'' Salomé '' is a 2002 Spanish film directed by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career th ...

. The film is told from the perspective of a

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

dance company that will mount a show devoted to the mythical and biblical figure of Salomé, as a story of love and vengeance. The movie is both about the performance and the preparation for it.

Plot

The first part of the film is conceived as a documentary and we discover, step-by-step, the whole construction and preparation of the show. A director prepares a troupe of flamenco dancers for a production of the biblical story of

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...

. He summarizes the story and describes his spring for the drama's action: Salomé's attraction to John the Baptist. When the prophet rejects her, she seeks revenge. We are witnessing the working sessions with the musician, the choosing of the costumes. The score composer, set designer, choreographer and costume designer are shown doing their jobs in the part of the stage. We also see the troupe of dancers during rehearsals. We meet the principals. We watch the troupe on rehearsals, and then the performance. The main dancers are presented: Salomé, King Herod (

Herod Antipas Herod Antipas ( el, Ἡρῴδης Ἀντίπας, ''Hērǭdēs Antipas''; born before 20 BC – died after 39 AD), was a 1st-century ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch ("ruler of a quarter") and is referred to as both "H ...

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

and

Herodias Herodias ( el, Ἡρῳδιάς, ''Hērǭdiás''; ''c.'' 15 BC – after AD 39) was a princess of the Herodian dynasty of Judaea during the time of the Roman Empire. Christian writings connect her with John the Baptist's execution. Family relat ...

. Each of them tells the story of their beginnings as dancers in childhood. Salomé overcame a bad case of

scoliosis Scoliosis is a condition in which a person's spine has a sideways curve. The curve is usually "S"- or "C"-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others, it increases over time. Mild scoliosis does not t ...

to eventually succeed as a dancer and now she is the director of the Spanish National ballet company. John the Baptist has emigrated from his native Cuba and both Herod and Herodias had to confront initial unwillingness by their parents to allow them to follow a career as dancers. The second part of the film is the production of the stage dance adaptation of Salomé. It is a lush presentation in a spare stage, colorfully illuminated. We follow the plot. King Herod has married Herodias, his brother's widow. Herod is devoted to his stepdaughter Salomé. On his birthday celebration, he wants to maker her to dance for him, but she refuses. Herodias encourages her daughter to do so; allowing her daughter to be the lust interest of her husband. However, Salomé refuses because she is only interested in John the Baptist, whom on the other hand Herod fears. Salomé tries to seduce the prophet, but his status as a holy man does not let him be carried away by his feelings. Disappointed and frustrated, Salomé agrees to dance for her stepfather. In a sensual and frantic performance, she takes on the dance of the seven veils. The king, fascinated by the dance, would give Salomé anything she asks for. He is surprised when Salomé requests, in defiance, the head of

. The king, reluctantly, fulfills her wish. When the head of the saintly man is presented to Salomé on a tray, she realizes that she is still in love with him. Grief-stricken, Salomé commits suicide hanging herself.

Cast

* Aída Gómez as Salomé * Pere Arquillué as director * Paco Mora as King Herod * Javier Toca as John the Baptist * Carmen Villena as Herodias

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salome 2002 films 2000s Spanish-language films Cultural depictions of John the Baptist Films directed by Carlos Saura Flamenco films Films scored by Roque Baños 2000s dance films Cultural depictions of Salome 2000s Spanish films Cultural depictions of Herod Antipas

Plot

Cast

See also

External links