kiweber

It's unfortunate that only the most scathing reviews seem to show up on the home pages of great movies. If people listened to these blow-hards they'd miss out on a lot of excellent cinema. That said, I was struck immediately by this moving story and the incredible emotional subtlety created by both Cunningham and the actors (especially Colin Ferrel). The younger actors were equally outstanding. Here are the kind of characters you aren't ready to say good-bye to after the film has ended, which is probably why I ran out and bought the book almost immediately after seeing it. Though I'm only halfway through with it now, I'm already impressed by the fact that both the movie and the book seem on equal par, which rarely happens. The actors did an outstanding job of nailing the characters exactly as Cunningham wrote them, right down to details their facial expressions, and Cunningham managed to distill a story that spans a decade and develops the lives of four people into its sweet, understated essence. My only complaint about the film is that the young Bobby seems much more self-assured than the grown Bobby (Ferrel), the latter being closer to how he's described in the book. Also, Jonathan's character was simplified a bit in the film, though Dallas Roberts manages to bring him to life anyway. Minor glitches aside, this film is a masterful adaptation of a lovely, bittersweet story--the kind of movie that's so simple and real you wonder why there aren't more films like it.

From the moment I saw the close-up of Nazimova (who plays the title character) with her crown of gently bobbing light-globes, I was entranced by this bizarre, magical, lovely film. That's why I was shocked to see its relatively low ratings on this website and the unflattering description by Mr. Warner. This is one of the strangest, most beautiful films I've ever seen, and certainly one of the more engaging silent films I've watched. Yes, it's highly stylized and the acting is way over the top, but realism gets awfully dull sometimes, especially in the silent format. Salome is a true original and a thing of great beauty. From the creative use of drawn set pieces to the spectacularly inventive costumes to Nazimova's perfectly controlled, dancer-like movements, the experience (and it really is that) has a mystical, otherworldly glow to it. A must-see for anyone interested in silent film, dance, costuming, or art nouveau.