Salome is the daughter of the second wife of King Herod. The King is infatuated with her and, after she fails to seduce the prophet John The Baptist, she dances for the King in order to ask for his execution.
Direction
Bene's unhinged theatrical maximalism — opera meets nervous breakdown.
Costume
Veruschka and Luna look like alien deities summoned from 1920s Berlin.
Acting
Bene plays Herod AND Herodias because subtlety died screaming.
Director
Carmelo Bene
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bene filmed most interiors in his actual Roman apartment, cramming ornate sets into domestic chaos.
Donyale Luna was the first Black woman on Vogue's cover; this was her only significant film role before her tragic early death. Bene exploited her otherworldly presence perfectly.
IT
