This is surely one of Russell's campier ventures (also considered by some as his very worst!) – in which he appears himself, sporting an all-too-fake beard, as a photographer! The film is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's controversial play "Salome" (for the record, a viewing of the 1923 Silent adaptation of it with, reportedly, an all-gay cast{!} is to follow) which had originally been banned in Britain (having been deemed both obscene and blasphemous!) so that its first representation took place in France – hence, the text necessitating to be translated back into English for this version!
Anyway, Russell has the notorious bisexual author (rather ineffectually played by Nickolas Grace) attend what he believes to be a typical night at a brothel on his birthday, only to have the owner, courtesans, clients and even his upper-class lover Alfred 'Bosey' Douglas surprise him with a clandestine staging of "Salome" (incidentally, the credits appear while he is ostensibly leafing through the programme)! Rather than be transported to the time of the narrative a' la the classic Laurence Olivier production of Shakespeare's HENRY V (1944), here we stick to this one set – presumably so that we can gauge Wilde's reaction to the interpretation of his text (and, in particular, Douglas' own acting in the pivotal role of John The Baptist). However, by doing so, the thing is never allowed to rise above the level of pantomime – though I am not sure the director (who wrote the script himself) intended it to in the first place and, in any case, the proceedings are never taken very seriously (as witness the flatulent running gag, for one!).
Apart from Glenda Jackson (who, decked-out in rather impressive make-up, bravely took on the part of Herodias as a favor to Russell – even if her role is secondary to both Salome and King Herod despite being allotted top-billing), the cast is supbar, with only Stratford Johns (whom I have just watched in a memorable bit as Hugh Grant's butler in Russell's subsequent effort, THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM {also 1988}) attempting a real performance but, I guess, that was to be expected given the amateurish nature of the whole enterprise! As for Salome, played by Imogen Millais-Scott (a Bjork lookalike{!} while others cite Toyah Wilcox, who is more of her time), she is depicted as far more wicked than history would have it and, indeed, Herodias herself (who comes across as a dog that can bark but not bite)! In fact, the latter is not the one to suggest to Salome to ask for the head of The Baptist as a prize for having danced semi-naked before the "Tetrarch" but rather the girl's own idea, since she had earlier seduced – and been rejected by – the prophet (indeed, Salome becomes so obsessed with the man who spoke but ill of her mother that she has no qualms about kissing the lips of his severed head)! For the record, Russell stated in the accompanying Audio Commentary that the actress was half-blind, which perhaps explains why this was her "introduction" to cinema but also her very last film!
Other notable characters here are: a legionnaire in love with Salome and who commits suicide in fear of being found out over his having allowed Salome to see The Baptist; his own (gold-painted!) servant who, serving {sic} no other function after his master's death, takes his place beside the author and proceeds to distract him from the show (eventually disappearing behind the curtains to give vent to their passions – incidentally, the boy in real-life had been an object of contention between Wilde and 'Bosey', so that the latter eyes their dallying from the stage with indignation!); the two guards (there are also some females, naturally bare-breasted and prone to S&M antics!) in charge of The Baptist's incarceration, who supply comic relief all through the picture and, ultimately, take up with Herodias (or, more precisely, the courtesan playing her) – getting down to some 'action' inside a trunk immediately prior to Salome's famed "Dance Of The Seven Veils" (as it happened, the name of a controversial TV-film Russell made for the BBC in 1970, albeit about composer Richard Strauss, and which I watched earlier in my marathon tribute to the late director)!; and even a trio of bickering dwarfs dressed up as Hasidic Jews (for what it is worth, my twin brother's 'costume' for Brad Pitt's upcoming and Malta-filmed zombie epic WORLD WAR Z!).
The title under review, then, ends with Herod ordering the execution of Salome and the Police bursting in on the scene to arrest everybody (with Jackson protesting her noble lineage) – by the way, the obscenity charge leveled at Wilde here was one he would face in real life (brought up by Douglas' own father, the Marquis of Queensberry, who frowned upon his son's unsavory relationship with the author!) and from which he never quite recovered. Having mentioned Wilde's trial, I still need to check one of two rival 1960 films about the case (with Robert Morley in the lead, it simply bore the author's name as a title).
Anyway, Russell has the notorious bisexual author (rather ineffectually played by Nickolas Grace) attend what he believes to be a typical night at a brothel on his birthday, only to have the owner, courtesans, clients and even his upper-class lover Alfred 'Bosey' Douglas surprise him with a clandestine staging of "Salome" (incidentally, the credits appear while he is ostensibly leafing through the programme)! Rather than be transported to the time of the narrative a' la the classic Laurence Olivier production of Shakespeare's HENRY V (1944), here we stick to this one set – presumably so that we can gauge Wilde's reaction to the interpretation of his text (and, in particular, Douglas' own acting in the pivotal role of John The Baptist). However, by doing so, the thing is never allowed to rise above the level of pantomime – though I am not sure the director (who wrote the script himself) intended it to in the first place and, in any case, the proceedings are never taken very seriously (as witness the flatulent running gag, for one!).
Apart from Glenda Jackson (who, decked-out in rather impressive make-up, bravely took on the part of Herodias as a favor to Russell – even if her role is secondary to both Salome and King Herod despite being allotted top-billing), the cast is supbar, with only Stratford Johns (whom I have just watched in a memorable bit as Hugh Grant's butler in Russell's subsequent effort, THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM {also 1988}) attempting a real performance but, I guess, that was to be expected given the amateurish nature of the whole enterprise! As for Salome, played by Imogen Millais-Scott (a Bjork lookalike{!} while others cite Toyah Wilcox, who is more of her time), she is depicted as far more wicked than history would have it and, indeed, Herodias herself (who comes across as a dog that can bark but not bite)! In fact, the latter is not the one to suggest to Salome to ask for the head of The Baptist as a prize for having danced semi-naked before the "Tetrarch" but rather the girl's own idea, since she had earlier seduced – and been rejected by – the prophet (indeed, Salome becomes so obsessed with the man who spoke but ill of her mother that she has no qualms about kissing the lips of his severed head)! For the record, Russell stated in the accompanying Audio Commentary that the actress was half-blind, which perhaps explains why this was her "introduction" to cinema but also her very last film!
Other notable characters here are: a legionnaire in love with Salome and who commits suicide in fear of being found out over his having allowed Salome to see The Baptist; his own (gold-painted!) servant who, serving {sic} no other function after his master's death, takes his place beside the author and proceeds to distract him from the show (eventually disappearing behind the curtains to give vent to their passions – incidentally, the boy in real-life had been an object of contention between Wilde and 'Bosey', so that the latter eyes their dallying from the stage with indignation!); the two guards (there are also some females, naturally bare-breasted and prone to S&M antics!) in charge of The Baptist's incarceration, who supply comic relief all through the picture and, ultimately, take up with Herodias (or, more precisely, the courtesan playing her) – getting down to some 'action' inside a trunk immediately prior to Salome's famed "Dance Of The Seven Veils" (as it happened, the name of a controversial TV-film Russell made for the BBC in 1970, albeit about composer Richard Strauss, and which I watched earlier in my marathon tribute to the late director)!; and even a trio of bickering dwarfs dressed up as Hasidic Jews (for what it is worth, my twin brother's 'costume' for Brad Pitt's upcoming and Malta-filmed zombie epic WORLD WAR Z!).
The title under review, then, ends with Herod ordering the execution of Salome and the Police bursting in on the scene to arrest everybody (with Jackson protesting her noble lineage) – by the way, the obscenity charge leveled at Wilde here was one he would face in real life (brought up by Douglas' own father, the Marquis of Queensberry, who frowned upon his son's unsavory relationship with the author!) and from which he never quite recovered. Having mentioned Wilde's trial, I still need to check one of two rival 1960 films about the case (with Robert Morley in the lead, it simply bore the author's name as a title).