Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I just completed watching the original 154-minute version of this film.Aside from the fact that it features a character named Lot, along with his wife who is ultimately transformed into a pillar of salt, Lot's two daughters, the brief appearance of what we assume to be two Angels, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, there is very little in the storyline which adheres to or resembles the account which we find in Genesis 18:16-19:38 in the Bible. In short, 99.9% of this movie is pure fiction.Let me give you a few examples.In the Scriptures, it is the Patriarch Abraham who has a conversation with the Lord and two of His Angels, and who begs the Lord to spare the two wicked cities if even ten righteous men can be found in them. However, in this movie, it is Lot who has this conversation. Furthermore, while Abraham is briefly mentioned once or twice, he is nowhere to be seen whatsoever.In the Bible, Lot's two daughters are both already married when it comes time to flee from Sodom. Furthermore, when Lot warns their husbands to leave Sodom, they both mock him. As a result, only Lot, his wife and his two daughters flee from Sodom, escorted by the two Angels. In contrast, in this movie, Lot leads a whole band of obedient Hebrews out of Sodom just prior to the city's destruction, and the two Angels are nowhere in sight.While the Bible makes clear that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality -- for example, see Genesis 19:4-8 where the word "know" implies engaging in sex -- this is not made evident in the movie. There is some evidence in the film which suggests sexual immorality. For example, in the opening frames we see people -- male and female -- laying all over the place, suggesting that they have just engaged in an orgy. Later on, it is also implied that the queen of Sodom has engaged in a lesbian relationship with one of her dancers. Finally, we are given to understand that the queen's brother has sexually abused both of Lot's daughters. Nevertheless, there is no outright hint that the people of Sodom engaged in homosexuality.There are other problems with the plot in regards to the Scriptures, but I will leave it at that.Aside from the fact that most of the movie is pure fiction -- including the long-drawn-out battle seen -- another problem I had is that I simply did not connect with any of the characters. I felt no empathy for any of them. As a result, because I had no emotional investment in any of them, even when Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, it really didn't affect me in the least.Regarding the actors' performances, I didn't find any of it outstanding; not even Stewart Granger's or Pier Angeli's.In conclusion, if you view this film with a low expectation that it will adhere closely to the Bible, you may possibly enjoy it. However, if you are like me and Biblical accuracy is important to you, you may watch it once out of curiosity, but then never watch it again.

While there isn't much in this movie that is Biblically correct I still thought it was an enjoyable film all the same. Essentially, "Lot" (Stewart Granger) has decided to relocate his followers and herds to the lush plain of Jordan in which the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are located. It is at this point where Hollywood takes over and everything is radically different from the Scriptures. Be that as it may, "Bera" (Anouk Aimee), the Queen of Sodom and Gomorrah, recognizes that the Elamites are a threat to her cities and is desperate to protect her position at all costs. So when the Hebrews (led by Lot) enter the plain of Jordan she hastily forms an alliance with them. Lot agrees due in large part to his naive assumption that he can eventually convince the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to abandon their wicked ways. What he doesn't consider is that the Hebrews are also capable of adopting the ways of Sodom and Gomorrah as well. At any rate, rather than spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it, I will just reiterate that what follows is not found in the Book of Genesis. But it is an exciting film with good acting by Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli (as Lot's wife "Ildith") and the aforementioned Anouk Aimee. It also has some nice scenery and some pretty good special effects for its time. However, it is rather long (154 minutes) and the manner in which the writers transform Lot into a combination of both Abraham and Moses is a bit far-fetched. But that's Hollywood I suppose. Slightly above average.

Sodom and Gomorrah is directed by Robert Aldrich and co written by Hugo Butler and Giorgio Prosperi. It stars Stewart Granger, Stanley Baker, Pier Angeli, Rossana Podestà, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart and Scilla Gabel. Music is by Miklós Rózsa and cinematography by Silvano Ippoliti, Cyril J. Knowles and Mario Montuori. The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah.Regardless of the fact it leaves some of the Bible story behind, it simply is not a good film. It's a tired Biblical epic that finds Granger and Baker manfully trying to ignore how low they have got as they are surrounded by a bunch of no mark actors trying to make a sword and sandals piece work. It lacks dynamism, the Euro production barely masking what a elongated bore the story is. It looks nice at times, the great Ken Adam creating some eye pleasing sets and the location photography (Morocco/Italy) provides a suitable backdrop, but come the hokey and cheap looking finale you realise there's been too much talky intrigue and not enough pulse raising. 5/10

Mammoth, quite colorful and entertaining French-Italian Biblical spectacle chronicling the wars surrounding--and the eventual demise of--the twin cities. Stewart Granger plays Hebrew leader Lot, caught in the middle as his people's village is burned to the ground and the only place to go is across the lake with the wicked and the tempting. Battle sequences and an impressive flood are worthy of DeMille, though the melodramatics are just as heavy and silly, with the subtext of sexual evil tiptoed around. Good performances, excellent usage of Moroccan locales, and with an unflagging direction by Robert Aldrich (who reportedly fired his 2nd unit director, Sergio Leone, mid-production). **1/2 from ****