Salo

Let me just break any composure right here and now. Holy fucking god.

Salo was banned in pretty much every country it could have seeked release in when it came out in 1975, and while that should have tipped me off, I've loved a great many films that were initially banned or scorned by the public. And for the first hour or so, I still didn't understand the utter disgust the public reacted to this film with.

And then I did.

I've done readings on and of Marquis de Sade, and while he isn't exactly my favourite writer, the occasionally disgusting moments of his prose cannot be matched by a visual representation. I managed to continue until the final scene of the film, which contains incredibly graphic torture. This I couldn't stomach. My hands were over my face within the first minute of the scene, and after several minutes, I literally begged my boyfriend to turn it off. It was very difficult to go to bed last night.

I rarely consider myself a majority opinion when it comes to the worth of a film, particularly one that does get to be banned, but in this case, I am in utter agreement with its critics. You need a strong stomach and a weak amount of empathy in order to actually enjoy this travesty brought to screen.

1/5