 It uses the source material as an allegory; the atrocities in the movie did not actually happen, while most of the choices of milieus, clothing, uniforms, weapons and other details are historically correct.Roberto Benigni's 1997 "Life is Beautiful" is also set in the Republic of Salò.Bernardo Bertolucci's 1976 "Novecento" set his story in Emilia, being at the time a province of the Italian Social Republic, even though this is never mentioned in the movie.