Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma” (“Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom” in English) turned out to be his final movie, and got released a few weeks after his murder. Since he was known for movies that riled the authorities, this was a natural choice for him. While the main thing that one notices is the shock value, Pasolini noted that he intended the movie as a look at the relation between power and its subjects. Indeed, for what reason did Mussolini turn Italy into a police state but to let the ruling class be able to do whatever they wanted? To be certain, the middle-aged prostitutes who tell the young men stories to sexually arouse them are the equivalent of bread and circuses.

Basically, it’s a story of humanity’s base impulses taken to their horrific extremes. It’s easy to view this as one of the most disgusting movies ever filmed, but Pasolini made it to indict fascism and Italy’s ruling class in general. I recommend it, but only watch it if you have a strong stomach.

Four fascist libertines round up nine adolescent boys and girls and subject them to a hundred and twenty days of physical, mental and sexual torture.

Now, who would have thought that taking a Marquis de Sade book about the most vile sexual acts imaginably… and turning it into a film almost as equally vile… was a good idea? That was a brave move, and obviously one that would come with more than its share of controversy.

But this controversy is also why it must be praised. Though it is indeed vile ,and often hard to watch, everyone involved came their complete efforts to make this the strong, memorable monstrosity that it is. It remains a parable of fascism, a story of horror as well as war.