Fellini - Satyricon Details

A visual feast, but be warned: there is no story

This is a free wheeling and often breath-taking piece of art. On its release in 1969 the combination of its visual design and surreal soundtrack took the existing boundaries of the genre and smashed them to smithereens. If you want proof that moving pictures can aspire to high art, this 35-year old film is compulsory viewing; but it is not a 'movie' in the conventional sense. It is not driven by its plot: it is a road trip by a pair of morally/sexually ambivalent friends through the decadence of ancient Rome. It is not driven by character: its cast are as much part of the scenery as the minimalist sets and bleak landscapes - you will never see so many odd characters in one place! Don't try to follow the story or empathise with the 'heroes' - there is no story, and these boys are so alien that you just can't worry about what happens to them. Just sit back and be amazed by the ride...

[Highly rated reviewer]

The sexual excess looks a bit tame today

This film contains about 25 episodes which are only loosely linked by the main character, an attractive young Roman who looks a bit perplexed by much that he sees along the way. There are some great scenes: the actor who has stolen our hero's young boy lover; the brothel with it's obese clients; the earthquake in the city; the stealing of the hermaphrodite; the fight with the minotaur. Just don't watch this expecting a coherent story line. It may be that Fellini is pointing up Roman excesses to compare them with our greedy materialistic culture. Or he may be comparing the pre-Christian guiltless indulgence in hedonism with the Christian guilt for sexual pleasures that Catholicism brought to the world. Each viewer can bring his own interpretation. Love him or loath him, you can't ignore Fellini.