fellini's satyricon
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Fellini paper
SATYRICON
In Fellini's film Satyricon, the theme of lack of restraint due to primal urges in ancient Greece reminds the audience this could very well be what our own future has in store for us. One of the scenes that demonstrate the most heathen-like characters occurs when Encolpio and Eumolpus enter the home of Pompeius. The intention of this scene is to make this land of pleasure seekers resemble Hell as much as possible. Fellini wants to shock us and take the primal urges as far as they can go without showing anything too graphic.
Fellini initially wants to shock the audience. He wants us to judge these characters as heathens doing ultimately unsatisfying things. We are supposed to be disgusted by the plates and plates of unidentified meat and whole animals that they eat ravenously. We are supposed to be annoyed with Pompeius and his arrogance. We are supposed to he frustrated with the way the young boys are treated as sexual objects and the apathetic looks on their faces. What has the most impact, however, is how Fellini always has a character staring straight into the camera, looking at us. Their deadpan expression shows that they think nothing of these depraved actions, but at the same time they also look as if they are judging us for watching this spectacle. We too are sucked into the same world just by watching it and these looks are continual reminders that we are involved in the film so we should also learn the same lessons that the characters are learning. It could also be interpreted as a warning that we might be the next society to act like animals (which is up for debate because perhaps we already are). These stares almost look like pleas of help, which makes the audience want to distance themselves as much as possible from this place. Fellini also uses these looks in other sections of the film, such as in the brothel when extras stare at the camera as if it were a point of view shot until our main characters walk into the frame. Then we realize that the extras are looking at us as if we are also customers in the den of iniquity. Fellini is able to draw the audience into the story and then shock them away from it. It is the yo-yoing of emotions that makes the film so intense.
The beginning of the scene resembles an apocalypse. We see cattle first, then the bonfires, and then the scowling peasants. The voiceover tells about the man that owns that land and that he is greedy and always wanting more. Right away, we don't like Pompeius because of the description Eumolpus gives. We hear that Pompeius passes himself off as an arrogant poet/artist. To add to the apocalyptic feel, every shot is tinged with red and there are clouds of smoke that waft into the frame. The camera moves with the people, conveying that they are all going to the same place- Pompeius's house. The sound of cowbells starts after about 20 seconds. These could be from the cows, or they could just be non-source music. Then, they become more rhythmic and fade out as an old man with a white face hisses at Eumolpus. This strange music adds a sense of fantasy but this is necessary because there is no way an audience is going to believe that this is reality. This is all relatively sedated compared to the upcoming shots. Fellini is easing us into the sequence so that it isn't too much of a shock all at once.
We enter into an even redder location as an eerie whistle plays a repetitive tune. Fog clouds up the action, but it resembles Hell. A more striking siren or animal wail starts in order to convey a sort of fear. There is no camera movement for this section because the images are intense on their own and unnecessary movement would surely take away from their impact. We think that the clouded figures might be devils or other evil creatures. What breaks this up, however, is a close shot of Eumolpus and Encolpio smiling as if they have come across some great treasure. This is the hint that there is something else going on at this place, or perhaps our hero is perverted. Eerie chanting starts as we see a closer shot of some of the people that we thought were devils. They look decrepit and one old man mouths something at the camera even though we can't hear his dialogue. We see another man in the bottom right of the screen that is pounding sticks against something. These things create the feeling that something sinister is going on. As the next shot starts, we see that the men with sticks are simply giving some sort of massages and we hear the sound of the wood slapping skin. These sounds and the images are reminders of the pleasures of the flesh. The chanting and whistles continue. The audience is led to wonder is this is perhaps some depraved, tribal place. When Eumolpus talks to two giggling girls that are called Venus, we realize that this is a place where sexuality reigns. Encolpio grins as he surveys what is going on around him. Everyone stops when bells are struck and horns blow. Someone is arriving who must be important. In the most disturbing shot of the sequence, the camera pans over a crowd of naked men and women who are jumping and chanting a name. We understand that these people are basically Pompeius's legions/followers/yes men. It shocks the reader because they are nude, signifying something sexual, at the same time that they are acting like sheep. They seem like sexual slaves ready for their master's beck and call. When Pompeius is carted in, he has a stern look on his face. The audience wonders, "Is he the devil?" He smiles and then talks to Eumolpus. Eumolpus, who had said earlier that he hated this man, is able to greet him smiling because he is presently flirting with two beautiful girls. This shows that sex can change a man and his integrity. The sounds, colors, and images portray something primal and tribal. What is important is that Fellini leads that audience to believe that this place is Hell and that taints the audience's perspective of the events to come.
The horns lead us to a new location. This is a shift in tempo as the camera moves consistently when new characters walk in and out of the frame. This gives us a sense of what is going on in a way that looks almost like a point of view shot. This brings the audience into the film as if they are also discovering this new room and these strange people on their own. The reds in this location turn to dark oranges and the colorful costumes are the only colors other than red that we have seen in awhile. This lightens up the mood, but only a bit. If it weren't for the orange walls, this could be a shot from any other film shot in the late 60's based on a Greek play. Even the pan flute is reminiscent of the stereotypical idea of a Greek scene. This gives the audience a sense of familiarity that he warps with sinister and disturbing images, sounds, and actions. We get our first taste of the gluttony of the people when a huge cooked turkey is brought out. It is enormous and still has all the feathers attached. This shocks the audience slightly because who in our modern world would eat that? People clap rhythmically and Pompeius's wife laughs hysterically at nothing. This creates the feeling of madness and dementia. Scantily clad male servants walk in and out of the frame to bring more and more food into the party, which the people grab at ravenously. The food ranges from organs, to eyeballs, to intact heads. Meanwhile, Pompeius brags about his riches and his aspirations to take over the land from his place to Africa: "It would all be mine. I would resemble 'the ever wandering Ulysses.' Do you like that quotation? The classics go well with food." We see that even when he brags, he fishes for compliments. He wants to be told how smart and poetic he is and the audience knows that the people he has surrounded himself with will tell him that. Pompeius even has his valuables brought in and paraded around. This is a man who needs constant reassurance of his greatness. These shots introduce us to Pompeius and his faults.
The rhythm changes as green lights and fog start. A servant is brought in who is asked how Pompeius obtained him. After he says that he was left to him in a will, he is ordered to cook well or else he will be punished. This shows the beginning of Pompeius's unjustified wrath. The quiet flute music persists and the colors return to shades of orange-red. Pompeius leaves the room to go to the "pot" and his followers recite poetry in his absence. One man recites the story of Midas and how even Midas's dog left him. The audience correlates this to Pompeius because he is the richest in the room. We wonder if perhaps Pompeius will share the same fate and for the first time, we feel a tinge of pity for him. More people enter and tribal screeches/horns start again. A woman in blue stares at our hero and he stares back. It seems sexual and it might foreshadow some future sexual encounter. It ends rather abruptly as it cuts to a giant pig being brought in. This creates a correlation between sexual urges and gluttony. Both sex and hunger are primal, but comparing them has a shock value because it taints the modern idea of loving, wholesome sex. The same rhythmic cowbells from the beginning of the sequence start again as Pompeius yells for the cook. Whistles are also heard as the cook begs for his life after forgetting to cut the pig. When a group of people yell "grant him pardon," Pompeius submits to their wishes, showing his need to be liked yet again. After this point, the characters that look at the lens become more obvious and are seated closer to the frame. This lets the audience know that even more madness and depravity is starting. We hear Encolpio's laughter but we don't get the joke. The audience wonders if even Encolpio is able to see the insanity of this place and this mindset.
The rhythm changes again as the "Homerists" are brought in. Their acting is solemn compared to the raucous characters that we had been watching. It is a juxtaposition that catches our attention. The actors' voices are monotone and mellow music plays. Though we see no dogs, we hear their barking. The differences between the quietness of the actors and the barking of the dogs make us realize how these people are like the rowdy dogs, or as Eumolpus calls them later, "mangy dogs." As the actors recite their lines, we see Eumolpus nodding and there is a spark in his eyes. We feel his passion for poetry because of the way his face lights up. An ominous, black, slimy type of animal is brought in as the next entr�e. We see Pompeius being groomed by his servants. Both of these things tell the audience that no one other than Eumolpus is truly interested in the art of poetry. This makes it particularly insulting when Pompeius asks Eumolpus if he was able to follow the story because of course he was able to. While Pompeius continues his constant stream of dialogue, we see people painting a huge portrait of him on a wall. This represents the sin of vanity. We see all of these sinful images combined with images of meat, which further drive home the idea that this is a place of primal urges. We see this again when Pompeius's wife starts dancing with the practically naked servant men. She is also dressed seductively and her dancing is wild. The loud cowbell sounds start up again with the addition of drums. This is a free-for-all as people scream, laugh, dance, and eat.
In order to break up this intensity, a more calm shot about finances starts. Apart from the dialogue, there is silence, which is a big change from before when there were always background sounds. A new group of people enter and the depravity once again builds up. Two women start to kiss until they are pulled apart. We see more homosexuality (which shock those audience members whom are more conservative) when Pompeius brings in his servant boy, whom is obviously also his lover. What is most depressing about this is that the young boy doesn't seem to care that he is being used as a sexual object. To be fair, no one in this film cares about that, but the fact that he is just a child is what makes it unfortunate. This affair with the young boy sends Pompeius's wife into a sobbing fit. It is an example of the consequences that sexual promiscuity can have. Pompeius talks about how he is the master that controls his kingdom as Fellini cuts to a shot of the huge painting of his face overshadowing some of his servants. This makes Pompeius look like a dictator and the audience now hates him even more. All of this builds up to the climax of Eumolpus accusing Pompeius of plagiarism. Pompeius explodes and orders Eumolpus to be thrown in the oven. Encolpio looks as if he doesn't care at all. The audience realizes that this place has tainted him so that he doesn't even empathize with his friend whom is facing death. As usual, the drums and whistles are on full blast. The servants are thoroughly enjoying themselves as they taunt Eumolpus. They look like apes as they jump around their prey. Eumolpus is captured and pulled toward a huge oven with spits that are covered with spikes. This is the final shot and the fire is once again reminiscent of Hell.
Overall, this sequence looks very stylized. In shots with many people in the frame, some are doing repetitive motions while others are completely still. This creates a sense of fakeness, as if they hiding something by acting so unnaturally. Also, the camera moves when there are people moving in the shot. This helps to add to the action and intensity of the scene, which adds to the dramatic impact. The sound varies and includes the eerie instruments, the tribal drums and screams, the peaceful pan flute, the barking dogs, and the silence. As noted in each segment, the sound contributes to the overall emotions of the shots, especially when it is the tribal sounding music accompanying depraved actions. The image constantly reminds us that even though these people are enjoying themselves, this place is a version of Hell. In every segment of the sequence, Fellini builds up the intensity and depravity. If he didn't, then we would be overwhelmed by what was going on for a full fifteen minutes. The downtime allows us to collect our thoughts and then once it escalates up to a higher level of madness, we are ready for it. Fellini does a wonderful job in all of these aspects to convey that these natural instincts should not always be obeyed.
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