Fellini Satyricon

The Roman boy Encolpius and his companion Ascyltus both desire a young, beautiful boy and offer him the choice. He goes off with Ascyltus, and Encolpius, having lost his lover, decides to settle the score with life.

A free adaptation of the eponymous work by Gaius Petronius, or rather the part that survived and has come down to us. It’s a highly unusual film for Fellini, primarily because the action takes place not in his contemporary Italy but during the reign of Nero. Nevertheless, the master arbitrarily places emphasis, causing quite modern features to emerge here and there in ancient history.

Academy Award for Best Director.