Pasolini, an Italian poet, novelist, and filmmaker known for his bold and often provocative works, embarked on creating "Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom" as his final film. The movie is loosely based on Sade's 18th-century novel, which details the sexual perversions and brutalities of four wealthy libertines who kidnap young men and women to indulge in their depraved fantasies. Pasolini's adaptation transposes this narrative to the fascist Republic of Salò, a puppet state established by Nazi Germany in Northern Italy during World War II.