Finding a copy of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s final film used to be a challenge. For years, if you wanted to see it, you were looking at grainy bootlegs or expensive imports that barely captured the brutal, intentional cinematography. Then the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion collection edition dropped, and suddenly, one of the most controversial pieces of cinema was sitting on high-end retail shelves in a 4K digital restoration. It changed the conversation.
People often confuse the film’s title with the original Marquis de Sade novel, but Pasolini’s Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom is its own beast. Set in the waning days of Mussolini’s Italy, it’s a grueling examination of power, fascism, and the commodification of the human body. It isn’t "fun" to watch. Honestly, it’s miserable. But the Criterion treatment elevated it from "video nasty" curiosity to a mandatory text for film scholars and history buffs alike.
Why the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion edition became a holy grail
The history of this specific release is a bit of a legend in physical media circles. When Criterion first released Salò on DVD (Spine #17), it went out of print almost immediately. For nearly a decade, that original DVD was the "white whale" for collectors. You’d see it on eBay for $500 or $600. Why? Because it was the only way to see the film in a version that respected Pasolini’s vision before the rights got tangled up in a legal mess.
The 2008 re-release, and the subsequent Blu-ray and 4K upgrades, finally broke that scarcity. But the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion version isn't just about owning the movie. It’s about the context. Criterion didn't just dump the film on a disc; they packed it with documentaries like Salo: Yesterday and Today and interviews with set designers like Dante Ferretti. These features explain why the film looks the way it does—cold, distant, and symmetrical—to mimic the clinical nature of fascist bureaucracy.
Breaking down the restoration quality
If you’ve only seen this movie on an old VHS or a compressed stream, you haven't actually seen it. The restoration work done for the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion release is staggering. They used the original 35mm camera negative. Every frame was cleaned of dirt and scratches.
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The colors are weirdly beautiful, which makes the content even more upsetting. You have these lush, decadent interiors of the villa contrasted against the absolute degradation of the captives. The high-definition transfer makes the sweat, the dirt, and the terror on the actors' faces feel claustrophobically real. It’s high-art horror at its most visceral.
Pasolini’s vision versus De Sade’s text
It’s easy to dismiss the film as shock value. A lot of people do. But Pasolini wasn't interested in just filming a book. He took De Sade’s 18th-century "scroll" of depravity and transposed it to 1944, in the Republic of Salò. This was a puppet state of Nazi Germany.
By moving the timeline, Pasolini turned a story about individual madness into a story about systemic, state-sponsored cruelty. The four libertines—The Duke, The Bishop, The Magistrate, and The President—represent the pillars of society: nobility, the church, the law, and the executive branch.
When you watch the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion edition, you’re forced to confront his thesis: that under consumerism and fascism, the human body becomes nothing more than a product to be used and discarded. Pasolini was a Marxist and a provocateur. He was murdered shortly after the film was completed, which adds a haunting, almost prophetic layer to the whole experience.
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The controversy that never quite ends
Is it still banned? Kinda. Depending on where you live, Salò has a long history with censors. In the UK, the BBFC didn't give it an uncut rating for years. In Australia, it was banned, then unbanned, then banned again. The 120 Days of Sodom Criterion release is the definitive uncut version, ensuring that nothing is hidden behind a black bar or a jump cut.
Censors often argued that the film was obscene. Pasolini argued it was a mirror. He famously said that the most "obscene" thing in the world wasn't sex, but the way power is exercised over the powerless. The film’s "circles"—the Circle of Manias, the Circle of S**t, and the Circle of Blood—follow the structure of Dante’s Inferno. It’s a descent. It’s supposed to be intolerable.
Essential supplements in the Criterion package
If you’re diving into the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion disc, don't skip the booklets. There’s an essay by Sam Rohdie and even some of Pasolini’s own writings.
- The "Walking with Pasolini" Documentary: This gives you a look at the man himself. He was a poet and a philosopher before he was a provocateur.
- Interviews with the cast: Many of the "victims" in the film were non-professional actors. Hearing them talk about the set—which was actually quite professional and almost mundane despite the content—dispels some of the myths that the production was as chaotic as the story.
- Set Design Analysis: Understanding how the architecture of the villa was designed to trap the eye helps you appreciate the film as a piece of visual art rather than just a "shocker."
How to approach watching it
You don't "Netflix and chill" with the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion. You prepare for it. It’s a heavy lift. Most people only watch it once. It leaves a mark.
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Experts often suggest watching Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" (The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, and Arabian Nights) before tackling Salò. The Trilogy is full of joy, sex, and humanity. Salò is the direct rejection of that joy. It’s the "Trilogy of Death." Seeing the contrast helps you understand Pasolini’s headspace at the end of his life. He felt the world was losing its soul to "hedonistic fascism," and this film was his final scream against it.
Technical specs for the 4K UHD release
For the tech-heads, the 4K UHD version of the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion is the gold standard.
- It features a bit depth that handles the dark, shadowy corners of the villa without that annoying digital "banding" you see on lower-quality discs.
- The uncompressed monaural soundtrack is crisp. You can hear every whisper, every scream, and every note of the haunting Ennio Morricone score.
- The Dolby Vision HDR makes the skin tones look natural, which is vital for a film that focuses so much on the physical human form.
It's a weird thing to say about a movie this grim, but the technical presentation is gorgeous. It respects the grain of the film stock while providing a clarity that makes the experience even more immersive.
Actionable insights for collectors and students
If you’re looking to add the 120 Days of Sodom Criterion to your library or use it for academic study, keep a few things in mind. First, check the spine number. Ensure you’re getting the most recent 4K or Blu-ray edition, as the older DVD lacks the incredible 2020s-era restoration work.
Second, utilize the scholarly essays included in the packaging. They provide the necessary historical framework regarding the Republic of Salò that most non-Italian viewers might miss. Without that context, the film can feel like a random assortment of cruelties; with it, it becomes a sharp political critique.
Finally, treat this as a historical artifact. It is a record of a specific moment in Italian history and a specific philosophy of cinema that basically doesn't exist anymore. Whether you find it brilliant or revolting, its place in the Criterion Collection ensures it will remain a point of intense study for decades to come.