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10/18/08
Salo, Or The 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
71
%
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Reviews Counted:21
Fresh:15
Rotten:6
Average Rating:6.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: Pier Paolo Pasolini was a celebrated poet, writer, and all-around intellectual, but it was his maverick, controversial filmmaking that distinguished him as an influential artistic force. The... [More]
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto P. Quinavalle, Aldo Valletti
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Reviews for Salo, Or The 120 Days of Sodom
Top CriticAs disturbing as it set out to be. This may not be an enjoyable experience but it is definitely an experience.
02/13/01
Top CriticGrim and pointless in equal measure.
01/01/00
Top CriticDramatically 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 the torturer.
07/11/09
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 abuse he visualizes with such delight.
08/27/08
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 only the presence of spiritual rigor mortis.
08/25/08
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.
05/14/08
The result, despite moments of undeniably brilliant insight, is nearly unwatchable, extremely disturbing, and often literally nauseous.
10/23/07
Top CriticVery hard to take, but in its own way an essential work.
10/23/07
There are absolutely fascinating ways of reading and understanding this Pasolini epic. But would I ever want to watch it again? Probably not.
09/10/05
No review available.
07/24/05
Shocking film.
06/15/05
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, which is supposed to be the artist's concern.
05/09/05
Top CriticIn all honesty it's a terrible, terrible experience -- but give the guy credit: It's certainly unique.
01/20/05
No review available.
07/02/04
For Salò, a film genuinely concerned with the nature and power of misanthropy, Pasolini’s murder is a conclusive action; it is an example of martyrdom.
02/24/04
No review available.
02/08/04
A difficult film to watch, but one that forces you to think
12/07/03
No review available.
07/30/02
I was more intellectually engaged than offended while watching it.
03/05/02
Latest News for Salo, Or The 120 Days of Sodom
May 19, 2008:
RT on DVD: National Treasure 2, Diary of the Dead, Plus Salo News!
Exciting announcements abound this week (Fearless Director's Cut! A new Little Mermaid movie! Gossip Girl on DVD!) while Nicolas Cage's treasure-hunting adventure sequel,... More...
April 27, 2007:
When Is A DVD Worth $400? A Look At Criterion Collectibles
When is a DVD worth $400? To DVD enthusiasts, it's when said disc is a rare Criterion white-ring issue of Pier Pasolini's 1975 film "Salo," which can go for upwards of... More...
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