Satyricon [DVD]

In Satyricon, Italian New Wave director Federico Fellini depicts the hedonistic, amoral, pre-Christian world of ancient Rome.  Using the unfinished classical writings of Petronius as his guide, Fellini invents a dreamlike culture full of strange, distant characters and odd, grotesque events.  Though the film lacks a definitive plot or narrative structure, its constants are Gitone (Max Born) and Encolpius (Martin Potter), whose unsavory encounters with sex, the theater, and religion are the film's focal point.  Presenting a loosely structured episodic tale of decadence and depravity in ancient Rome, Satyricon follows the adventures of two students as they negotiate their way through a variety of mishaps, dangers, and sexual encounters.  What results is a bizarre journey through ancient Rome.  This story is a perfect example of Fellini's accomplished skill in bringing fantasy to the screen.

Running time: 124 minutes