SALÒ (120 DAYS OF SODOM) (1976)
Released in the aftermath of its director’s brutal murder, Salò was banned, seized, and despised in almost every country it reached. Based on an unfinished novel by the Marquis de Sade, Salò transposes the story to Mussolini’s Italy, and constructs an almost unwatchable allegory of power, submission, and the total consumption of the human body by the state. This is a film that was made to be misunderstood. Will you stay in your seat?
Associate Professor Jane Mills (UNSW), documentary filmmaker, anti-censorship campaigner, author of The Money Shot: Cinema, Sin & Censorship (Pluto) and editor of Pasolini’s Centenary Retrospective (Framework 64:1 2023).
Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy, 1976, 117 min, R 18+
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Caterina Boratto, Elsa De Giorgi
In Italian with English subtitles
Image: courtesy of Park Circus/Amazon MGM Studios
WITH INTRODUCTION BY
Jane Mills
A committed anti-censorship campaigner and founder-member of Watch on Censorship, Jane has a production background in journalism, television and documentary film. She has taught, consulted and published widely on film, screen literacy, human rights and censorship. Her publications include: The Money Shot: Cinema, Sin & Censorship (Pluto); Editor, Pasolini’s Centenary Retrospective (Framework 64:1 2023). Her documentaries include Rape: That’s Entertainment? (BBC). Past roles include: Founder Director of the Edinburgh International Television Festival and Head of Screen Studies, Australian Film, Television & Radio School. Jane is currently an Honorary Associate Professor at UNSW and Programmer for Antenna Documentary Festival.
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