Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Directed by: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Written by: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto P. Quintavalle

This Christmas season, tell that special someone you love them with the gift that keeps on giving: Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom on blu ray! If you’re concerned the intense scenes of sexual sadism, torture, and murder are too much of a downer for the holidays, just remember that it’s nothing more than a parable, intended to comment on fascism and mindless complacency under the rule of overzealous figures of authority.

The film is based on The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade with a loose Dante’s Inferno structure applied overall, breaking the story down into four chapters: Anteinferno, The Circle of Manias, The Circle of Shit and The Circle of Blood. While the original book takes place in the 1700’s, Pasolini set his version of the story in 1944; post-Mussolini Italy. Salo comes from the name of a fascist-occupied section of Italy, in which four powerful men — known as the duke, the bishop, the magistrate, and the president — corral eighteen young men and women and force them to take part in disturbing acts of sexual sadism and torture over a period of 120 days. They also enlist four prostitutes to share stories of debauchery and sexual deviancy, intended to arouse the men as they exploit their prisoners. It’s a nasty cycle reflected in the narrative structure of the film, which essentially cuts back and forth between ‘story time’ and scenes of torture. We get to know a few of the captives but Pasolini is more concerned with revealing the dark fantasies and uncontrollable urges of those in power rather than empathizing with the victims. It was a brilliant move updating the story to post-WWII, making the film almost believable when set alongside the real life atrocities that occurred under the reign of the Nazi party. This is exactly what gives Salo its power and sets it apart from those films that provoke simply for the sake of forcing a response from its audience. It’s also worth noting that while the acts on display in the film are extremely grotesque, the filmmaking itself is accomplished and quit often beautiful.

Applying a rating to a film like Salo is tough because I can’t totally say I enjoyed it and I’m really not sure if I’ll ever watch it again. Still, the film has quite obviously influenced similarly aggressive, provocative filmmakers and likely even played a role in inspiring some of the current trends in horror. Tom Six, director of the Human Centipede films, has cited Pasolini’s Salo as a major influence on his work. I’m guessing the same could be said for Eli Roth and his series of Hostel films. Beyond the genre influences, filmmakers such as Michael Haneke and Lars Von Trier are equally indebted to this work as an influence on their brand of audience antagonization. The film is also destined to work as a figurehead for creative freedom and anti-censorship as it’s an obvious target and has been banned previously throughout many countries. This sort of attack on artistic expression is certain to draw critics, making Salo an important work for what it represents outside of the filmmaking as well as the artistry contained within. Still, artfully handled or not, there are some pretty crazy scenes in this film that push the boundaries of taste. One scene finds the guests of a mock wedding reception forced to eat plates of their own shit. Moments like this are sure to draw deep analysis from the ‘art house’ crowd while attracting ‘thrill seeking’ cinephiles wearing their viewing of Salo as a badge of honour: “I made it through the infamously horrific Salo!” To be honest, I think both of these responses are valid considering the film’s urge to provoke and assault its audience on such a visceral level. It’s up to the individual’s willingness to make the effort in translating the graphic imagery into something profound.

Out of all of Criterion’s releases, Salo is probably the most explicit in nature (with In the Real of the Senses and Anti-Christ not too far behind) and likely a film in which people might question the worth of a blu ray transfer. Content aside, the movie looks great and like all of Criterion’s high def releases, Salo benefits from a natural, film-like presentation. Of course a film such as this calls for some great extra features giving the viewer a bit of insight into the insanity presented on screen, and thankfully this disc delivers. Included are three documentaries on the making of the film: Salo: Yesterday and Today, Fade to Black, and The End of Salo. They range from thirty to forty minutes each and cover various aspects of the production and the legacy of the film. On top of that there’s a video interview with set designer Dante Ferretti and director Jean-Pierre Gorin. It’s a pretty great package that manages to shed some light on this notorious film, proving once again that without companies like Criterion, a film like Salo would likely never get the treatment it deserves. — Jay C.

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