particular sequence really pushes barriers of taste and censorship (and should be applauded as a result).

The film is atmospheric and the sets (by Ken Adam, famous for his Bond creations) are excellent. However, there are too many musical interludes for my taste. It's like "Cabaret" on acid.

A hesitant recommendation, "Salon Kitty" won't be to everybody's tastes. It's a flawed film but it has its moments. Not a film to avoid controversy, animal lovers will be appalled that scenes of real pig-killing are contained. This put me off my hot dog, as did the many scenes of male genitalia. Tinto Brass seems to be obsessed with all things dangly. Trust me, by the end of the film, you'll be wishing that the cast put some clothes on. (An exception to this may be the delightful Teresa Ann Savoy, but I digress.) 6 out of 10 - could have been leaner and meaner.