Salò is certainly an example of the extreme in cinema. Not necessarily for its depiction of violence or sexual perversion, but for its detailed examination of the systematic degradation of the "human". At the core of this movie is the exploration of the systematic dehumanization inherent in the dominant consumer culture (here situated in the microcosm of a small villa in fascist Italy, but metaphorically in the western world of consumer capitalism). The extremism of Salo has assured its banning in most countries of the world. Part of this "prejudice" towards the film comes from the fact that Pasolini died violently at the hands of a teenage hustler before the release of the film. His death and the film have become intertwined. Which is quite a shame. This is actually a beautifully shot film, artistically constructed, able to be viewed on many different levels. A must see for any serious film fan.