A biblical tale

Sodom & Gomorrah (1962)
Director: Robert Aldrich

My understanding of the Biblical story of Sodom & Gomorrah is that God's was angry with their indulgence in homosexuality, and He brought about their destruction. The word 'Sodomy' arose from the pervasive sexual acts against nature for this exact reason. 

The backstory of this tale is narrated in Genesis, chapter 19. The versions may vary between the Torah, Bible and Quran, but in essence, it goes something like this. Lot, the nephew to Abraham, is the leader of a wondering Hebrew tribe. He and his people were given a place to stay just outside Sodom. Sodom, Gomorrah and three other states were part of prosperous 'cities of the plain'. Sodom was visited by two angels in disguise. They were treated well by Lot but were harassed by citizens of Sodom who were aggressive towards them. There is a mention of the mob wanting to rape the angels. Despite Lot's offering of his two virginal daughters to the crowd, they did not relent. The showdown came to an end when they were blinded by the angels.

Lot's wife petrified!

There was a follow-up conversation between the angels and Lot. He was warned about God wrath on the people of Sodom and Gammora and His impending sending of mega-storms to flatten out both cities. They told Lot to get his followers away from Sodom before the catastrophe and not look back. The cities were destroyed for their decadent lifestyles with excesses, failing to aid the needy and lacking hospitality. 

Scholars are divided on the existence of such a kingdom. Some say similar stories are present in other cultures anyway. Others suggest that a comet could have struck this area. The reason for God's wrath is also debated. Was it their ill-treatment of the angel or their decadent lifestyle that was the issue?

Lot's wife:'pillar of salt'

The film version, maybe working within the confines of the regulations, or to throw in a spanner into the discussion, and with creative licence, and taking versions from many sources gives a slightly complex interpretation to the narrative. It does not provide a preachy presentation of the mighty power of God or suggest homosexuality as a possible cause of the city's devastation. Instead, it portrays Lot as a human trying to balance the duty of a leader and that of a man. As a leader, he needs to provide comfort for his people, but at the same time, not too much comfort as it tends to make man haughty. As a leader, he also must avoid falling into the traps set out by his enemies to derail his good deeds. 

The filmmakers decided to stay away from the hint of homosexuality being the cause of Sodom's apocalyptic end. They also must have thought it would be wiser to end the story before the twisted saga that spun around Lot and his two daughters in their new area of sojourn. 

In a gist, the movie can be summarised as such. Lot and his God-fearing nomadic Hebrew followers reach Jordan River. Lot makes a special arrangement with the Queen of Sodom to settle down there for cultivation. The Hebrews intend to build a dam for irrigation and, in return, promise to help to defend the Sodomites from invading Hamites. In time, the Hebrews prospered as they moved into the city when the dam they built was destroyed in one such war, and it flooded their old settlement. They found salt and started trading salt instead. Lot and his men all prosper as businessmen and slowly start living the same hedonistic lives as the Sodomites. 

Some of the Hebrew tribesmen try to question their change in lifestyles. Once, they had preached that salt should be free for all, but now they had become salt traders. On the other hand, Lot feels that he has done so much for his people. His people are living in peace and comfort. Where did he go wrong? Or did he? In his eyes, he has done all the right things and yet people are complaining that he has deviated so much from God's prescribed path.

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