Pasolini's 'Salo' unbanned in Australia (again)

A controversial cult movie by Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, repeatedly banned in Australia since it was made in 1975, has been deemed suitable for DVD release.

However, Salo, which features scenes of physical, mental and sexual torture, is being released only on condition the DVD includes nearly three hours of additional material to give it "context".

The cult art film has become a cause celebre of anti-censorship campaigners. Banned after its release, it was cleared for screening in 1993 before the then Office of Film and Literature Classification re-instituted an Australia-wide ban in 1998. Local distributor Shock tried and failed in 2008 to have Salo cleared for DVD release.

The Classification Board has granted a R 18+ (restricted) rating for a modified version of Salo o le 120 giornate di Sodoma to be available in DVD format with the consumer advice "Scenes of torture and degradation, sexual violence and nudity".

Pasolini's film, based on the Marquis de Sade's book The 120 Days of Sodom, includes scenes of sexual degradation and violence. However, its Australian censorship history, and the strident opposition to its screening, has largely focused upon whether some of the participants were under 18.

Michael Bodey @'The Australian' 

(Excerpt)

Censuring Salo: the unbanning of Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salo
(Film Honours Thesis by Rebecca Huntley)