Sodom & Gomorrah [VHS]
by Robert Aldrich
![Sodom & Gomorrah [VHS]](/images/Sodom-Gomorrah-VHS-6301412788-L.jpg)
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Product details
Actor: Pier Angeli, Rik Battaglia, Rossana Podestà, Stanley Baker, Stewart GrangerDirector: Robert Aldrich
Cinematographer: Alfio Contini
Producer: Goffredo Lombardo
Producer: Maurizio Lodi-Fè
Writer: Ernesto Gastaldi
Writer: Giorgio Prosperi
Writer: Hugo Butler
Writer: Richard Wormser
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 154 minutes
Release Date: 1995-03-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Studio: 20th Century Fox
VHS Movie Reviews of Sodom & Gomorrah [VHS]
Movie Review: Entertaining Hollywood Version Of The Famous Biblical Story
Summary: 4 Stars
Even for those people not familiar with the stories contained in the Old Testament, when the names Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned a vivid image will always spring to mind of a world full of vice, sexual depravity, and wickedness. The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah embodied all these human failings and were a natural for the Hollywood film makers to latch on to as subject material once the "sword and sandal", movie craze gripped Hollywood in the late 1950's and early 60's. In fact this story was a natural for filmmakers of this period and contains everything that an epic movie lover like myself could ask for; lavish sets, court intrigue, well staged sword fights, unbridled passion and romance, all wrapped up in beautiful colour photography using actual locations to really enhance the unfolding story. By 1960's epic standards "Sodom and Gomorrah",is a relatively big budget international production that expands on the original story contained in the Bible but amazingly tends to tone down the sex and sin side of it while still being highly entertaining. I only viewed this film for the first time over Easter and I was surprised at how for the most part it avoided many of the more immoral elements of the story. Another production of 3 years later "The Bible: In The Beginning", directed by John Huston is much more explicit in showing the depravity and vice of the twin cities, which makes it an interesting companion piece to this lavish production.
"Sodom and Gomorrah", begins with the tired and disillusioned Hebrew tribe led by Lot (Stewart Granger), coming after many exhausting years wandering in the wilderness, into the fertile valley of the River Jordan where they plan to settle. However complications begin when they discover that their neighbours across the river are the notorius twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah who are ruled by Queen Bera (Anouk Aimee) with the often not welcome assistance of her treacherous brother Astaroth (Stanley Baker). Filled with decadence, double dealings and sexual licence these cities make uneasy neighbours for the devout Hebrews and Lot finds his work cut out for him when the wily Astaroth begins a campaign to seduce both of his daughters. Queen Bera gives Lot one of her slave girls Ildith (Pier Angeli), who at first is reluctant to adjust to the simple harsh lives of the Hebrews after the unbridled luxury of the City of Sodom however she eventually comes around and falls in love with Lot who she then marries. The Hebrews however have more difficulties on their hands when the valley is attacked by desert clans called the Helamites and after flooding their valley to save it from capture the Hebrews are forced to find shelter and work inside the city of Sodom. Once there the decadent ways of the Sodomites begin to affect even Lot who becomes estranged from many of his followers and becomes distracted by the luxuries of the royal court. Only after Queen Bera turns on him for killing her brother in a sword fight and imprisons him while torturing some of his followers does Lot begin to see how misled he has become. While languishing in prison he has a divine vision that tells him to leave Sodom with his people as the twins cities will shortly be destroyed because of their depravity and evil. Freed miraculously from his chains Lot leds those members of the Hebrew tribe still his followers just as a violent storm erupts which levels the cities killing not only Queen Bera but everyone who refused to leave. However Lot must still pay for his sins and as he and his followers flee to safety his wife Ildith makes the mistake of looking back at the cities destruction and as foretold in Lot's vision is turned into a pillar of salt.
If there was one theme that is highlighted in "Sodom and Gomorrah", it is the clash of cultures and sets of ideals and the emotions that it often sets off. It is beautifully put across in the characters of the two main antagomists squaring off against each other in the story, they being of course Stewart Granger as the high idealed Lot and Anouk Aimee as the devious Queen Bera. Both actors deliver very interesting performances in their respective roles which are as different as night and day from each other. Granger certainly makes ideal casting as Lot and infuses some genuine humility and human weakness into his character. He manages that great "biblical" look in his appearance and manner which brings back to me memories of Charlton Heston's appearance as Moses in "The Ten Commandments". Anouk Aimee's performance in particular I found of great interest as not only is she the regal and corrupt leader of the twin cities but there is a hinted at lesbian element in her character which the screenplay does play around with without really coming out and exploring. Aimee makes a superb evil queen and gives the story much of it's dramatic bite. Her scenes when she squares off against her dissolute and scheming brother played by Stanley Baker are especially noteworthy and positively crackle with an unspoken sexual tension. Being a production of the early sixties "Sodom and Gomorrah", has its essential quota of young female beauties with the honours in this story being shared by the beautiful Pier Angeli as Ildith the reluctant but eventually loving wife of Lot, and Rossana Podesta as Lot's daughter Shuah who is still best remembered for her starring role in the lavish 1956 Robert Wise production of "Helen of Troy". Being an epic production it is to be expected that spectacle is a first and foremost essential and "Sodom and Gomorrah", certainly doesn't disappoint in that area. Robert Aldrich,of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", fame might at first seem like an odd choice as director here however he does a capable job at steering this film's action and keeping it moving. The famed destruction of the two sinful cities at the stories conclusion is the film's dramatic highlight and has rightly gone down as involving some of the most lavish special effects of the time that still impress today with their vivid depictions of entire buildings collapsing and burying the fleeing inhabitants. The famous scene of Pier Angeli's transformation into a pillar of salt is also another impressive highlight and is one part of this story that was taken directly from the original Bible story in the Book of Genesis. Indeed the entire look of this production is first rate from the exquisite costumes created in part by Peter Tanner, to the scenes of lavish court life in Sodom, through to the excellently stage action sequences filmed on location in Morocco, in particular the lengthy battle scene where the Hebrews break their own dam and unleash a huge wall of water down onto their enemies. All is set to a truly well thought out musical score courtesy of Miklos Rozsa which is among his best.
In a decade that saw many lavish historical epics reach the screen such as "Cleopatra", and "Spartacus", I still think that "Sodom and Gomorrah", holds its own even if it is a lower budgeted effort. Certainly it expands greatly on the original Biblical story and does tone down alot of the sexual side of the story with documented facts such as Lot's incest with his daughters conveniently not mentioned, however it still makes great viewing for the Epic movie lover. Stewart Granger and Anouk Aimee might not be names that immediately spring to mind when one thinks of large scale Epics however they both do very well here in their many scenes where they lock horns and much of the worthwhile drama from this effort comes from their scenes together. As a glimpse into old style Hollywood filmmaking this "Titania" production filmed in Rome and Morocco is well worthwhile viewing and very much deserves a place in the collection of any epic lover.
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