17 Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom

[MichaelB]

That's absolutely true, and the BFI's Salò has been far more successful than their four other Pasolini titles.

Which is why it was the first one chosen for a Blu-ray upgrade.

[dwk]

I emailed last week to ask if they were using the same scan they used for the DVD and they finally replied:

And for SALO yes, it is the same scan.

[Hail_Cesar]

amazon.ca:



I understand that there are rights issues in QC for some discs (a lot in these times!) but what about BC?! Right issues? Censored?

[criterionsnob]

Beaver

[SamLowry]

So it looks like the BFI is a bit green, but has the full image & is unedited, whereas the Criterion is cropped on the bottom and on the right & is still missing a scene. The BFI has better extras. While Criterion's image grabs look nicer (especially in color), I seem to remember the movie having a rather harsh/austere look, although that was a well-worn print that I saw in the 1980s. I'm wondering if Criterion may have boosted the red. I think I'll probably take the BFI for the better extras & deleted scene unless someone finds a big difference in sound.

[denti alligator]

Maybe a dumb question, but can I get in trouble for selling this on ebay to someone in a country where the film is banned? Which countries would those be?

[Graham]

I'd say that's the buyer's responsibility, not yours.

[Darren]

Does anybody have the Australian release? I am curious where it sourced it's image...

[liquid_city]

I just watched this for the second time and for the first time having de Sade's source material. One thing that I feel has been preserved from the book is the beautiful sense of violence that this film conjures even in silent stillness. Here's an example of what I mean: During the first listening session, for a long time nothing happens but Vaccari in her beautiful dress walking smoothly around the room and recalling her tales in a melodic and perky voice while accompanied by the relaxing piano. As twisted as her stories are, it's a very still and mellow scene. But one can feel violence continually rising, as if any moment someone will erupt, even without any hints to the libertines' displeasure. Soon enough, a "disobedient" child is kicked through the door for refusing. But even before this happens, and in scenes where nothing violent or sexual occurs, there's the feeling of violence and abuse somehow hanging over every frame. De Sade's book is similar, even if what he describes is a very innocuous event, the bitter feeling of lustful violence is on every word. The way Pasolini has adapted this so clearly fascinates me. A friend of mine from a forum which is now gone once said that this is not a film with violence in it but a violent film, and I'm forced to refer back to this perfect summary.

Has anyone else noticed the reading of a passage from Lautréamont's Les Chants de Maldoror at the first dinner scene? I don't remember the words exactly but it's something to the effect of "I had become a pig. I studied my snout. I tried my teeth on tree bark." It is one of my favorite books and its inclusion makes me happy but I'm still a bit puzzled by its meaning, if it indeed has any here.

[R0lf]

I have made my way through most of Pasolini's movies recently but I have to say one of the worst horrors was just now reading through this thread when I decided to google image searched Pino Pelosi...

The way Pasolini died deeply disturbs me.

Why do you think Pasolini instill Salo with loads of sex? Is it necessary? Just curious what your thinking is.

I don't think anyone clearly answered this question - simply because it is the easiest narrative way to illustrate total exploitation.

[giovannii84]

Does anybody have the Australian release? I am curious where it sourced it's image...

I don't have it, but both the Australian DVD & BluRay release mirror the extra features from the BFI release, so I'd assume its their transfer of the film as well.

[Gregory]

Has anyone else noticed the reading of a passage from Lautréamont's Les Chants de Maldoror at the first dinner scene? I don't remember the words exactly but it's something to the effect of "I had become a pig. I studied my snout. I tried my teeth on tree bark." It is one of my favorite books and its inclusion makes me happy but I'm still a bit puzzled by its meaning, if it indeed has any here.

I realize this post was made some time ago, but I'd say that Maldoror is one of the crucial influences on Pasolini's film and is also a close parallel in a way: Pasolini made this examination of debasement, evil, and corrupted humanity after exploring possibilities of naive and innocent sexuality in the Trilogy of Life. In the opposite order, Lautréamont delved into evil and cruelty in Maldoror and then began writing its opposite counterpart that would praise the good and the struggle against evil, but of course it never came to be, due to his premature death.

In the particular passage about becoming a pig, Maldoror is talking about how the degradation of being changed into a pig was probably a divine punishment but in effect was a long-awaited reward and a fulfillment of a desire no longer to be part of humanity.

Also, for what it's worth, in Pasolini's "essential bibliography" in the credits, he included Maurice Blanchot's essays on Sade and Lautréamont.

[Ashirg]

This is getting a DVD re-package on January 26...

[bdsweeney]

Recently listened to Nic Rapold’s podcast. He was speaking with Amy Taubin and towards the conclusion, they started talking about the current political and social climate … and getting very despondent.

Drawing a connection to the topic of discussion, Nic concluded the conversation by noting that in NYC the IFC Centre is showing Salo nightly at the moment (when the recording took place).

People are feeling the vibes.