It is hard to find movies that portray the grotesque truth of society in a disturbing yet beautiful way. Salò or the 120 Days of Sodom is one such film. The film is loved and hated equally. There have been many disturbing B-grade films that kick you in the stomach, but Salò tells a horrific tale in the most stunning way possible. It is a class act, as some critics put it. Pier Paolo Pasolini co-wrote and directed the 1975 horror art film. The 120 Days of Sodom, written by the Marquis de Sade in 1785 (and first published in 1904) but set in the World War II era, is the inspiration for the movie.
The challenging shooting, which took place in the spring of 1975 in Villimpenta’s 16th-century Villa Gonzaga-Zani, included a recording of coprophagia and sadomasochism. Some of the performers sustained cuts and burns as a result of the torture performed in the courtyard.
The Plot
The story tells about the alarming fascism in Italy. The film focuses on four aristocratic families. These families kidnap 18 youths and push them into doing obscene acts. They also employ prostitutes to assist the families with their bogus game. The first part is called the Circle of Manias and involves rape and unimaginable rituals. Two poor kids are made to marry each other against their will. Kids are made to roam like dogs. And the other three sections are pure brutality suffered by people at the ends of aristocrats in Italy.
The Cast
The daughters include Tatiana Mogilansky and Giuliana Orlandi as the main characters. Giorgio Cataldi starred as The Bishop. The duke, who is a towering, extremely vicious, and fervent fascist, was portrayed by Paolo Bocelli. The President is portrayed by Aldo Valletti as thin, vulgar, and feeble. All the actors portrayed their roles perfectly,
Also Read: Heartbreak High: Release Date, Plot, and Where to Watch?
The Morality
The aristocrats behave with no guilt or even the least hesitation, treating everyone as if they are on their payroll and at their disposal, regardless of class. It is about powerful people and their pride in committing wrongful acts. Everyone else is expected to submit to them in the carnival they organized, but they alone decide what is right and wrong, so they see no reason to reciprocate. They create laws out of thin air and punish everyone who breaks them harshly, whether they did so knowingly or not. They think of themselves as superior and the poor and the weaker sections inferior beings. Many times these aristocrats are shown to be taking pleasure in the kids’ traumas, and by harming them, The rich harms the poor in every way possible, quite similar to the rich-poor divide in the current times.
The ending scene shows two soldiers rejoicing after torturing the weaker. The future sure looks bleak when you see similar stories in the present times. Those people are supported by the regime of the country, but who will protect the weaker? Even though the fascism in the movie is from a previous time, it still exists today, less overtly. This makes it just as important as when it was initially released, if not more so.
Where To Watch Salò Or 120 Days Of Sodom?
Salò has been banned in a number of nations due to its violent depictions of rape, torture, and murder, most of those who are presumed to be under the age of 18. The movie continues to be banned in many nations and has caused several disagreements among reviewers and censors regarding whether or not it qualifies as pornography. It is available for streaming only in two countries at the moment that is Sweden and Spain. It is streaming in Sweden and Spain on GratisHD and FILMIN, respectively. It can also be bought on Amazon for $74.99.
Also Read: Kaina of The Great Snow Sea: Release Date & Where To Watch
