Satyricon

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Heironymus B Definitely Fellini's most expressive film, at a time when he was trying to shake off the creative lull of his unmade project: "The Journey of G Mastrona". This is a hugely impressive collage of scenes, interestingly edited to reflect the fragmented nature of Patronius's surviving ancient satire. Yes, there are indeed a lot of wrong ingredients, but mashed together - as perfect a banquet as Trimalchios! This is Ancient Rome but made to resemble a sci-fi movie (in the past instead of the future) complete with bizarre theatrical backdrops, beautiful and grotesque occupants and Nino Rota's surreal, tribal and sublime score. The scenes themselves can range from being very chaotic and noisy, and then suddenly calm and serene. Fellini truly expresses all the elements in every episode - Earth, Wind, Air and Fire. This film is a personal favorite of mine. As movies set in Ancient Rome go, do not expect the outstanding epic 'Spartacus' or the awful cult exploitation flick 'Caligula' - Fellini's Satyricon is a planet all of its own! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/06/22 Full Review Audience Member If you ever get a chance to see this movie on a big screen, do not miss it! While I found the story to be very interesting the visuals are a complete experience in themselves. A truly beautiful film. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Not for me. I didn't appreciate what Fellini brought to the screen with this one. I find Roger Ebert's claim that the movie 'shows humanity in their unfiltered nakedness' preposterous, incredibly shortsighted, and an attempt to bring much greater gravitas to a work that doesn't measure up to it. I'm quite certain the great majority of non-Europeans/Italians would not turn to such behavior, indeed building a culture out of such behavior as it becomes typical of the customs of a people. I can appreciate Fellini's apparent intent in setting the dubbing so it doesn't synch with the actor's mouths. but it still takes me out of the film too much rather than adding to the 'profound sense of estrangement throughout the film'. It's jarring. 2.6 stars Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review thomas d A movie that will always add something new upon each viewing. It transports the viewer to a hellish and depraved Rome where anything goes. Not for the faint of heart. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A film with a nice cinematography and a unique vision but a film that also lacks an overall cohesive story. The film starts with Encolpius who tries but fails to win make his slave(?), Giton. His flat is then destroyed and he is confusingly in an art study talking to Eumolpus and they travel to Vernchacchio's party which goes on too long and becomes quite tiresome. However, the most interesting part of the story happens when Encolpius is captured by Caesar's men and is forced to marry. His husband's head is cut off by an invading force and Caesar is disposed. From then on the story becomes less entertaining as it goes all over the place with no sense of what the character's main objective is. Gilton disappears from the story with no mention of him again and Eumolpius and the character who stole Gilton at the start of the film, Ascyltus, live in a palace, steal Hermaphrodite and try to solve Eumolpius's erectile dysfunction. The film's ADR is also very bad and distracting. The film dramatically jumps from one story to the other which left me confused and less interested. Fellini was nominated for the Best Director Oscar but lost to Schaffner for Patton. I don't think he deserved to be nominated for this film and his direction was not near the level of Schaffer and was also marginally worse than Russell's Oscar-nominated direction for Women in Love. Overall, Fellini Satyricon is a disappointingly aimless film that had potential but becomes lost in a lot of filler and story points that come out of nowhere. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review William L Not usually the first film that comes to mind when you ask a cinephile what their favorite Fellini is, Satyricon is certainly a departure from the work that the acclaimed Italian director was largely known for. Instead of the fantastical twists on reality, we are instead treated to a mythological interpretation with tinges of modern flavor, reversing the formula. Dripping with debauchery and anarchism, the film brings some impressive set design and practical logistics in its presentation of a narrative that is only known in fragments and was intended as a satire of manners, while Fellini's touch injects a surrealism. All together, it seems awfully similar to Pasolini (apart from the disjointed structure), though that may just be the lingering aftertaste of a recent viewing of Salò. Where does that leave Satyricon? It seems to hang in the aether with many other particularly original films - interesting for its defiance of convention, but far enough removed from comfortable territory that many viewers may find it off-putting. For me, it's not a personal favorite, but I'm big into blockbusters so what do I know. Some may find it particularly insightful, many will think it's somewhat dull despite the overflowing sexuality. Certainly operates against expectations plot for Fellini. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/10/21 Full Review Read all reviews

Satyricon

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