Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) [Repost]

Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Stars: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto Paolo Quintavalle

Pier Paolo Pasolini’s notorious final film, Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom, has been called nauseating, shocking, depraved, pornographic… it’s also a masterpiece. The controversial poet, novelist, and filmmaker’s transposition of the Marquis de Sade’s eighteenth-century opus of torture and degradation to 1944 Fascist Italy remains one of the most passionately debated films of all time, a thought-provoking inquiry into the political, social, and sexual dynamics that define the world we live in.

Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom is an intensely challenging film, an endurance test which some will find provocative and rewarding, but which many are likely to find repulsive and repugnant. Viewers should be warned: this is not an easy film to watch by any stretch of the imagination. The entire film is a series of increasingly violent and humiliating exercises in sadism, which become increasingly graphic as the film progresses; the final "Circle of Death" is excruciating to view. Yet it is not simply the explicitness of the decadence and cruelty on display that makes Salo the uniquely disturbing experience that it is. Indeed, other films are more graphic in this area. But these other films tend to present these experiences in an ironic, campy or otherwise contextual manner that lessens their impact. Salo takes a purposely distancing view, a "hands off" approach that is much more harrowing and that relentlessly drives home its intended atmosphere of hopelessness and impotence.

Its creator, Pier Paolo Pasolini is intent on getting across his message that there are depths of humanity that are intensely vile and repulsive and that to ignore the existence of this can only lead to its re-emergence and domination. He is also making implicit statements about how this depravity is a feature of both Fascism and capitalism. Pasolini purposely makes Salo a disturbing and disgusting experience to drive home his points; whether a viewer feels that sitting through two hours of sadism in order to absorb this point is worthwhile or not will influence his reaction to the work. Objectively, however, it can be said that Pasolini's intentionally static direction is impressive, as is his ability to create tension despite this static quality, and that orino Delli Colli's cinematography and the physical production are stunning.

Craig Butler, Rovi

It appears most people find this movie to be sick, pointless, and without substance. That's unfair.

This is the strongest movie I've ever seen, and it made an IMPORTANT impression on me, a big horrorflick-devotee. It made me question a lot of things about former favourite films, and made me realize how sick it is to make horror and violence into entertainment. The problem with most movies is that violence is not portrayed violent enough, horror isn't portrayed horrible enough. Most 'thriller' films have these ingredients softened so that people can enjoy it, and THAT'S sick. This movie is SANE. It shows horror and violence as it IS - totally revolting and disgusting.

I sat as on needles for 1 hour 40 minutes, and felt really bad watching this film. It grossed me out, but I understood why this film is both good and important. It gives a sane perspective on violence, as opposed to SICK, SICK Hollywood-action where people get killed by 'heroes' and nobody raises an eyebrow.

IMDB Reviewer

Special Features:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Optional English-dubbed soundtrack

DISC ONE:
- The Film
- Theatrical Trailer

DISC TWO:
- "Salò": Yesterday and Today" documentary (33 mins)
-"Fade to Black" featurette (23 mins)
- "The End Of Salò" documentary (40 mins)
- New interviews with set designer Dante Ferretti and director and film scholar Jean-Pierre Gorin