Sodom and Gomorrah

“Everyone should make a Bible movie—at least once,” said Aldrich about what was, at the time, his biggest production to date: an international, epic cinematic spectacle that was savaged by critics upon its release and considered a major flop in Hollywood. Yet, in retrospect, "Sodom and Gomorrah" stands out as one of the best sandal films because Aldrich once again subversively turns the genre on its head: Instead of the unambiguous moral and spiritual glorification found in other biblical epics, Aldrich tells a Marxist parable about the corruption of the “chosen people” and their leader Lot (Stewart Granger) by the decadent slave owners of Sodom (gleefully portrayed by Anouk Aimée and Stanley Baker as the ruling siblings). In true Aldrich fashion, the wrath of God culminates in a mushroom cloud. The film circulated for a long time in various abridged versions; we are showing the complete restoration. (C.H.)