Al Pacino’s Salomé and Wilde Salomé brought Oscar Wilde’s controversial play to cinema audiences in a special double-bill event. The presentation paired Pacino’s dramatic film of Salomé with his documentary exploration of Wilde, performance and the making of the work.
About the films
Salomé is based on Oscar Wilde’s once-banned play, a charged retelling of the biblical story of King Herod, Princess Salomé and John the Baptist. Directed by Al Pacino, the film stars Jessica Chastain in the title role, with Pacino as Herod and Kevin Anderson as John the Baptist.
Wilde Salomé is Pacino’s companion documentary: a personal journey through Wilde’s writing, the history of the play and the challenge of bringing the material to stage and screen. Blending documentary, performance and reflection, it looks at why Wilde’s story of desire, power and revenge has continued to fascinate artists and audiences.
BFI Southbank event
The double bill was presented as a special event at BFI Southbank in London and broadcast live by satellite to cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 21 September 2014. The screenings were followed by a live Q&A with Al Pacino, hosted by Stephen Fry.
Cast and creative team
- Al Pacino — director; Herod
- Jessica Chastain — Salomé
- Kevin Anderson — John the Baptist
- Barry Navidi and Robert Fox — producers
Why it mattered
The event combined theatre, film and live conversation, giving audiences a rare chance to see Pacino’s interpretation of Wilde alongside discussion of the work’s themes, history and continuing cultural pull. For fans of cinema, theatre and Oscar Wilde, Salomé & Wilde Salomé stood as a distinctive cultural broadcast.
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