Salo (1 Viewer)

[Ryan_M_M]

I have never seen this film, but can have the opportunity of seeing it. Judging from the feedback it has gotten, I don't think I'll bother. Is this truely one of the sickest films ever made? People I know with strong stomachs were turned off by it. What exactly makes horrid?

 

[Ted Todorov]

Is this truely one of the sickest films ever made?

Considering how much water has flown under the bridge since then, I seriously doubt it. If you want something VERY, VERY sick, as well as majorly entertaining, check out Takeshi Miike's Ichi the Killer
My nominee for the most sickening movie (as opposed to sickest, if you catch the distinction) is Michael Hanecke's The Piano Teacher which is showing in theaters (at least in NYC) right now.
Ted

 

[Greg_Y]

It's still a bit out there. It depends on what sickens you though. It does, however, have style and some of the camera work is interesting.
If you list some other movies that have and have not grossed you out, I can tell you if you'll be put off by Salo. Otherwise, "Will I be disgusted by Salo?" is as hard to answer as "Will I like {insert any other film}?".

 

[Ryan_M_M]

It's more curiousity than anything. I don't like grossed out films. The film was lately screened on FilmFour over here, which is surprising since it was banned in the UK at one time.

 

[Matt Pelham]

Yeah, and it's not a very good movie either. Very poorly made and sloppily put together. Avoid this one, I wouldn't waste my time.

 

[Ben Motley]

Salo is a load of crap!

 

[Sean Oneil]

Unless you are into scat flicks and torture, stay away from this one.

 

[JasenP]

Just in case you aren't picking up on this, Salo is not a good date movie.

I felt VERY uneasy just watching it by myself. Like A Clockwork Orange rape scenes uneasy.

 

[andrew markworthy]

The story is based upon the works of the Marquis de Sade, and if anything is milder than his writings. It's set in Fascist Italy, and consists of a group of fascists trapped in a villa and gaining gratification from the systematic sexual torture of a group of teenagers. Amongst the delightful scenes:

people being forced to eat human excrement

a woman being raped whilst having her scalp cut off

A lot of the activities portrayed are very explicit, but crudely done (if you see what I mean). E.g. the scalping very obviously uses prosthetics. However, although obviously 'faked', the types of depravity and violence are presented in an unrelenting way (save for some scenes of cod philosophising) and the cumulative effect is of being stuck in a sewer.

Personally, I wouldn't ban Salo, but I cannot see any redeeming qualities in it.

 

[Ryan_M_M]

I think I will be giving this one a miss. The scalp scene described put me off. I understand what those guys meant about this film.

 

[Chris Lynch]

Sounds like one of those movies that a small part of me is glad that it exists to be challenging, but the rest of me will absolutely prevent me from seeing it.

 

[Mitty]

Considering how much water has flown under the bridge since then, I seriously doubt it.

Make no mistake about it. Salo still has a razor sharp edge, and it's disgusting-ness (hey, new word!) has not mellowed on iota over the years.

This movie made me feel ill. It's not just the subject, but how it goes about its subject. Pale, unattractive creepy old men raping, torturing and killing young nubile kids. No bodily fluid is left out here. Not one.

I saw it because my curiosity got the better of me. I've never wanted to unsee a movie so badly. I even sold it for far less than it was "worth" because I couldn't stand that it was in my house. Seriously.

As far as whether it's a "good" or "bad" film, who knows. I couldn't possibly offer any objectivity with respect to it.

A long time ago I emailed Roger Ebert about it, after he had written a tirade against a recent batch of violent, exploitive films (Thursday, Very Bad Things), and asked him how he felt about it. He replied simply that hadn't seen it. I thought about sending him my DVD (yes, that's how badly I wanted to get rid of it), but ended up selling it instead.

 

[Yiduo Yu]

The best review that I heard about this movie is : It's a movie that you must see, but it is also a movie you can see ONLY ONCE!!!
The movie is kinda gross, however, Pasolini is a really talented director, I have to say. Think about the last massacre scene, with the background music, the editing of that scene is just fabulous by following the rhythm of the music.

 

[John Sturge]

Pasolini is a really talented director, I have to say

Did you see Decameron and Canterbury Tales? I hardly see much talent.
Salo, just me made think of Pasolini as...well, just a creep.

 

[Ben Motley]

I've seen Decameron, Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights, and Salo... and boy do they suck! I can't see any talent in Pasolini, except that the cinematography in Arabian Nights and Decameron was decent, so technically he filmed well (but how much of this was his cinematographer, and how much was him?) but otherwise, these films sucked. I only kept Salo because it's Criterion (yeah so what - sue me) and it's nice to have something on hand to throw in that will run off unwanted guests.

 

[Grant B]

and it's nice to have something on hand to throw in that will run off unwanted guests.

It sure makes them run faster than the holiday photos in the projector

"that's aunt mae sitting near the tree.....that's aunt mae standing near the tree....that's aunt HHHHHHHHHHHAHHAAAAA"

"that's the lady getting her scalp cut off while being...Where are you going???"

ok maybe a tie