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Definitely not a first-date movie ....

149.254.192.224

In Reply to: RE: Salo posted by Wendell Narrod on November 13, 2008 at 10:22:52

I saw it on my own in Rome in the mid-80's. Lots of couples left at various stages, most during the scene where the special effects team demonstrated their skills with chocolate.
I wouldn't agree with the description 'a sick, perverted film', though. To me, Pasolini was undoubtedly a great artist: read his poems, novels and essays, see The Gospel According to St Matthew and his earlier work, before he got to the folksy but dire 'tales' films - the Decameron, Canterbury, Arabian Nights.
Salo was his unblinking depiction of the corruption and depravity of power, particularly in the form of Fascism. His model was the ambitious, all-but-unreadable 120 Nights of Sodom by the ultimate cynic, the Marquise de Sade.
That said, I've never felt the urge to see it again, haunting though it is. However, I'm sure I will one day, if only see if it shocks me as much as it did then.
In my mental film library it's filed alongside Claude Lanzmann's quite different Shoah: essential, unmissable, probably once-in-a-lifetime. Like visiting Auschwitz.

Edits: 11/15/08

Follow Ups:

I've got another great first date movie for ya - (NOT) - Harmonia 16:12:12 11/18/08 (0)
A good friend took me out when we were in college - we knew each other slightly, but this was our first "date".

We went to the local university art film show, usually an excellent site for classic films. On this particualr evening, they were exhibiting "Blood Of The Beasts", the French doc about an abbatoir. We both raise horses, and wouldn't you know it, the first animal slaughtered on screen is...a horse. It got worse from there. About20 minutes in I looked at him and he looked at me. "Do you want to leave now?" he asked, with a pained look on his face.

"Yes, please." I said. And I've never watched this esteemed doc since.
As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. - Wendell Narrod 07:59:27 11/15/08 (1)
I forced myself to watch Shoah and I'm glad I did. I don't think I could do it again. I'm comfortable that I understand the evils of fascism without needing to force myself to watch Salo.

-Wendell
- So true! nt - Bhasi 09:11:57 11/15/08 (0)
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