Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)

Sex, torture and betrayal in Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, leader of the Hebrews, believes his people can co-exist with the Sodomites, a disastrous decision.

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Hugo Butler (original screenplay), Giorgio Prosperi (original screenplay assisted by)

Stars:

Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli, Stanley Baker

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stewart Granger	...	Lot
Pier Angeli	...	Ildith
Stanley Baker	...	Astaroth
Rossana Podestà	...	Shuah (as Rossana Podesta)
Rik Battaglia	...	Melchior
Giacomo Rossi Stuart	...	Ishmael
Scilla Gabel	...	Tamar
Anthony Steffen	...	The Captain (as Antonio De Teffe)
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Eber
Gabriele Tinti	...	Lieutenant
Daniele Vargas	...	Segur
Claudia Mori	...	Maleb
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.	...	Alabias (as Feodor Chaliapin)
Mitsuko Takara	...	Orphea (as Mitzuko Takara)
Massimo Pietrobon	...	Isaac

Storyline

Sex, torture and betrayal in Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, leader of the Hebrews, believes his people can co-exist with the Sodomites, a disastrous decision.

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Plot Keywords:

torture | sodom | sodom and gomorrah | hebrew | gomorrah | 

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Taglines:

Twin Cities of SIN

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Italy France USA

Language:

English Spanish Indonesian

Release Date:

23 January 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

Company Credits

Production Co:

Titanus, Pathé Consortium Cinéma, Société Générale de Cinématographie (S.G.C.)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min 141 min (1963) 117 min (1979) 115 min (heavily cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1962, this was given an X certificate by the British Board of Film Classification. The modern-day equivalent in the UK is an 18 certificate, or in the States, an NC-17.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 20 mins) During the overhead scene which shows the men riding horses toward battle, you can see vehicle tire tracks.

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Quotes

Ildith: Evil? How strange you are. Where I come from, nothing is evil. Everything that gives pleasure is good!
Lot: Where do you come from?
Ildith: There, not far, just ahead - Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Connections

Referenced in Feud: Pilot (2017)

User Reviews

One of the better biblical tales on film

I have to admit that I've never been able to see this film in one sitting all the way through, partly because I happen to just channel surf on TV and stumble upon it after its started and partly because I seem to catch it about an hour before I go to bed and miss the ending. Still, from what I've seen, this is a very good film about Lot, who led the Hebrew people to a fertile land on the border of the cities of Sodom and Gomorroah. Anouk Aimee does a great job portraying the queen of the cities, and Stewart Granger plays a great Lot. The supporting actors and actresses contribute quite a bit of talent as well, but what really struck me was the costumes. For a 1962 biblical film, some of the outfits that the actresses wore were a bit racy, but that is intentional as it shows the sinful ways of the city-dwellers as opposed to the practical costumes of the hard-working free Hebrews (in fact, Lot has a discussion with a slave girl who is struggling to adapt to the ways of field work and field dress after living a captive life as a well-kept palace servant). The fight scenes are particularly well done, employing a cast of thousands as opposing armies and refugees. The scene where the Hebrews defend themselves by first lighting a pit of oil and then breaking a dam to flood a valley are well done. Even though the story may not follow the tale as told in the Bible, there's enough of it there that the viewer comes away with the overall concept of the story. But - I feel that this movie could be redone to stick a bit closer to the original tale. While the queen and her brother may have been evil, there just wasn't enough evil in the cities (limited by 1962 values, I suppose) to warrant their destruction. A good film for the whole family. No nudity, no harsh language.