Wilde Salomé
Directed by Al Pacino
95 minutes
Cast: Al Pacino, Jessica Chastain, Kevin Anderson, Roxanne Hart
Drawing on the startlingly-original approach taken in his acclaimed 1996 documentary, Looking for Richard, Al Pacino explores myth, meaning and madness in Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé.
Originally written in French in 1891, Salomé was subsequently translated into English by Wilde’s lover Lord Alfred Douglas. Based on the New Testament story of Salomé, the text is steeped in blood, incest and lust, hypnotically lingering on the destructive nature of desire and the dangers of malignant love. At the time of its publication the play caused huge controversy and was denounced for its supposed immorality and blasphemous imagery. It was seen as a radical challenge to the hypocritical Victorian mores of its time and its tragedy was to prove sadly prophetic for Wilde himself.