To me, this movie is perfection.

Memorable, crazy movie

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Hoping to record private conversations for blackmail, a high ranking Nazi officer bugs a brothel that he has populated with women loyal to National Socialism in this fictional drama from Tinto Brass. As one might expect from the director of 'Caligula', rampant nudity abounds, but it scarcely feels excessive as it mostly exists to showcase the Nazi's plan in detail. As the officer in question Helmut Berger is solid with ample moments in which his weaknesses slip through his face of strength and certainty. The best performances here though are from Ingrid Thulin as the brothel Madame and Teresa Ann Savoy as a teenager handpicked by Berger to work there. Thulin delivers impressive cabaret routines throughout and her opening two-faced number is startlingly good, plus she is convincing in her dramatic moments. Savoy is the real revelation here though and the film is sort of a character study of her; shirked off by her affluent parents, she joins the Nazis out of spite and it is only through her experiences as Berger's puppet and seeing the damage that she finds her humanity. Not to oversell the film too much, it runs at least half an hour too long with a lot of time spent on cabaret routines and training scenes of the brothel workers to-be, all of which add little to the project. The finer details of Berger's plot to gain power are sketchy too. In general though, 'Salon Kitty' is encapsulating and well made. The costumes are wonderfully creative and the production design is appropriately detailed. The cross-eyed Aldo Valletti of 'Salò' fame has an amusing brief role too.

Adore "Salon Kitty". Many people tend to consider this,and, at its very best, a classic of "Euro trash" or "Euro-exploitation", whatever those terms really mean, unfortunately we all use them rather inappropriately these days, especially, considering the standard creative level of our main productions today! And, in fact, was it trashy? I'd dare anybody to call this film such word, if anything, transgressive and for all the right reasons! Resembling,maybe, even one of those infinite clones that were made (those cheaply horrendous quickies taken after this superb plot,and, put into a green light only to capitalize, after the huge International success that this film had so deservedly achieved up to 1977, all over the World!) mainly in Italy in the late 1970's, with truly poor qualities? NO, it does not and it isn't so! This movie was even banned at its brave premiere, a few months after the long shoot had ended in late November of 1975. It was even put under arrest of distribution and some people (mostly dangerous bigots and nostalgic of a certain extreme right wing's politics) wanted it even burnt, in the late fall of 1975! And, why was it causing so much distress, when already every truly pornographic film (and not Erotic) was released without protests from anyone? Because, "Salon Kitty"was obviously a very important movie and one that'd make you think and even remember a little too much, and, a little bit of everything that is normally left unspoken! As usual courageous Art is passed by fake talent and moral depravity, only by those who are fearful or have reasons to be fearful of such story! And, obviously, there were quite a few! Why? This film wasn't obscene, or offensive whatsoever, and, it was showing only a certain, very well known, Nazi's degradation and sexual perversion, through the eyes of 2 women of different generations and backgrounds, the melancholic, but carefree Kitty (Ingrid Thulin, extraordinary presence and actress),on one hand, and, on the other, the bored, mysterious and gorgeous young German girl, Margherita(played with interior darkness and severely troubling eyes, by the incredibly talented, almost mystical beauty and Cult star, Therese Ann Savoy) from a potent family, who, when embracing National Socialism, mostly to kill time, than anything else, finding herself deeply troubled, and, in despair, from circumstances she could have never even have imagined, and, even from deep, existential motives that were in part also related with the repression, she had been raised with, and along with the imposition over a very wrong faith, and, squalid superstitions, all taught to her by her privileged and amoral family. Then, there was of course the brothel, too, with its intricate affairs linked to a very "Film Noir" espionage plot, and, also the use of several cult actresses in the supporting roles, while on the background, but, not too much on the background, a stylized, exquisitely imaginative reconstruction of Berlin in 1940 circa, with the diabolical greatness of the Nazi's(here it is another great performance from actor Helmut Berger, who draws the lines, truly!)envisioned with the same stupor and Classic fashion, one great artist would have inspired himself to re-paint the fearful brutality and moral decadence plaguing the Roman Empire in AD 500 circa, too, if such artist could have then even used a way to blend in together the absurd cruelty, the brutality and moral devastation, killing then Berlin, with the same foolish abuse of power that had been so typical of only one very Empire, before! A metaphor, that is, and, an exceptionally provocative one, created to amaze and entertain, for sure, as a film should also do, but, to deplore and condemn too, through its almost sarcastic fate, unraveling the tragic, almost Shakespearian's events, until one of the most beautiful ending scenes ever filmed, including 2 women, where the two, alone, but never fearful, and, both well aware and liberated, by old judgments and corrupted politics, cheers with Champagne, while waiting for the imminent end, in the now deserted luxury brothel, while the Allies triumphantly are bombing the city of Berlin, over the course of a very long, foggy, shady night.. Amazingly produced, and, with some of the most prominent International names, making eventful filmmaking, and, certainly not "trash", beginning from visionary, eccentric, protester and director, editor, writer (with Maria Pia Fusco and Ennio De Concini) master Tinto Brass,and, Ken Adams, one of the most inventive production designers ever(think he made also, among others, the first couple of James Bond's, and, both 2001 and Barry Lyndon,for director Stanley Kubrick), the saturated, always exceptional cinematography of another great Italian name, such as Silvano Ippoliti, and,with the help of Fiorenzo Carpi's music themes, and, Jost Jackob's defining classic period costumes and looks, this film is a traditional example of how rich and creative was instead all European cinema, back then, and, especially the Italian one, that was allowing a budget so big at the time, for such a provocative, controversial and all together almost infernal movie,then winning so a huge bet, and, realizing a classic little masterpiece of contemporary Cinema, and, look, almost 40 years later, this has not certainly been forgotten. When a movie never ages like most parts of this one, how could we argue it couldn't be good? I'd understand maybe not your cup of tea, that'd be legitimate, but, please don not call "Salon Kitty" ever less than a mesmerizing experience, that could haunt you for decades.

Sometimes when a film relaxes and you relax into it, you can really feel that you are touching the filmmaker. That he is slightly drunk and comfortable and you are experiencing him (or her).That's one place you want to be in your life in films, and it is the basis for many of the film experiences I rate as "must have."But it has all sorts of dangers. The filmmaker must be more than skilled enough to connect, he must be actually interesting, worthwhile, engaged in life in ways that impregnate. There are few films that are well enough sculpted to be entered. And of those, there are few that reward your investing wet parts of your soul to it. You know who the good ones are.Even then, often you'll get what you have here, equal parts of fine wine and flat cola. I suppose it is impossible to be otherwise with Nazi-centered soft porn, but Jess Franco (when not drunk) can do pretty well.The good here is that once in a while, you'll encounter some staging with some stark, clear composition and elements that are every bit in the class with Lang or Greenaway. These have ordinary camera positions: non-human in character but human in position. Its the creation of a staged imagination, of dramatic nuance not placed in the actor but in the cinematic frame. (The actors aren't bad, by the way; its just that the weight of the thing isn't on their shoulders — or other body parts.)Some day, commentors like me will be able to provide bookmarks to these scenes so you can experience them without wading through the rotted soup in between. Oh, and that is a ghastly experience, a walk in the dark through greasy fog from one brilliant view through a window to the next.Hey, there's a story, but never mind. Its as irrelevant, stupid and disposable as its sisters, like "Schindler's List," which this resembles in a few ways. And there's some nudity, though in most cases one wonders why. The chief actress is pretty and very German, different from Brasses usual big-bottomed Italian tigresses.I'd really like you to see some of the good stuff here. But like much of Bertolucci, you would curse me for sending you there.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

"Salon Kitty" is a cinematic journey into the seedy goings-on at Madame Kitty's Berlin brothel, where the prostitutes are SS-trained, patriotic beauties. While this premise may sound intriguing, the actual delivery is drawn-out and, it must be said, a tad boring. 20 minutes cut have been cut out of this movie and it would have been more effective as a result.Scenes of debauchery are limited but interesting. The scene where the SS girls are viewed with a variety of sexual partners as a test to see how they react is deliciously dark and unsettling. I'm not easily shocked but this particular sequence really pushes barriers of taste and censorship (and should be applauded as a result).The film is atmospheric and the sets (by Ken Adam, famous for his Bond creations) are excellent. However, there are too many musical interludes for my taste. It's like "Cabaret" on acid.A hesitant recommendation, "Salon Kitty" won't be to everybody's tastes. It's a flawed film but it has its moments. Not a film to avoid controversy, animal lovers will be appalled that scenes of real pig-killing are contained. This put me off my hot dog, as did the many scenes of male genitalia. Tinto Brass seems to be obsessed with all things dangly. Trust me, by the end of the film, you'll be wishing that the cast put some clothes on. (An exception to this may be the delightful Teresa Ann Savoy, but I digress.) 6 out of 10 - could have been leaner and meaner.