Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 9, 2022

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Essential Fellini.

It may not quite match the treatment Criterion afforded a certain iconic Swedish director with their frankly almost overwhelming Ingmar Bergman's Cinema release, but Essential Fellini should pretty easily serve as either an absolutely first rate introduction to or a nostalgic reacquaintance with one of Italy's most legendary filmmakers. Fourteen beloved if sometimes controversial Fellini films have been aggregated in this set, along with a bonus disc offering a special devoted to Marcello Mastroianni, and while Criterion only provided check discs for the purposes of this review, from the looks of things online, this is another beautifully packaged set from the label with a number of non-disc swag packaging bonuses.

Svet's original Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray review of Criterion's 2015 release is a good place to start for those wanting a plot recap and to see how supplements stack up between the two Criterion releases. I'll only add that as odd as it may seem to some, Fellini Satyricon has long been one of my all time favorite Fellini films, despite what some perceive to be its more objectionable elements, and others perceive as being a too formless, inchoate presentation. The story here is (appropriately) labyrinthine, but the film is such an audacious combination of sight and sound that it's unforgettable.

Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fellini Satyricon is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of The Criterion Collection with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Kind of interestingly, this is the sole disc in this set which does not include specific text verbiage at the head of the presentation documenting any restoration efforts. As such, I'm assuming this is exactly the same transfer as Svet assessed, and I concur with the comments in his original review.

Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fellini Satyricon features LPCM Mono audio in what I'm again assuming is the same presentation that Svet discusses in his review, though I'm a bit more curmudgeonly and am slightly downgrading the score, as parts of this track strike me as a little boxy sounding, with over aggressive reverb, though having seen this film theatrically countless times, I can confirm at least some of this sound has always been present. As Svet mentions in his review, one of the highlights of the film is the unbelievably wide ranging score by Nino Rota. Optional English subtitles are available.

Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike some of the other ostensible "re-releases" in this set, it doesn't look like Fellini Satyricon has any new supplements. Further details on some of these can be found in Svet's original review.

• Commentary is unusual in that it provides what is termed a "dramatic reading" from Eileen Lanouette Hughes' 1971 memoir about being on the set of Fellini Satyricon, which was subtitled A Behind the Scenes Diary.


• Ciao, Federico! (HD; 1:00:15) is a 1971 documentary by Gideon Bachmann which shows Fellini at work on the film. You can catch a few passing moments in English, but the bulk of this is is in Italian subtitled in English.


• Fellini (HD; 10:48) features several interviews with Fellini.

  Gideon Bachmann (Audio). 1969 (HD; 10:48) plays to stills from the film. In Italian and English at various moments, and subtitled in English where appropriate.

  
  

  French Television Excerpt, 1969 (HD; 1:38) is subtitled in English.

  
  

  Gene Shalit, 1975 (HD; 2:08)

• Giuseppe Rotunno (HD; 7:38) is a 2011 interview with the film's cinematographer. Subtitled in English.


• Fellini and Petronius (HD; 23:51) is a 2014 piece featuring Joanna Paul and Luca Canali. Canali's interview is subtitled in English.


• Mary Ellen Mark (HD; 12:57) is another 2014 piece, focusing on photographer Mary Ellen Mark, who was assigned by Look magazine to cover the shooting of the film.


• Felliani (HD) is a gallery of so-called "ephemera" related to the film.


• Trailer (HD; 2:24)

Fellini Satyricon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the hilarious but true department, I once took a girl I was very interested in on a date to an Art House cinema to introduce her to the master's work and see Fellini Satyricon, and then promptly never heard from her again, which I am chalking up entirely to the film and not her escort (that is obviously a joke, hopefully). As such, this might not be the best "first film" to see when exploring the oeuvre of Fellini, but once you're properly indoctrinated, it may be one of the most memorable. Technical merits are first rate, and the supplements outstanding. Highly recommended.