Show MOVIE IN REVIEW Solome's Last Dance by Mike Richan Kleban Contributing Writer There is no director today who specializes in the bizarre quite like Ken Russell is His II Altered Al Altered Al Altered Al- Al States in 1980 w was S 'S only a hint at what sort of cerebral commercialization he was capable of unarmed theatergoers theatergoers theatergoers theater theater- goers who have not seen Gothic or The Devils two of Russells Russell's films more indic- indic tive of his nature should not think it a beginning effort Russell doesn't seem to give a damn that his imagination is quite afoul of commercialism's home plate He relentlessly directs technically technically technically cally perfect masterfully acted films that start off lo looking looking look look- king k- k ing so normal they soon march jovially into Russells Russell's Perverted History Funhouse emerging as strange creatures one sees only at the zoo behind behind be be- be- be behind hind glass As of late Mr Russell has taken a liking to homosexual literary figures of the past which even before Altered States got him banned in the i. i Soviet Union and in Last Dance his cameras are directed at Oscar Wilde and his controversial play Salome In the film Wilde goes to see a production n of his play staged by friends at ata a brothel After the performance performance performance mance he is arrested This is all based on fact Wilde was indeed indeed indeed in in- deed arrested once in a London London London Lon Lon- don brothel for performing indecent sexual acts However the film is mainly the wild Russell interpretation of Salome and Wilde is simply an interesting approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap to beginning and ending ending ending en en- ding the picture It also successfully sets a historical context for the operation of the play within the film Only at the end does there appear to have been any real advantage advantage advantage ad ad- vantage to the incorporation of Wilde but that is something something something some some- thing I cannot reveal and is the sort of devilish II arent aren't people disgusting trick Russell Russell Russell Rus Rus- sell revels in I should reiterate that it is the production of Salome which constitutes 90 percent of the film Herein lie the great performances Stratford Jolius as Herrod Glenda Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- son as his wife and Imogen Scott as the wicked Salome who performs the dance of the seven veils for her incestuous stepfather Herrod in return for the head of John the Baptist In the interpretation interpretation interpretation in in- of the play Russell Russell Russell Rus Rus- sell uses no rules the result is captivating One wonders if Russell is capable of concocting something something something some some- thing boring Most likely not With his tilted perspective the whole film feels like the Jokers Joker's lair in Batman and his off-base off yet intelligent approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap he could quite possibly ly make an interesting film about navel lint That his narrative narrative narrative nar nar- is literate and substantial and treats not only the work but the author with equal bits of respect and ir irreverence irreverence irreverence ir- ir reverence is refreshing and fun And most of all if nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing else interesting |