Imogen Millais-Scott's work in Salome's Last Dance - Wilde love poetry

My jazz arranging blog here: www.classicjazzarranging.blogspot.com Imogen Millais-Scott's great performance in Salome's Last Dance - love poetry Salome's Last Dance by Ken Russell The music is Rimsky-Korsakov, 3rd mov. of "Scheherazade" - "The Young Prince and Princess". English as a language relies almost entirely on metaphor when indulging in audacious acts of love poetry or prose. N.B. This video excerpt is not intended as a breach of copyright. All rights belong to the copyright owners. I am uploading this excerpt merely as a study vehicle for people to learn about Oscar Wilde, poetry, Ken Russell, acting and filmaking etc. film script: Angel of the Lord! Why are you here with your sword? Whom do you seek in this foul palace? The day of the one who will die in a scarlet robe has not yet come! John the Baptist! - Who speaks? John the Baptist.. I am in love with your body. Your body is white.. like the lily of a meadow that the scythe has never cut down. Your body is as white.. as the snows on the mountains of Judah.. which descend to the valleys. The roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia.. are not as white.. as your body. Nor the footprints of dawn which steal onto leaves, nor the breasts of the moon when she sets.. on the bosom of the sea. There is nothing in the world as white as your body. Let me touch.. your body! - Away! Daughter of Babylon! It is through woman that evil entered the world. Do not speak to me! I do not wish to hear you. I listen only to the word of the Lord God! Your body is hideous! It is like the body of the leper! It is like a wall of plaster where vipers have passed! Like a wall of plaster where scorpions have made their nest! It is horrible! It is horrible, your body! It is your hair.. that I am in love with.. John the Baptist. Your hair is like bunches of black grapes.. which hang from the vines of Edom, in the country of the Edomites. It is like the cedars of Lebanon, like the large cedars of Lebanon, which give shade to the lions and to the robbers.. who hide during the day! The long black nights, the nights when the moon hides herself, when the stars are afraid.. are not as black! The silence in the forest is not as black a silence, There is nothing in the world as black as your hair! Let me touch your hair! Away! Daughter of Sodom! Do not touch me! Do not violate the temple of the Lord God! Your hair is horrible! It's all covered in mud and dirt! It is like a crown of thorns placed on your brow! It is like a knot of black snakes twisting around your neck! I don't like your hair! It is.. your mouth that I am in love with.. John the Baptist. Your mouth is like a band of scarlet.. around an ivory tower. It is like a pomegranate cut by an ivory knife. The pomegranate flowers.. which bloom in the gardens of Tyre and are redder than the roses.. aren't as red. The red cries of trumpets that herald the arrival of kings.. and frighten the enemies.. aren't as red. Your mouth.. is redder than the feet of those who tread the wine in the wine presses.. It is redder than the feet of the doves which live in the temples.. who are fed by the priests. It is redder than the feet of one who comes out of the forest.. having killed a lion and seen golden tigers! Your mouth is like a branch of coral which fishermen have found.. in the half-light of the sea and saved for their king. It is like the vermilion that the Moabites find.. in the mines of Moab which the kings take from them! It is like the pearl of the King of Persia.. which is painted vermilion with all of its coral. There is nothing in the world.. as red as your mouth! Let me kiss.. your mouth! Never! Daughter of Babylon! Daughter of Sodom! Never! I will kiss your mouth, John the Baptist! I will kiss your mouth! for original Oscar Wilde version: http://www.online-literature.com/wilde/salome/1/