Salomé

Good movie!

Good movie!

source: Salomé

While it seems that Al Pacino is desperately trying to outdo the bad Hebrew accent that Laurence Olivier had in "The Jazz Singer", it's obvious that he's trying to be sincere as King Herod on the throne desperately trying to save the life of John the Baptist after stepdaughter Salome (Jessica Chastain) demands it in return for her dance. This is a rendition of Oscar Wilde's play, as if it was being done on the stage (part modern dress) and the audience (including Wilde) not seen as they were in the Ken Russell adaption, "Salome's Last Dance", and it's like imagining that there were modern film cameras present to capture the play as it was being done. Taking on the role of the regal Queen Herodias (played previously by Judith Anderson and Glenda Jackson on film) is Roxanne Hart, and she has the perfect look for the part, the Hebrew version of Rome's Empress Livia. I had hoped it would be Dianne Wiest (who appeared in the Broadway revival with Pacino), but Hart is quite subtle, more so than Pacino and Chastain who obviously are trying to recapture early 20th Century styles of acting which over 120 years later seems absurd. In retrospect, this will appeal to theater historians and Pacino fans, but it's so close to Ken Russell's film that it hardly seems necessary. For me, I'll stick with the 1953 Rita Hayworth/Charles Laughton version which may be lacking in historical truth but is far more enjoyable than this or the 1988 film.

The drama of power, paternal, marital, prestigious. Herod is caught up in a network of relations and contradictions of their positions. not able to make decisions of the wishes of his daughter the princess Salome. however, even she, his apple, has not decision simple. the drama of three live charactersd courtiers. a riveting range of expressions of the soul of Salome and Herod. so powerful psychodrama is unique. thanks to mr AlPacino, ms. Chastaine

Something most people don't know about this event is that it is according to the Bible Salome getting John the Baptist's head on a platter caused the largest Biblical curse of all time. And it's still running BTW. Put a basically as possible the murder of John the Baptist triggered the curse contained in Malachi 4. Which made Jesus Christ the "HE" that struck the earth with a curse. In Matthew 17 Jesus claimed John the Baptist was Elijah. So looking for the details of the curse you actually find them in the book of Hosea. Specifically verse 6-2. But what Hosea tells us is Israel and Judah were to face a 2000 year top level Leviticus 26 curse. Which also appears to be the curse of Malachi. So all things considered Salome and her mother are guilty of the biggest crime in all history. She had Elijah killed and triggered a curse that's been responsible for the flow of human history for the past 2000 years. The horrors she must be facing in Hell....

This woman can change mud into wine, really (like I said, unless it's an action movie, she's not Jesus, after all). I don't know if that's a good thing, but I have almost missed the plot altogether just observing the terrific monster of an actor that she is. Al Pacino could barely keep up, really. Yes, it's an ancient tragedy and this not really appealing for today's standards. TV-theatre is difficult in itself, I would say. But it's more an acting exercise, take it as it is. Some people here have even complaint about the modern clothing. Come on, people... Just observe the best actress this century has produced and be glad you are alive at the same time.

I think this must be Pacino's worst performance. Fortunately, he has a body of work that supports some great performances and he is one of our great actors. Sadly, this is not one of them. On so many levels, a wide miss.

The film is a documentary about making the film Salome with Al Pacino starring and directing. Pacino informs us the reason he is making a film of the film/play is so he can capture how he feels about the play. Seriously? Isn't that what a director/actor supposed to do without a documentary, by letting the work speak for itself? So was this supposed to be a film about a man who can't direct and act? I thought I had caught the clue. The production was more of a bio of Oscar Wilde then the play. The bio gets stars, the play does not. The play was performed in the garb of Wilde's time period, for better or worse, in in my case I took it as a worse. Jessica Chastain, looks more Irish, then a a relative of Herod. Again a play done as a tribute to Wilde. I really couldn't get into what is another artsy Hollywood self gratification film. Pacino didn't impress me. Chastain didn't really dance, but rather whipped around in a frenzy losing her top. Note: Wilde wrote "Salome" before going to prison. It could not have influenced his writing of the play which he did hastily and in French. Guide: F-bomb and Nudity (Jessica Chastain)

I must say - Im a little disappointed. I like Pacino and Chastain a lot and they play their roles well but the trouble with this interpretation of Salome lies imo not in the acting but in the interpretation of the material. The use of modern day clothes and very reduced staging for example is overused and just contemporary mainstream theater stuff. Another very weak point is imo the figure of king Herodias - he resembles more a kind of Pilatus (Im innocent but forced by circumstances or a mistake I made - my pledge - to do the wrong thing) and the lust or craving for Salome (or her flesh) never felt really convincing to me. On top Herodias "kill that woman"-order in the end make things just worse (a killing of Salome is never mentioned in the Bible etc). I simply like the "picture" of Herodias as a scrupulous, decadent, maybe not fully sane mind more than this guy portrayed in Pacinos Salome. In contrast to the superb play of Chastain the highlight of this movie, the climax - the Dance of Veils - is rather poorly presented. How its well done shows the phantastic performance of Imogen Millais-Scott in The Last Dance of Salome or Brigid Bazlen dancing the Dance of the Seven Veils in King of Kings. So whats left to say!? Al Pacinos interpretation of the classic tale of Salome is not bad but can't keep up with the refreshing Salome's Last Dance (1988) or the very experimental flick of Carmelo Bene from 1972. Anyway - this Salome got Al Pacino and Chastain - there is for sure far more bad stuff around to "waste" your time on.