A sergeant-major finds himself threatened by the heroism of an attractive new recruit and, fuelled by resentment, envy and hate, becomes obsessed with plotting the young man's downfall. Though little is spelt out explicitly in this tale of repressed emotion leading to murderous jealousy, the film is accessible and clear throughout. The director's concerns are with how a wide open colonial outpost may become a prison, how men cope with an all-male society and how the physical can mirror the metap find out more...

Based on the Marquis de Sade's novel, 120 days of Sodom, and transposed to Fascist Italy circa 1944, this is Pasolini's most controversial work. Pasolini observes with unflinching gaze the systematic humiliation and torture of beautiful young boys and girls, herded into a palatial villa by various jaded, sadistic members of the wealthy upper classes. According to the director, the story was meant to be a metaphor for Fascism, but the revolting excesses shown on screen coupled with the fact that find out more...