Detail from Hadrian's Arch, Antalya Fellini's Satyricon

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Column Before watching the video, think about the episodes we have read and imagine how they might be treated in a film.

  1. How is the Cena Trimalchionis structured? That is, apart from the chapter headings (which are artificial and added by our editor), how are the various episodes put together? What, if anything, links them?
  2. How could this structure be applied to a film? Or would it be better to organize the film differently?
  3. Would you include ALL the episodes in the story? If not, what would you leave out and what would need to be changed as a result? Would you present all the episodes in the same way?
  4. Who are the main characters? What are they like? What are the relationships between them? How could this be shown in a film?
  5. What parts of the story or information about the characters would you choose to show in a film by means of dress, decor, lighting, music, gesture, etc.? What would you choose to tell by means of action, plot, dialogue, etc.?
  6. If you directed this film, would you make it a comedy? a "serious" film critiquing contemporary society? a love story? a success story? a story about male bonding? something else? Why would you choose that sort of story, and how would you tell it?

Column As we watch the video, jot down your thoughts and reactions concerning these aspects of the film.

  1. Lighting: How does it contribute to showing us the story, introducing us to the characters or developing them, integrating the beginning and end of the film, etc.?
  2. Decor: Where is the story filmed? What do these settings add to or take away from the story's interest?
  3. Costumes: What do the characters look like? How are they dressed? How does their appearance influence your reaction to the film?
  4. Characters: How can you identify them? What roles do the minor characters play in showing us the story?
  5. Plot: What happens before and after the dinner party? How is the party itself different from what we have read?
  6. Your reaction: How do you like/dislike the film? Why? If you were directing the film, what would you do differently?
  7. What do you think will happen? How will the story end?