--- title: "Satyricon: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/satyricon/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/satyricon" critics_score: 60 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Satyricon (1969): what the critics said Critics' score 60 from 10 reviews: 4 positive, 4 mixed, 2 negative. The reviews lean cautiously favourable on Satyricon, with praise clustering around its visual invention rather than its storytelling. Even several unconvinced critics admire the elaborate sets, costumes and grotesque imagery of Fellini’s ancient Rome. Production design is the clearest point of agreement, while the more enthusiastic reviews also find the film hypnotic and imaginatively persuasive. The Guardian praises the camerawork, art direction and music, despite reservations about thin content and a voyeuristic perspective. The disagreement is substantial: what admirers find absorbing, detractors find tedious, incoherent or emotionally shallow. Loose construction and a lack of narrative momentum recur among the complaints, alongside static dialogue and poorly dubbed performances. Slant Magazine regards the film as one of Fellini’s greatest achievements, singling out its expansive sets and visual style. The New Yorker takes a sharply opposing view, finding the imagery monotonous and arguing that religious moralising undermines the film’s apparent freedom. ## Slant Magazine — Clayton Dillard Rating 5/5. 24 February 2015. Dillard regards the film as one of Fellini’s greatest achievements, finding it both rapturous and claustrophobic. He especially praises its expansive, vividly designed sets and striking visual style. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/fellini-satyricon/) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 4/5. The critic praises the film as a deliriously surreal portrait of ancient Rome. He singles out its use of Nero’s empire to comment on contemporary godlessness. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6ddtqp/satyricon/) ## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2015. Malcolm finds the film a hypnotic, imaginative achievement, despite reservations about its thin content and voyeuristic perspective. He especially praises its stunning imagery, camerawork, art direction and music. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/10/fellini-satyricon-review-emmanuelle-1970) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1968. The review presents the film as a vivid but loosely structured vision, noting that its static dialogue weighs down the imagery. It singles out the production design, sets, costumes, and makeup for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1968/film/reviews/satyricon-1200421851/) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 1970. The review’s verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified because the article text is inaccessible. The available page provides no further review details. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/15/archives/fellinis-magical-mystery-tour-fellinis-magical-mystery-tour.html) ## The AV Club — Mike D'Angelo Rating C-. 25 February 2015. D’Angelo finds the film visually striking but ultimately tedious and incoherent. He praises its elaborate production design and costumes, while faulting its disjointed storytelling and poorly dubbed performances. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/fellini-satyricon-is-the-italian-director-at-his-most-d-1798182849) ## Empire — Alan Morrison Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2015. Morrison finds the film wildly inconsistent but not intellectually bankrupt, with its appeal fading after the initial impact. He praises Danilo Donati’s designs while noting the film’s occasional incoherence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/satyricon-review/) ## Time Out Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 July 2012. The review is negative, finding the film self-indulgent and lacking narrative momentum. It praises the grotesque imagery, but says that imagery cannot make up for the absence of forward movement. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/fellini-satyricon) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 1970. Kael calls the film terrible and emotionally shallow, arguing that its religious moralizing undermines its apparent freedom. She praises Giton’s portrayal and a brief, charming Garden of Eden episode, but finds the imagery monotonous and largely forgettable. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1970/03/14/fellinis-mondo-trasho) ## The Skinny — Sam Lewis Rating ★★★★. 27 April 2015. The review gives the film four stars, indicating a positive verdict. Its excerpt highlights the loose Roman-era story of a young man trying to keep his lover’s affection. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews?page=12&user_location=135/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/satyricon.md