Talk Salò

Salo o le 120 Giornate Di Sodoma is one of those films you can't unwatch. With its sterile, nihilistic themes peppered with random atrocities (rape, torture, consumption of feces), the film is one of the most controversial of its time. In Talk Salo, young Spencer convinces his friend Aaron to watch Salo, an experience that devastates the latter so much that he runs from the house in repulsion and fear. In the conversation that follows, Spencer's motives slowly come into focus, and Aaron's once-detached perspective of the world is reeling from the sucker-punch that Salo has delivered.

As a fan of Salo and of short films in general, I appreciated what Talk Salo was doing. In a global culture saturated with movies, a film like Salo comes along once in a lifetime, challenging us as much with their political statements as their horrifying images. It helps to have seen Salo (or at least read enough about it to "get" it) to appreciate Talk Salo, but it is not necessary. Ultimately, Talk Salo is about those moments in life where everything we thought we believed comes crashing down around us, forcing us to see the world as it really is. Any number of catalysts can bring about those moments; in Aaron's case, it just happens to be a movie.