You've probably seen the name floating around the darker corners of the internet. Or maybe you caught a snippet of a "disturbing movies" iceberg on TikTok. Some people call it 120 Days of Sollom, but the actual title—the one that has been getting people arrested, censored, and physically ill for decades—is Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom.
Honestly, it’s one of those things that once you know about it, you kinda wish you didn't.
But there is a reason it still matters. It’s not just "torture porn" from the 70s. It is a dense, miserable, and incredibly smart piece of art that cost its creator, Pier Paolo Pasolini, his life. Or at least, that’s what a lot of people think.
What Really Happens in the 120 Days of Sodom?
Basically, the story is a nightmare. It was originally a book written by the Marquis de Sade in 1785 while he was locked up in the Bastille. He wrote it on a 39-foot-long scroll of paper he hid in the wall. He actually cried "tears of blood" when he thought it was lost during the French Revolution.
Fast forward to 1975. Pasolini, a famous Italian director and poet, decides to adapt it. But he moves the setting. Instead of 18th-century France, he puts it in 1944 Italy, specifically in the Republic of Salò. This was a Nazi-controlled puppet state during the final, desperate days of Mussolini’s reign.
The "plot" is simple but sickening. Four powerful men—the Duke, the Bishop, the Magistrate, and the President—kidnap 18 teenagers. They take them to a remote villa. For 120 days, these kids are subjected to absolute, unchecked depravity. We’re talking about rituals that involve physical torture, mental breaking, and things involving human waste that I won't even describe here.
The movie is structured into four "Circles" inspired by Dante’s Inferno:
- The Circle of Manias
- The Circle of Shit
- The Circle of Blood
It’s relentless.
Why Did Pasolini Make This?
You might wonder why anyone would ever film this. Pasolini wasn't a sicko. Well, he was a provocateur, sure, but he was also a brilliant Marxist intellectual. He wasn't trying to turn you on. He was trying to make you want to throw up.
He believed that "neocapitalism" was the new fascism. He felt that in a consumerist society, our bodies just become "merchandise." By showing these fascist leaders literally consuming and destroying young people, he was making a point about how power works.
If you have absolute power and no one to stop you, the human body is just another object. Like a soda can or a piece of meat.
The Mystery of Pasolini's Murder
This is where things get really dark. Just three weeks before Salò was released, Pasolini was murdered.
His body was found on a beach in Ostia. He had been beaten and run over by his own car multiple times. A 17-year-old "hustler" named Giuseppe Pelosi confessed, but almost nobody believes he did it alone. The scene was too brutal. Many think it was a political hit because of the movie or because Pasolini was about to expose corruption in the Italian oil industry.
He died for his art. Or because of it. It’s a shadow that hangs over every single frame of the 120 Days of Sodom.
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Common Misconceptions About the Film
People think it’s just a "gore" movie. It isn't. If you go in expecting Saw or Hostel, you’re going to be bored. The movie is slow. It’s shot with a cold, distant camera. There are no jump scares.
The horror comes from the banality. The men talk about their atrocities like they're discussing the weather.
Another big mistake: thinking the "120 Days of Sollom" (or Sodom) is a fun watch with friends. It’s not. It’s a soul-crushing experience. Even the actors in the film—most of whom were non-professionals—found the shoot incredibly taxing. There are stories of the crew having to lighten the mood with jokes just to keep from losing their minds, but the final product is devoid of any joy.
Is It Even Legal to Watch?
It depends on where you live. For years, Salò was banned in the UK, Australia, and dozens of other countries. In some places, it was seized by customs as "obscene material."
Today, you can actually buy it on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection. It’s considered a masterpiece of world cinema. But even now, it’s the kind of movie that gets you put on a list if you talk about it too loudly in the wrong places.
The "Sollom" vs "Sodom" Confusion
You see the word "Sollom" pop up mostly in search queries and social media. It's usually just a misspelling of the city Salò or a phonetic mix-up with "Sodom."
The city of Salò was a real place on Lake Garda. It was the headquarters of the Italian Social Republic. By putting the "120 Days" there, Pasolini was saying that the horrors of the book weren't just a fantasy—they were happening in his own backyard during the war.
What You Should Do Instead of Watching It
Honestly? Don't watch it unless you have a very strong stomach and an interest in political theory. If you want to understand the impact of the film without the trauma, you should:
- Read about the Republic of Salò. Understanding the history of 1944 Italy makes the movie's message way clearer.
- Look into Pasolini’s "Trilogy of Life." Before he made this "Trilogy of Death," he made three beautiful, joyful movies: The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, and Arabian Nights. They are the exact opposite of Salò.
- Check out "The Act of Killing." If you're interested in the "banality of evil" and how people justify atrocities, this documentary is a more modern (and equally chilling) look at similar themes.
The 120 Days of Sodom isn't a movie you "enjoy." It’s a movie you survive. It stands as a permanent, ugly monument to what happens when we stop seeing each other as human beings.
If you decide to dive into the history of Italian cinema or the works of Pasolini, start with his earlier poetry or his film Accattone. It gives you a much better sense of the man before he reached the total nihilism of his final work. Stay away from the "Sollom" clickbait; the real history is much more haunting.