"Salon Kitty" is certainly a fine exploitation effort, if only a little long at times.**SPOILERS**At the start of WW II, Kitty Kellerman, (Ingrid Thulin) runs in the infamous Salon Kitty in the heart of Berlin, Germany. Soon, Helmut Wallenberg, (Helmut Berger) is installed as the leader of the SS in the area, and takes an extreme interest in the special studio. Recruiting a special selection of women from Germany, he selects them to be prostitutes in the Salon, putting them through a rigorous process that will determine whether they will actually go into service there. After going through the process, Margherita, (Teresa Ann Savoy) manages to gain employment and is soon apart of the burlesque show it puts up as a front. When she starts to develop a friendship with Nazi officer Biondo, (John Steiner) they talk of leaving the order and striking out on their own. When he hears of their treachery and orders his execution, they all learn that the reason for the instituting the facility was to discover whether anyone within the Nazi regime would defect, and must now stand up to his tyranny within the order.The News: One of the biggest and most surprising aspects of the film is the unbridled and purely intentional sleaze on display. There is plenty of nudity, both male and female variants that are shown completely exposed, with lengthy scenes showcasing both in that state, as well as such scenes as close-ups of women shaving their privates or playing with men's privates, which are all the more disturbing. There's almost an obsession with the female rear-end here, as this one has a large amount throughout it. There's also a lot of twisted sexual fantasies re-enacted, featuring a scene where one goes down on a giant dildo made of bread, the prospective hookers having their eroticism tested by forcing them to sleep with hunchbacks, gypsies, and amputees, a giant orgy, actual hardcore masturbation, sex, and lesbianism. Mixed in with the nudity are plenty of scenes of simulated sex. The segment with the eroticism being tested is merely one of the single sleaziest scenes around, presented as a montage where they observe all the actions taking place with no regard for what's happening but just for the cause, and are very disturbing visuals. There's also an incredibly disturbing scene that works just as much for the nudity as what's suggested. As her charge barks orders at her, one of the women places the General's boots on her naked legs and goose-steps around her bedroom. The lights are struck and a single projector image crawls across the wall as scenes from a Nazi propaganda film play out. As the General continues his demands, the prostitute lays on her bed and lets the black-and-white images of Hitler and his Aryan nation wash over her. She does a seductive, serpent like set of poses and then breaks into the Nazi salute. The entire time, Brass keeps his camera firmly in a medium shot, so we can see the monochrome images of insanity projected upon the naked flesh tones of the actress. Even with all of the sleaze as possible, the behind-the-scenes technicians have all accomplished a real work of art. The various garish costumes of Madam Kitty and her girls all personify the 1930s and early 1940s perfectly, as does the superb set design, recalling the Art-Deco movement. Kitty indulges in a number of musical numbers, all summoning the spirit of the early musicals of the past and featuring a strange half-man half-woman makeup job, stylish lighting, and gay chorus boys dressed to the tee. It's appropriately over-the-top in it's decadence and gloriously enjoyable wonders. All of these, though, would be acceptable in a film that simply was either trimmed down or actually went somewhere. Though there's a semblance of a plot, it has far too much down-time to actually do anything with it, simply going along and merely just going from one scene to another with a dull expression, especially in the later half when there's little perversion to get in the way. That needed beefing up with sleaze or toned down considerably, as there's too much in here to take at the time. Had it been shortened, it would be as effective without the boredom.The Final Verdict: A strong, but just inherently dull art-house exploitation epic that will really divide most viewers instantly because of the subject matter. If this sounds like something that will appeal to you, you're a fan of the genre or just extreme films in general, give this one a real watch, otherwise ignore it.Rated UR/NC-17: Continuous Full Male and Female Nudity, strong sex scenes, Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and violence against animals

With the opening credits, I knew that this was going to be something different. A "two faced" man/woman dances and sings in a cabaret entertaining the crowd in fine fashion. We then have naked, exercising Nazis showing off their Arian "superiorities" in unfortunately, flaccid form. So begins our film. This film finds a Grande Dame in charge of a Cabaret at the beginning of WWII. Miss Kitty is forced to turn her club into a Nazi controlled brothel where women are trained to handle most any type of customer. Unbeknownst to her, The Nazis have planted hidden microphones in the rooms to listen in to every secret/conspiracy that their German Officers might be hiding. The kicker comes in when she learns of this and decides to turn the tables on our Nazi "baddies" recording everything.This a very well made film. The sets are first class, the actors are incredibly well dressed and the makeup is applied both on and off camera with splendid effect. Yes, the acting's a bit over the top, but that's always the "norm" with Italian productions. That's just something that you'll never get away from in the "boot country" (and take it from someone who lived there for 7 years). One could easily compare Fosse's "Cabaret"(1972) and "Salon Kitty", due to their period and musical numbers alone, but Brass employed some much needed nudity for his particular feature (and we certainly thank him for it).All in all, some excellent Nazisploitation fun with good production values. We have a generous quantity of naked women simultaneously "Sieg Heiling", pigs being slaughtered, a naked midget hunchback about to perform coitus (on one of our trainees) and a legless chap about to get lucky with yet another trainee. Damn fun stuff, indeed. Single "X" mind you, but fun all the same.I highly recommend this one, but be sure to have some time as the uncut version goes on for some 2 hours and 15 minutes, credits included.Charlie.

By any measure the best production in the Nazi exploitation genre available on DVD. Beautiful, lush cinematography and a provocative script make this one of Tinto Brass' finest films. Andy Warhol described Brass as Italy's best AND worst director, its easy to see why with this movie. While it contains all the prerequisite elements one would expect it manages to rise above mere sleaze, not there is anything wrong with sleaze I might add. It is the Citizen Kane of Nazi exploitation. Not necessarily what might be considered erotic, see Brass' Cheeky! or The Voyeur for titillation, it stands above the crowd creatively and artistically.

When I bought Salon Kitty, The Director's Cut, I thought I would be doing something quite risky in buying this controversial curiosity. Salon Kitty is the story of a Brothel Madam who is hired by the SS to school a group of perfect 'National Socialist Party' women to become prostitutes for the Third Reich, whilst secretly recording their customer's disclosure of secrets for later use (one supposes) in blackmail.There is a genuine feel of Brass's other work, Caligula in this hugely staged presentation. The sets are impressive but to certain eyes look a bit 1970s and some may be shocked at the imagery on show here, for example, the women being required to 'prove' their worthiness on the project by performing various sex acts on unlikely clients. Berger plays a Nazi officer with more than a passing interest in Margherita as she comes to his home and offers him sexual favours in return for a place on the project.Still, if you want a viewpoint of Brass' work without renting Caligula, which is a highly flawed film, then try this curiosity but it is not for the nervous or fainthearted.