| 13 March 2009
Smokey's Sick and Depraved Movie Reviews - Salo, the 120 Days of Sodom.
Hey, kids! Let me introduce to an all-new feature on the Armchair Culture stinkshack, in which your friend and humble narrator, Mr. McTrees, reviews movies that your mother would never have let you watch. These movies are NOT for the faint of heart, and I recommend you have a clear head full of non-suicidal thoughts before you watch some of them.
What better way to start this column then by reviewing what some consider the most controversial movie ever made, Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom.) ? This charming little Italian flick was made in 1975 by Fellini disciple Pier Paolo Passolini. it is based on a novel by that old softie The Marquis De Sade, so you know you're in for a good family time right then and there. The film is structured into four acts, each based on sections from Dante's Divine Comedy. Our first section, the Entrance To Hell, begins our film which a nice, attractive view of 1944-era Salò, the mountain town in Italy famous for being a support town for fascists during the second World War. We then see a group of Mussolini's high ranking officials( a bishop, Duke, magistrate and President) outlining a plan, setting rules for one another. What are they planning? Civic laws? Religious procedures? Um, sort of...
Turns out our well-dressed foursome are planning a little retreat from the daily grind. How do fascists spend their vacation? Ogling titties on spring break in Florida? No way, silly! A nice bed-and-breakfast with the wife?Pshaw! Instead they decide to take the army into the little town of Salo, and round up nine virginal, handsome young boys, and nine virginal, beautiful young girls, and sequester them into a beautiful palace high up in the mountains. This ain't no benefactor day camp, however. These kids are systematically turned into sexual playthings for these four men's sick, depraved desires. And when I say depraved, I mean it. Smokey considered himself kinda depraved sometimes, but he realizes even his most dark innermost desires pales in comparison to what these sick fucks dream of.
Our next chapter, the Circle of Manias, begins the true crux of the story. Four older, former high-class prostitutes and madams are along for the ride, and three of them take turns describing some really interesting, sick shit about former johns, while the four fascist dudes take turns getting hot and bothered and re-enacting this shit on the eighteen young folk. Not exactly stuff , I would jerk off to, but, hey to each his own, no?
Well, actually no, because these guys are MEAN. They are fascists, after all! So the things they do to these poor kids is not exactly the most fun stuff in the world. When I think orgies, I think lots of naked folks squirming on the floor gettin' it on. These four guys think orgies are a bunch of naked people on the floor getting beaten and sodomized, and beaten, and sodomized, lather, rinse, repeat. Always repeat.
Our next chapter ups the fun factor tenfold. SPOILER ALERT: Do not eat anything during this part of the movie, especially chocolate or brownies. Trust me, you will thank me profusely later on. In case you smarter readers on there haven't figured out what Smokey is getting at, our third chapter is called The Circle of Shit. Our next whore tells everybody the story of her exclusive clientele, that, um, like to eat her poop. Yep. You read right, kids. Yeah, so these bad guys get the great idea of having the poor kids eat poop. And there is a mock wedding reception staged, in which all of the guests are served huge, streaming piles of POOP. The head facist President eats the juiciest piece of all, a nice bloody piece. Serious. That's how he describes it. Yeah. Good times.
God forbid we the viewer get a reprieve of any kind, so the next chapter brings it all home with a bit of the old ultra-violence. The Circle of Blood is the final chapter of our story. The last prostitute tells depraved stories about necrophilia and violent sexual experiences, while the kids who have broken the "laws" of the palace that the fascists have dreamed up are rounded up for the ultimate snuff fest. Each of the officials takes a turn watching the offending youngsters getting beaten, raped and chopped up. People always rave about the eye-gouging in Fulci's zombie movie as the most despicable, but trust me, it ain't got nothing on this one.
WHAT SMOKEY THINKS:
Shortly after this film was completed, the director was murdered by a male gigolo. Some say it is because of his reaction to this very film. I say that it sure is an interesting character study on humanity, and what powerful people do when they are bored. Far more scary then a slasher flick, this indictment of humanity reaches the senses long after you are done watching it. But did it really have to be so gay? There is an endless fascination with the buttocks throughout the whole film, and women are treated as the inferior sexual object throughout. Passolini was very much gay, and his making almost all the male characters sodomites strikes me as a self-condemnation of sorts. The four main officials are so gay in their misdeeds it becomes almost tragicomic. I could guess there is some sort of subtext between homosexuality and fascism, but most homosexuals would probably disagree. I would think the average, heterosexual viewer would relate just a tiny bit more if so much sodomy wasn't involved. This film is very much insulting to the vagina, and motherhood in general. I guess in that respect it is the ultimate departure from the safety of the womb. The ass represents shit whilst the coochie represents hope. Deep. There some monets of genuine eroticism, such as the scene where the (differently gendered) victims are forced into exploring each other to have sex. The innocence in which the young couple go about this is nice, but of course soon marred by the interference of our four anti-heroes who stop the act before it becomes intercourse. There is quite a bit of existensalism in the film, and it is almost humorous to watch the four creeps ruminate about Nietzsche before they have girls pee on them. I think the main point of this flick is that we are a fucked-up species, capable of awful, awful stuff. Well, duh! It is almost eerie how some of the scenes of naked bodies stacked one upon the other remind one of the famous Abu Gharib naked pyramid. So are we better then this film? Or are we all capable of such mindless, sadistic pleasure? I know one thing. I will not eat poop.
I ain't saying she a gold digga...
Should you see this sucker? Yeah, but remember it ain't a happy film. It is a consistent downer from top to bottom. Not just because of the endless parade of violence and sexual perversion. It is shot documentary-style, with weird editing and many far away establishing shots. The set design is most impressive, with cubist wallpaper and beautiful statues surrounding the constant depravity. The music is almost funny, with Italian Big Band and piano ditties accompanying the madness. There is also a great use of background noise, war machines and bombing, which add to the feeling of unease. Watch this sucker not for a good time, but to realize that there are films out there that actually make you think about stuff. NOT FOR KIDS.
SMOKEY"S FINAL RATING: *** out of five.
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