Salomé (2002 film)
Encyclopedia
Salomé is a 2002
Spanish
film
directed by Carlos Saura
. The film is told from the perspective of a flamenco
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.
We meet the principals. We watch the troupe on rehearsals, and then the performance. The main dancers are presented: Salomé,, King Herod, John the Baptist and Herodias. Each of them tell the story of their beginnings as a dancers in childhood. Salomé overcame a bad case of scoliosis
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 intiall unwillingness of 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. 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, who on the other hand Herod fears. Salomé tries to seduce the prophet, but his status as holy man does not let him be carried away by his feelings. Disappointed and frustrated, Salomé aggress 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 request, in defiance, the head of John the Baptist. The king, reluctantly, fulfills her wish. When the head of the saintly man is presented to Salomé in a tray, she realizes thar she is still in love with him. Grieve stricken, Salomé commits suicide hanging herself.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...
. The film is told from the perspective of a flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dance company that will mount a show devoted to the mythical and biblical figure of Salomé
Salome
Salome , the Daughter of Herodias , is known from the New Testament...
, 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 Salomé. 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, John the Baptist and Herodias. Each of them tell the story of their beginnings as a dancers in childhood. Salomé overcame a bad case of scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
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 intiall unwillingness of 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. 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, who on the other hand Herod fears. Salomé tries to seduce the prophet, but his status as holy man does not let him be carried away by his feelings. Disappointed and frustrated, Salomé aggress 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 request, in defiance, the head of John the Baptist. The king, reluctantly, fulfills her wish. When the head of the saintly man is presented to Salomé in a tray, she realizes thar she is still in love with him. Grieve 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