Salo; Directed by Pier Palo Pasolini 1975

When The Marquis de Sade was in the Bastille, he wrote a long novel called The 120 Days of Sodom. After the Bastille fell, the novel disappeared, only to be rediscovered in the 20th century.

I like much of Sade's work - he was brutally honest and explored various important themes in his works. He influenced Dostoyevsky and Kafka as well as the Surrealist school of artists and writers.

I've never been able to read the 120 Days of Sodom - it's a difficult book to read.  Horrible and disgusting things are related in the book and I'm not entirely sure I understand why Sade wrote it.

Pasolini used this novel as a basis for his last film. Pasolini was brutally murdered shortly after the film was made.

After Mussolini was rescued by Hitler, Hitler re-established Mussolini in a part of Italy that was called Salo. In this film we see heartless and corrupt members of the fascist social elite indulge in various acts of cruelty, from which they derive immense (sexual) gratification.

This film was and is very controversial - it has lots of nudity and scenes of horrible violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O5VvlYzJVg