Salo (Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma) poster & wallpaper
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Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto Paolo Quintavalle, Aldo Valletti, Caterina Boratto ... see more see more... , Elsa De Giorgi , Hélène Surgère , Sonia Saviange , Sergio Fascetti , Bruno Musso , Antonio Orlando , Claudio Cicchetti , Franco Merli , Umberto Chessari , Lamberto Book , Gaspare DiJenno , Giuliana Melis , Faridah Malik , Graziella Aniceto , Renata Moar , Dorit Henke , Antinisca Nemour , Benedetta Gaetani , Olga Andreis , Tatiana Mogilansky , Susanna Radaelli , Giuliana Orlandi , Liana Acquaviva , Rinaldo Missaglia , Giuseppe Patruno , Guido Galletti , Efioso Etzi , Claudio Troccoli , Fabrizio Menichini , Maurizio Valaguzza , Ezio Manni , Paola Pieracci , Carla Terlizzi , Anna Maria Dossena , Anna Recchimuzzi , Ines Pellegrini , Marco Bellocchio , Laura Betti , Michel Piccoli , Caterina Bonacelli

The final work of notorious Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, this film updates the Marquis de Sade's most extreme novel to fascist Italy in the final days of WW II. Dispensing with the novel's me... read more read more...ditations on sexual liberation and the search for truth, Pasolini presents four decadents who kidnap dozens of young men and women and subject them to the most hideous forms of torture and perversion in an isolated villa. Rape, murder, and a coprophagic banquet are only the beginning of the atrocities on display. Photographed by Tonino Delli Colli, the film also features a lavish score by Ennio Morricone. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

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66% liked it

13,560 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

25 critics

NC-17, 1 hr. 57 min.

Directed by: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Release Date: January 1, 1979

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DVD Release Date: August 11, 1998

Stats: 1,699 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,699)

  • FilmFanatik
    February 3, 2012
    FilmFanatik
    Salo, or the 120 Days of Solom is not a film you're likely to seek out on your own. You pretty much have to be goaded into seeing it. It's one of the most controversial films ever made, despite the fact that it's all a work of fiction. It's based on true events (actually, the boo... read morek it's derived from is), but if you watch the film closely you'll realize just how fictionally well-made it is. I can't begin to defend it on any sort of moral level. If filmmaking had any deadset morals to it then it would a pretty sparse landscape and I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. The film has a level of social consciousness to it, despite the vile things taking place in it. It contains enough brutal violence, rape, sadism, torture and coprophagia for ten other films. I can't say I enjoyed the film or that I can recommend it. It's clearly an art film and nothing more, but if you can handle the unpleasantness of it without pure disgust or outrage, then by all means, see it as a work of art.
  • vendettagainst
    October 1, 2011
    vendettagainst
    !Only for seasoned film-goers and Criterion Collectors!

    "I love Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom!" No, that shouldn't be any healthy person's reaction to this film. While it is relatively shocking, it's an interesting commentary on fascism and pushes the audience member from cin... read moreema-goer to voyeur. Maybe that's not so enjoyable, but the film's as well-made (impressive cinematography, direction, and acting-wise) as it gets and has something important and profound to say about human nature, notably the evil in our nature.

    There's not much to say about this movie. It shouldn't be liked, but it's one of a handful of movies that I simply can't find fault with. If it offends you, well... it accomplished what it set out to do. I give it a 100%...

    ...Kind of. I think it should get more like a 99%, since it lacks some sort of visceral, raw, affecting aspect. I can't call it flat, but it's too numbing to be considered perfect... if that makes sense.
  • animegirlaya
    February 5, 2011
    animegirlaya
    Disgusting is the only word for it.
  • guttersnipe28
    October 19, 2010
    guttersnipe28
    Like nothing before it or since. Far more brutal than pretty much any 'horror' film, and seems viciously amoral. Highly polarising, and I'm more than willing to accept some hating it for it's extreme content. But that's your failing. Some films have higher intentions than 'entert... read moreainment.'
  • matertenebraum
    December 9, 2009
    matertenebraum
    Based on the book The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade. Because of its scenes depicting intensely graphic violence, sadism, and sexual depravity, the movie was extremely controversial upon its release, and remains banned in several countries to this day. When Pier Paolo P... read moreasolini was asked who is the film's audience, he said, "It's for everyone. For people like me."

    Pier Paolo Pasolini, as is well known, was murdered not long after he finished work on this, his most audacious and confrontational film, yet even the most casual viewing of SALÓ begs the question - had he not been murdered, would he have taken his own life anyway? Every sequence, every shot and practically every moment of this film is so burdened with despair, barely concealed rage and a towering disgust with the human race, one gets the impression that Pasolini was barely hanging onto life - and any attendant shreds of hope - by his fingernails. Although ostensibly an adaptation of one of DeSade's most depraved works channeled through the horrifying excesses of the Second World War with the Fascist ruling classes as its (authentically vile) villains, SALÓ also contains a lot of contemporary criticism - Pasolini hated the modern world, and explained the stomach-churning 'banquet of s**t' as a none-too-subtle attack on the encroaching global domination of the fast food chains. (The scenes of sexual excess can similarly be read as a despairing attack on the permissive society - those who come to SALÓ expecting titillation or B-movie sleaze will be sorely disappointed.) Beyond the nihilistic content, which has been well documented elsewhere, the film has an overall mood that seems to have been engineered to make the viewer thoroughly depressed. Shot on washed-out, faded film stock using primarily static cameras, long shots, choppy editing and very few cutaways, SALÓ has a visual style reminiscent of cinema-verite documentary. Add to this the unnerving use of big band music, piano dirges and the (intentionally?) scrappy post-dubbed dialogue, and the distancing effect on the viewer is complete. SALÓ comes across as one long primal scream of rage, designed to shake the viewer out of his complacency, and in this respect, the film succeeds unequivocally. Whether or not you would care to watch this more than once, or indeed for 'entertainment', is another matter, but SALÓ is an important film that demands a careful viewing ONLY by those prepared for it.

    salo Pictures, Images and Photos
  • ScoopOnline
    December 6, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    Great God this is so very disturbing.
  • ythelastman89
    November 17, 2009
    ythelastman89
    I honestly don't know how to rate this. It is the most sinister piece of film I've ever seen. It made me physically sick, which is something that has never happened to me before when watching a movie. As a film, it is outstanding. It makes you question the very essence of human n... read moreature and how people could be drawn to think and feel such horrible things, yet take no shame or disgrace in them. What I find most captivating about this movie is the decision to make the captured children not all that innocent. They are flawed and selfish, that's what makes their torture all the more realistic. The true kicker to me though, is the motivation. There is none. These fascist Italian elites take these children simply to see something be destroyed.
  • SirPant
    October 2, 2009
    SirPant
    Pier Paolo Pasolini's last film is a masterpiece! It?s disgusting, depraved, shocking and cruel. It is not entertainment, its art. Many people get confused by this, Having watched it I can't say I enjoyed it, I will probably never watch it ever again but I thought it was brillian... read moret. Not many other films have this effect. Pasolini put De Sade's disgusting novel to good use to voice his hatred of fascism and our capitalistic and materialistic society that was destroying the Italy he so loved. It fair to say he wasn't a happy chappy, his hate, anger and repulsion is laid bare in Salo, a necessary Evil of sorts. Watch once, if you think you've got the stomach but please read up on it before you do!
  • 76Majikat
    August 19, 2009
    76Majikat
    Without a doubt the most disturbing film I?ve ever attempted to watch. I tend to watch most films through, just to give it the benefit of the doubt, but had to switch this off, because of it?s uncomfortable imagery.

    I knew this was a controversial film and of course that was ... read moreone of my main reasons for watching it, I?m not one to shy away from controversial subjects, but this was a huge step too far for me. I don?t know how old the young Actor?s and Actresses were in this film, but they did look like children it still left me feeling very uncomfortable.

    I thought the controversy surrounding this film was to do with the subject matter, but more disturbing was what the Actors/Actresses had to do in the film.

    Curiosity does leave me wondering what happened next, but I just didn?t want to continue watching to find out, it felt all too voyeuristic to me.
  • flixsterman
    August 1, 2009
    flixsterman
    The most disgusting film I've ever seen. Makes Pink Flamingos look like a Disney Movie.

View All Salo (Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
October 23, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Very hard to take, but in its own way an essential work. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

A perfect example of the kind of material that, theoretically, anyway, can be acceptable on paper but becomes so repugnant when visualized on the screen that it further dehumanizes the human spirit, w... Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
January 7, 2012
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

I can't think of a reason in the world that anyone should subject him or herself to this. Full Review

Eric Melin
October 27, 2011
Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com

Pasolini illustrates his belief that society forces people to conform by making his victims turn on each other, then making the audience complicit. Just by watching, we are voyeurs, and Pasolini calls... Full Review

Simon Foster
September 30, 2010
Simon Foster, sbs.com.au

By reputation alone, owning Salò should be enough to impress your cinephilic friends; watching it with them will be whole lot harder. Full Review

Cole Smithey
July 11, 2009
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Dramatically feral and artistically fertile, "Salo" is a rigorous movie that dares to use the metaphor of torture as a device of utter physical and psychological annihilation for both the victim and t... Full Review

Geoff Andrew
October 18, 2008
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

It's very hard to sit through and offers no insights whatsoever into power, politics, history or sexuality. Nasty stuff. Full Review

Steve Biodrowski
August 27, 2008
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter

Intended to be read as a caustic commentary on the evils of Fascism, Salo is marred by the uneasy perception that Pasolini (rather like purveyors of modern Torture Porn) is simply getting off on the a... Full Review

Eric Henderson
August 25, 2008
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

Fastidiously attuned to the denial of the comforting release of either eroticism or expulsion, Pasolini's boudoirs of perversion lack De Sade's scarlet hedonism. Quite the opposite, his boners reveal ... Full Review

Ken Hanke
May 14, 2008
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

There's a sense of pure evil clinging to the film like nothing I've ever experienced. I do not believe this is unintentional, nor do I believe it is pointless. Full Review

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