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Fellini Satyricon

Original title: Fellini - Satyricon
  • 19691969
  • RR
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
16K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
On this IMDbrief, we travel from Hadrian's Wall to the Appian Way to present some of our favorite movies and shows set in Ancient Rome.
Play clip4:38
Streaming Passport: The Roman Empire
2 Videos
97 Photos
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • History
A series of disjointed mythical tales set in first-century Rome.A series of disjointed mythical tales set in first-century Rome.A series of disjointed mythical tales set in first-century Rome.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
16K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Federico Fellini
  • Writers
    • Petronius(book "Satyricon")
    • Federico Fellini(adaptation and screenplay)
    • Bernardino Zapponi(adaptation and screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Martin Potter
    • Hiram Keller
    • Max Born
Top credits
  • Director
    • Federico Fellini
  • Writers
    • Petronius(book "Satyricon")
    • Federico Fellini(adaptation and screenplay)
    • Bernardino Zapponi(adaptation and screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Martin Potter
    • Hiram Keller
    • Max Born
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 108User reviews
    • 70Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 5 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:13
    Official Trailer
    Streaming Passport: The Roman Empire
    Clip 4:38
    Streaming Passport: The Roman Empire

    Photos97

    Donyale Luna in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Hiram Keller in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Martin Potter in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Hiram Keller and Martin Potter in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Martin Potter and Salvo Randone in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Martin Potter in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Hiram Keller in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Max Born and Martin Potter in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Hylette Adolphe in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Hiram Keller in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Mario Romagnoli in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
    Federico Fellini in Fellini - Satyricon (1969)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Martin Potter
    Martin Potter
    • Encolpioas Encolpio
    Hiram Keller
    Hiram Keller
    • Asciltoas Ascilto
    Max Born
    Max Born
    • Gitoneas Gitone
    Salvo Randone
    Salvo Randone
    • Eumolpoas Eumolpo
    Mario Romagnoli
    Mario Romagnoli
    • Trimalcioneas Trimalcione
    • (as Il Moro)
    Magali Noël
    Magali Noël
    • Fortunataas Fortunata
    Capucine
    Capucine
    • Trifenaas Trifena
    Alain Cuny
    Alain Cuny
    • Licaas Lica
    Fanfulla
    Fanfulla
    • Vernacchioas Vernacchio
    Danika La Loggia
    Danika La Loggia
    • Scintillaas Scintilla
    • (as Danica la Loggia)
    Giuseppe Sanvitale
    • Abinnaas Abinna
    Eugenio Mastropietro
    • Hermeros, liberto arricchitoas Hermeros, liberto arricchito
    • (as Genius)
    Lucia Bosè
    Lucia Bosè
    • La matronaas La matrona
    • (as Lucia Bosé)
    Joseph Wheeler
    • Il suicidaas Il suicida
    • (as Joseph Weelher)
    Hylette Adolphe
    Hylette Adolphe
    • La schiavettaas La schiavetta
    Tanya Lopert
    Tanya Lopert
    • L'imperatoreas L'imperatore
    Gordon Mitchell
    Gordon Mitchell
    • Il predoneas Il predone
    George Eastman
    George Eastman
    • Minotauroas Minotauro
    • (as Luigi Montefiori)
    • Director
      • Federico Fellini
    • Writers
      • Petronius(book "Satyricon")
      • Federico Fellini(adaptation and screenplay)
      • Bernardino Zapponi(adaptation and screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Satyricon

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Gian Luigi Polidoro registered the title Satyricon (1969) for his movie first. Federico Fellini fought to use the title for his movie but lost the case. Subsequently the title was changed to Fellini - Satyricon (1969).
    • Goofs
      In one version, Joseph Wheeler is credited as 'Joseph Weelher'.
    • Quotes

      Soldier at Tomb: They've stolen the hanged man! While I was with you, the thief's family took him away! I know what punishment I'll get... a horrible death. Why should I wait for it? I'd rather die by my own hands.

      [pulls his sword out and is about to stab himself]

      Wife of Ephesus: [stops him] No! No, my dear... To lose the two men in my life, one after the other, would be too much...

      Wife of Ephesus: [looks at the corpse of her husband] Better to hang a dead husband than to lose a living lover.

      [the couple replace the missing hanged corpse with the corpse of her husband]

    • Connections
      Edited into Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      The Drums for the Niegpadouda Dance
      From Anthology of Music of Black Africa

      Recorded by Everest Records

      Arranged by Bernard C. Salomon

      Published by Arvon Music

    User reviews108

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A pagan offering from a master craftsman
    Fellini called his "Satyricon" a science fiction film projected into the past. His expressive portrait of ancient Rome is a richly ornamented fresco of contrasts; variations within a select kaleidoscope of opposites related to the sacred, the pure, the just, and the beautiful.

    Reportedly a free adaptation of the now fragmentary writings of Petronius, the film also makes fleeting references to various scattered works and myths of antiquity. Even the language is a blend of various dialects and accents, effectively brewed together into a type of "primordial soup."

    The film features a young man named Encolpio and his sometime friend Ascilto; both of whom seem to prefer participatory experience as a means to finding meaning in life while primarily disregarding status, power and possessions. Contrasting some of the film's more serene scenes with those of unrest and discord, patterns supportive of a life lived from a similar experiential perspective begin to emerge. Some examples are as follows:

    During the "Death to the Classics" scene, the poet Eumolpo says that the arts have declined because the desire for "virtue" has been lost. Dialectical discussion and philosophy have been replaced with drinking, vice and monetary greed, thus preventing further creation of works of art at the same pinnacle of excellence as the classics.

    Later when Eumolpo and Encolpio recline in the open field encased in an early morning mist, the elderly poet bequeaths to Encolpio a series of "natural" phenomena; among them mountains, rivers, clouds, love, tears, joy, sound, song and the voices of man...

    During the "Matron of Ephesus" scene, a young woman mourning her deceased husband by starving to death in a cave has her chalk white face returned to its natural radiance after accepting the embrace of a handsome soldier. The moral being "...better to hang a 'dead' husband than to lose a 'living' lover..."

    A politically doomed and suicidal married couple free their slaves whereupon a reference is made to the "sacred" earth. Their children are sent away to a place free from tyranny which will be "beautiful." Later, Encolpio and Ascilto arrive at the couple's elegant home and enjoy a night of revelry during which Encolpio quotes the "poet" as having said "...as for me I have always lived to enjoy the present moment as if it were the last sunrise..."

    The tale of the beautiful Enotea and her subsequent punishment after she tricked the wizard who had professed his love for her seems to be a warning to remain "true" to expressions of affection.

    Following what appears to be his final corruption after having abandoned his idealistic philosophy, Eumolpo proposes an interesting last will and testament. Those wishing to inherit a part of his worldly fortune are asked to devour his remains. Reflecting the hippie generation's symbolic scorn of rampant materialism during the shooting of this film, Encolpio and his friends smile and turn away, heading onward toward a new adventure.

    The scenes of discord in the film appear to reflect issues related to social and political methods of enforced control over others. For example, during the banquet of Trimalcione, his sycophants eat, laugh, chant, dance, perform and throw objects on cue. While a captive at sea, Encolpio is made an object of entertainment for the pirate Lica. Later he is forced to battle a huge "minotaur' for the entertainment of a proconsul and his puppet court during the "gladiator prank" sequence.

    Fellini makes strong use of colour symbolism in "Satyricon." The film opens in what appears to be a large Roman steam bath. There is the occasional sound of water dripping, and in Encolpio's tenement a seemingly wealthy group of party goers arrive on a small boat in the water, perhaps ready to go "slumming" with the poor. There is also a bluish tint to many of these early scenes as if they were being viewed through water. Later, during Trimalcione's feast, a flame red lens filter appears to overshadow the initial candle lit display giving the impression of an envelopment of fire. During the outdoor scenes on Lica's boat, the sound of the wind is recurrent and a blitz of snow appears providing a possible reference to the air element. Near the end of the film, Encolpio enters a maze by sliding in the dirt down a hillside. Following his battle with the minotaur, a dust storm blows as he attempts to make love with Arianna. Later, when he visits the elderly Enotea, she lets dirt fall from her clenched fists as if giving a silent reference to the earth element.

    There are also many references to the supernatural and paranormal. Eyes stare into the camera as if to give reference to phantoms from antiquity looking at those presently alive as if to question. While Encolpio and Eumolpo have their discussion in the art gallery, a two tiered galley of soundless faces inexplicably passes by like unknown entities observing the men's conversation through a hole in the wall. There is a curious space-like object on the deck of Lica's ship. In addition, a momentary glimpse of supernatural visionary lights appear during the abduction of the "mystical" hermaphrodite who subsequently dies after having been exposed to the "light" of day. The film also presents a recurring symbolism of carved and imprinted heads eventually given great emphasis with Lica's startling decapitation. Perhaps the question is, has society become too obsessed with the intellect at the expense of the heart and the inherent value of the individual person? Perhaps not so for Fellini, as the entire film is intensely alive with a glorious blend of color; each face, each person, in Fellini's words, serving as an integral part of his artwork on film.

    Finally, like the eternal wheel and his initial greeting, Encolpio's farewell is presented in front of a stone background and he is interrupted in mid sentence giving ....
    helpful•36
    16
    • andros12
    • Oct 19, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 11, 1970 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • France
    • Languages
      • Italian
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • Satyricon
    • Filming locations
      • Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Production company
      • Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,135,943
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,138,108
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours 9 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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