Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma: Review By Querido

Pasolini's controversial masterpiece is based on the book 'The 120 Days Of Sodom' which was written by the infamous Markies De Sade. He called it an indictment against (neo)-fascism in his homeland. The film follows four leading figures: a magistrate, a bishop, a duke and a president who isolate themselves in a villa near Lake Garda at the time of the end of World War II. They kidnap a group of teenagers in which they will perform their sexual desires. An old prostitute will then tell them perverse stories in the next 120 days, which then will be simulated. Design wise the film is a kind of sinister version of 'Boccaccio's Il Decamerrone' and also has some similarities to 'Dante's Inferno' (the different cycles of sexual acts).

The choice of the characters is no coincidence: Pasolini choose four figures, from different environments, whom he saw as responsible for the corruption in Italy. The teenagers are treated like objects and the confronting thing about it is that as a viewer you have to see it that way because of complete detachment. The young actors really are unprofessional and uncertain but that does really give credibility to their roles.

From the visual aspect, the movie is really ingenious. Beautiful tableaux vivants and remarkable rectangular camera-perspectives. The camerawork is really static which makes the viewer feel like he is a spectator. This causes an even more uncomfortable viewing experience. The torture scenes are never shown entirely, but are still extremely effective. The threat which you know is coming is even the most scariest part of the entire movie: a really powerful build-up is realized, because you know that the gruesome stories will eventually be performed.

The fascism, the dictatorship and and the elitist are very strongly criticized. The disciplining way how the 'powerful people' deal with the atrocities is extremely disturbing. There are also a couple of rules which can not be broken, and if that happens the offense will formally be written in a book. The biggest crime is to express religion, forgiveness and compassion because this has no room into the system of emptiness which will be cultivated. The hypocrisy of the fascists is exposed: they are very concerned about discipline, but they lower themselves constantly and shameless to the most degrading acts. Eventually the film also portrays how a dictator-system can the break the spirit of innocent civilians. They all betray their neighbor, although they do not benefit on it on any way.

I also have a question for the people who bash this movie to the ground: what did you even watch it? For one thing I am certain: it is not the name Pasolini because he gets almost no attention on MovieWeb. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think out of pure sensationalism. If you want to see sensationalism, then you should not watch Salo. The violence in this movie has a different function then in movies like Cannibal Holocaust.