Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)

Overview
User Rating:
6.2/10 9,700 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Writers:
Pier Paolo Pasolini (written by)
Sergio Citti (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
January 1976 (Italy) more
Genre:
Drama | Horror | War more
Tagline:
The 120 Days of Sodom more
Plot:
Four fascist libertines round up 9 teenages boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of physical, mental and sexual torture. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Blood | Teenage Boy | Piano | Sexual Torture | Dante
more
User Comments:
One of the most gruelling films ever made more
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)
Paolo Bonacelli ... The Duke
Giorgio Cataldi ... The Bishop
Umberto Paolo Quintavalle ... The Magistrate (as Umberto P. Quintavalle)
Aldo Valletti ... The President
Caterina Boratto ... Signora Castelli
Elsa De Giorgi ... Signora Maggi
Hélène Surgère ... Signora Vaccari (as Helene Surgere)
Sonia Saviange ... The Pianist
Sergio Fascetti ... Male Victim
Bruno Musso ... Male Victim
Antonio Orlando ... Male Victim
Claudio Cicchetti ... Male Victim
Franco Merli ... Male Victim
Umberto Chessari ... Male Victim
Lamberto Book ... Male Victim
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Additional Details
Also Known As:
Salo ou les 120 journées de Sodome (France)
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (International: English title)
more
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
116 min | 145 min (premiere version)
Country:
Italy | France
Language:
Italian | French | German
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Italy:(Banned) (original rating) | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (nf) (cut) (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1976) | Finland:K-18 (2001) | Italy:VM18 (re-rated) | Australia:(Banned) (1976-1993) (1998- ) | Australia:R (1993-1998) (uncut) | West Germany:(Banned) (cinema release) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (uncut) | Japan:R-18 | UK:X (original rating) (cut) (alternate footage) | Hungary:14 | Argentina:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | France:-16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | France:X (original rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (2005) (video premiere) | Norway:(Banned) (1976-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted
Filming Locations:
Salò, Brescia, Lombardia, Italy more
Company:
Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA) more
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The August 1998 Criterion was removed from the market due to copyright problems. So, this version of the DVD with the "white ring around the hub" can be easily sold for 600 or more US dollars in good condition. This makes it one of, if not the most, valuable DVD in the world. Bootlegs are extremely common due to its value. Research should be done before purchasing. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[four men, sitting at a table, each sign a booklet]
The Duke: Your Excellency.
The Magistrate: Mr. President.
The President: My lord.
The Bishop: All's good if it's excessive.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Kurutta Butokai (1989) more
Soundtrack:
Carmina Burana more
FAQ
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User Comments
(Comment on this title)
164 out of 190 people found the following comment useful:-
One of the most gruelling films ever made, 17 January 2005
Author: world_of_weird from England

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 SALO 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, SALO 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 SALO 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, SALO 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. SALO 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 SALO is an important film that demands a careful viewing ONLY by those prepared for it.