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Satyricon

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6.7/10 • 341

1969-09-182h 9m

DramaFantasy

Rome. Before Christ. After Fellini.

After his young lover, Gitone, leaves him for another man, Encolpio decides to kill himself, but a sudden earthquake destroys his home before he has a chance to do so. Now wandering around Rome in the time of Nero, Encolpio encounters one bizarre and surreal scene after another.

Directors
Federico Fellini
Editors
Ruggero Mastroianni

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Martin Potter

    Martin Potter

    Encolpio

  2. Hiram Keller

    Hiram Keller

    Ascilto

  3. Max Born

    Max Born

    Gitone

  4. Salvo Randone

    Salvo Randone

    Eumolpo

  5. Mario Romagnoli

    Mario Romagnoli

    Trimalcione

  6. Magali Noël

    Magali Noël

    Fortunata

  7. Capucine

    Capucine

    Trifena

  8. Fanfulla

    Fanfulla

    Vernacchio

  9. Gordon Mitchell

    Gordon Mitchell

    Il predone

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 27, 2025

7/10

If you ever saw or read “Quo Vadis” then you will be familiar with the character of Gaius Petronius. He was one of the emperor Nero’s closest advisors and the credited author of this fantastic story of mythological excess. In this suitably outrageous Neroic drama, two close friends - “Ascito” (Hiram Keller) and “Encolpio” (Martin Potter) get into a strop about their ownership of their toy-boy “Gitone” (Max Born). Unable to reconcile, they determine to go their separate ways. The young lad chooses to go with the former man and so distraught, the latter considers suicide - but luckily an earthquake intervenes. The aftermath of the chaos sees the men separated and now we follow some of their escapades as they lurch from one debauched scenario to another equally sexually charged environment, with loads of erotic dancing, debauchery and hedonism. In due course, the three are reunited and embark on a wheeze to borrow a demigod from a sacred temple. Now that’s not a good move as he’s only a “demi” so promptly dies and that earns poor old Encolpio the enmity of the gods. Given the context of the whole film, his punishment is especially cruel but with his friend beside him, he hopes that perhaps they can travel to a far away land where there might be a glimmer that things could look up again! Some of the adventures do resemble more familiar fables. Theseus and the Minotaur, for example, but for the most part this is Fellini at his most enjoyably self-indulgent showing beautiful people (and some less so, too) luxuriating in just about every vice known to mankind. That said, there isn’t a surfeit of nudity, violence nor actual depravity on display here. Much of that is teasingly left to our own imagination as it’s tawdry seaminess really doesn’t go anywhere fast. As it progresses, it illustrates quite effectively just what it took to become the stuff of myth and legend in cultures where prowess was measured with little regard to intellect or decency. It’s essentially a romp through Roman history but as well as jealousy and lust it does show us signs of the value of love and loyalty, so there is a tiny element of redemption on offer - but look not for values here, just enjoy the colourful artistry of men (mostly) in the throes of gratuitous dissoluteness.

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Status
Released
Original Language
Italian
Budget
$3,000,000.00
Revenue
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Keywords
love trianglesurrealearthquakeancient romemale homosexualityweddingslavelabyrinthdebaucheryroman bath1st centurysatyricon