Fellini Satyricon

Released by: Eureka/Masters of Cinema
Released on: April 27, 2015
Director: Federico Fellini
Cast: Martin Potter, Hiram Keller, Max Born, Salvo Randone, Mario Romagnoli, Magali Noel, Capucine, Alain Cuny, Fanfulla, Richard Simmons
Year: 1969

The Movie:

Fellini Satyricon is basically a multiple-act play loosely based on an original Roman text by Petronius, which has only partially survived. Encolpio has lost his boy-lover Gitone to Ascilto, who has sold him to a lascivious actor in the Roman theatre. Encolpio reclaims his love, and on their way home they make their way through a brothel where Fellini's camera focuses on a bevy of lewd acts. The two finally make it home, where they have sex and fall asleep, only to be awakened by Ascilto. When Gitone leaves with Ascilto, Encolpio is heartbroken, and the collapsing tenement in which he lives brings the first act to a close. Thus begins Fellini Satyricon, an amorous, bawdy adventure through Ancient Rome.

Whereas the book on which it's based was intended as satire, Fellini's film—the title of which includes his name to distinguish it from another film released the same year—is a dream, a series of loosely associated images tied together by the barest of plot threads. The final image in which the central characters appear as frescoes on a Roman wall says it all: these are one-dimensional caricatures rather than three-dimensional characters, ideas in carnate form, designed to test cinematic perimeters at a time when the sexual revolution and a newly formed ratings system in the United States allowed for greater discussion and exploration of taboo subjects.

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that Fellini Satyricon was the quintessential film in the director's oeuvre. “There are orgies, murders, abductions, rituals, all presented cooly, without editorial comment—as might a Warren Commission Report from Mars,” the film's trailer quotes him as saying, and he's right. That Fellini fails to condemn the vulgar behaviors of his primary characters, who mostly act out of selfishness and greed, places the film on a level rarely seen in the United States. It is, to some degree, an independent observer, a chronicler of events and nothing more, leaving the editorializing to members of the audience. By refusing to shy away from depictions of sex and violence that were graphic for the time, the film helped reset the boundaries for what was acceptable on the big screen.

Just as daring, the film came at a time when homosexuality was viewed with disdain by the majority of citizens in the United States and abroad. Realizing what a hard sell the film would be, American distributor United Artists focused its ad campaign almost entirely on Fellini rather than on the film's story, though the trailer and images from the film capitalized on its ribaldry and sexual daring, though with little reference to its rampant homosexuality. (It should be noted that explicit sex is not the only controversial aspect of Fellini Satyricon; as mentioned above, the film also contains a great deal of extreme violence and bloodletting as well.)

Fellini Satyricon is not for everyone. It is an excessive picture in virtually every way, and its plot—which employs use of dream logic—will be difficult for some to follow. It's a dark, set-bound movie with a surreal artifice and avant-garde direction that will be off-putting to many. For those interested in abrasive, challenging cinema, however, it remains a strikingly original work, a product born of a master in his prime.

On one final note, fitness guru and laughingstock extraordinaire Richard Simmons had a small, uncredited role in Fellini Satyricon. The son of Vaudeville performers, he shot his cameo before losing his excess weight and becoming the household name he is today; he is virtually unrecognizable, though a Google image search will quickly identify him for the curious.

Video/Audio/Extras:

There's certainly no faulting Eureka's Blu-ray release of Fellini Satyricon, which comes in an MPEG-4 AVC encode in 1080p resolution. The image is presented in 2.37:1, slightly off from the film's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Taken from a 4K restoration (which was also used for a Criterion Blu-ray release here in the States), the image is a revelation. Never has Fellini's muddy mix of ribald and lascivious imagery looked so stunning. Much of the film is shot in dark, dank places dripping with water and stained with nitre, yet every pock in every concrete structure is visible, as is every mole and errant hair on individuals' faces. Colors are just as vivid, and despite the darkness of many scenes, there is a great deal of depth and texture. Detail does not get lost due to fluctuating black levels, and grain is never so prevalent as to overtake the image. Fellini's composition has never been more intense; the lurid sets and garish color schemes take on new life and provide a fresh look at one of the '60s most daring pictures. Special effects shots involving opticals are soft, but this is to be expected and are the exception rather than the norm. (Unfortunately, due to an issue with the disc provided for review, we here at R!S!P! were unable to capture screengrabs for readers to view.) The film is divided into 15 chapters for ease of access to specific scenes.

There are two audio tracks: Italian LPCM 1.0 and English LPCM 1.0. There are removable English subtitles. Because R!S!P! received an unfinished test disc, it's difficult to judge these tracks with any degree of certainty. During the English dub, some characters' dialogue remains in Italian, and the subtitles come and go. To be fair, the disc did come with the following sticker attached to the sleeve: “Please note: This disc is in the final stages of proofing. Any video, audio or subtitle issues will be remedied before release. Apologies for sending you a non-finalized disc but we are conscious of your deadline.” Other reviews online suggest that these issues have indeed been corrected for the final release, and we can definitively state that the original Italian track is very good, with no issues to report. Dialogue is distinct, the sporadic and minimalist score is fine, and there is no hiss or weird anomalies.

The only extra is an original theatrical trailer running two minutes and twenty-four seconds. The trailer focuses on Fellini's name and provides little insight into the picture's plot. It has not been remastered but is fascinating as a marketing example nonetheless.

The actual BD comes with a 36-page booklet. (Note: Because we did not receive a copy of the booklet, we cannot give it an accurate review.)

The Final Word:

Fellini Satyricon is a groundbreaking film, and on a visual level, Eureka's Masters of Cinema line has given it the perfect showcase. It's hard to imagine that a better transfer could actually exist. Colors are gorgeous and there's a great deal of fine detail. Our copy had problematic sound, but reviews of the finished product have uniformly given the release's audio tracks excellent ratings.

Note: This disc is locked to Region B. People in North America without an all-region or Region B Blu-ray player will be unable to play it.