The Degenerates
Short description
Based on the work of Petronius, this satirical comedy drama explores the decadence of imperial Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero. The story follows two young men, Encolpio and Ascilto, as they navigate a series of bold and unusual adventures involving love and survival. Their journey leads them through various encounters, including a confrontation with a witch and the discovery of an inheritance following the death of a relative, while they remain under the shadow of the emperor's persecution.
The film was directed by Gian Luigi Polidoro and represents the first of two listed works in his directorial career, followed by Fischia Il Sesso in 1974. The screenplay was written by Rodolfo Sonego and produced by Alfredo Bini. The ensemble cast features Don Backy as Encolpio, Franco Fabrizi as Ascilto, Tina Aumont as Circe, and Ugo Tognazzi as Trimalchione, with additional performances by Francesco Pau and Mario Carotenuto. Produced in Italy by Cineriz and Arco Film, the movie has a runtime of 120 minutes. It holds a rating of 6.6/10 on TMDB based on 31 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- The distribution rights for the US and Europe were bought out by United Artists to prevent the film from hitting theaters before Fellini's 'Satyricon', the production of which United Artists was financing. It was only three years later that United Artists released the film under the title 'The Degenerates'.
- When Polidoro began filming in 1968, Alberto Grimaldi—the producer of the Satyricon version directed by Federico Fellini—filed a lawsuit demanding that Alfredo Bini cease production of the competing film. Bini, however, proved that he had planned to adapt Petronius's novel since 1962 and had registered the title 'Satyricon' at that time. In the end, not only did Grimaldi and Fellini fail to stop the creation of the competing film, but they were also forced to find a new title for their own.
- The film is based on the novel of the same name by Petronius.
- The film was released in Italy on March 27, 1969, and began to perform well at the box office, but was soon seized 'for obscenity.' By court order, the film was censored, and the creators and distributors (the distributor, producer, director, and several lead actors) were fined.
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