I once had a film teacher say to me -on the topic of heavily suggestive films- just because it can be filmed doesn't mean it should. That applies perfectly here, to only the surface level. On the surface, this is a film of abduction. Of sexual abuse, of body horror, of coprophagia. It is disgusting, and doesn't deserve air time. ONLY IF you look at the surface. Beyond the surface there is so much more. I'll tackle one thing I notice off the bat. Pier Paolo Pasolini was obviously a very dark man, as reflected by this film. Every shot is filled with so much unsettling content, your heart rate will be consistently high. But, this film makes a point on gay marriage and relationships. Within the compound where this film takes place, there are no boundaries. No one is off limits from sexual advances at any point, wanted or not. This is where I believe the film takes it's stance on gay marriage. No one is judged, man on man is practically invited, but man on woman is just as acceptable. While woman on woman is less common, it is still permissible, and shows the freedoms these people experience. That is one thing under the blankets of this film. Another is the cultural context not relating directly to people. In the sequence of, "Circle of S**t" it is just as foul as it sounds. It is the group of people being forced to eat s**t. Surface; disgusting. Under the surface; very meaningful. The film was released in 1975, and fast food had been mainstream for about 15-25 years. That is a long time, but fast food is still growing as I write this, so I can only imagine the exponential growth it would've been experiencing back then. The metaphor of fast food being shoved down your throat is becoming more and more real, and Pasolini saw that was happening. He understood that, and portrayed fast food in an undesirable way (I hope). It also attacks the fascists of the time. WWII Italy was a very strange place, and the fascists in charge of this compound are no different. Everyone knows that the worlds famous fascists were heavily corrupted in their minds, and this film mirrors that. Now, I'm not sure if it aims to talk to their supporters, or just make a statement in general. But the four men in charge of the compound are obviously not right in the head. They enjoy watching human pain and suffering, and inflicting it makes them even more happy. The parallels between them and others like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, etc. are noticeable everywhere. Finally, I'll end my review on the topic of race. There is really only one scene that deals with the race of people, but it is powerful. I can't exactly decipher which way it exactly leans, as points could be made for pro racism and anti-racism. But I'll leave that up to interpretation. If you read this whole review, you're clinically insane, and I love you for it.
Review of Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
