SALO -THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975)
By Pier Paolo Pasolini
116 minutes
In Italian with English subtitles
This film has been described as \"the most dangerous film of all time\". Pasolini\'s brilliant and uncompromising depiction of Italy under Fascism- a film which perhaps cost the director his own life. Argentinian/French director Gaspar Noe says that people should watch this film once every year, like he does himself, in order to remind ourselves of the dangers of complacency.
Based loosely on the Marquis de Sade\'s book about the decadence of 18th century France, we are shown the upper class – always removed and protected from the outer world – as predators of the poor, weak, young, and less educated. A group of the powerful elite hunt down teenagers from the surrounding villages. They are gathered together to be the victims of their host\'s unbridled desires...which includes torture and sexual debasement. There has never been another film which so unflinchingly depicts the abuse of power by those in power. It remains one of the most passionately debated films of all time, a thought-provoking inquiry into the political, social, and sexual dynamics that define the world we live in. Many, including me, feel that this is the masterpiece of Pasolini\'s career...and that it is one of the most relevant films of the last century.
And the fact that I am screening this film the day after showing a film about the Abu Ghraib and Guantanomo US detention centers (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE) is striking. You can see how Pasolini is always relevant. The overlap between a film made in Italy in 1975 about fascism and a documentary made last year about how US soldiers behave is unbelievably huge.
CINEMA DERIVE
OVERTOOM 301
20:30 Membership 4 Euros
Location
overtoom 301 amsterdam
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