The Roman Orgy (1911)

Very well executed

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Is this the short Louis Feuillade spectacle (well mildly spectacular) where the transvestite emperor has his slave fed to the lions he turns loose on the orgy lot before the Pretorian guard take his head? Mainly one shot one scene, with the most inventive touch being staging the upper and lower frame as the Imperial party and the victims below.The golden areas in the shot are tinted - stencil colour?A ten line coverage of this film will take longer to read than the filmlet does to watch. Does anyone really want that? I mean anyone?Anyone?

The dissolute Emperor Heliogabalus (Jean Aymé) dresses as a woman, and looses lions among his guests.The only thing that really stands out about this film is the use of lions. Of course, these lions are tame, but it is the first use of lions on film to my knowledge, and in a scenario where they are interacting with human beings. Anyone who had not been to a circus might have seen this and been amazed.Beyond that, there is not much to report. Today's audiences might expect something a bit juicier based on the word "orgy" in the title, but do not get your hopes up. Regardless of the title, this is still a film from an earlier time when such images were not for public consumption.

L'orgie romaine (1911) *** (out of 4) Simple but fun French film takes place in Rome, 218 AD as Elagabalus enjoys being treated as the master he is as countless women take care of him. This ranges from them doing his clothes and giving him a bath. In one of the film's best moments, a servant accidentally scratched Elagabalus so he sends the guy to the lion pits where he's eaten before everyone goes back to the orgy (or more of a party). Those expecting some nudity of dirty stuff will be disappointed as the title is quite misleading but I'm going to guess it was used to get some folks into the theater expecting something more naughty. What is here is a pleasant little gem that gives us a fake history lesson in just eight-minutes. Director Feuillade manages to pack quite a bit into the short running time but there's no question the highlight is the lion's den, which actually manages to contain some mild suspense even though we know the actor is in no real danger. Another highlight comes towards the end when the always joking Elagabalus lets the lions join the party. The final five-minutes of this film are hand colored and it looks very good. Another major plus are the wonderful sets and nice costumes. Fans of early cinema will certainly want to check this one out.

While this film set in ancient Rome is NOT nearly on par with contemporary films on the subject (such as the early versions of "Quo Vadis?" and "Maciste"), I was very impressed because the film makers had a lot of nice costumes and sets (for 1911) and, believe it or not, lions running around the set!! Yes...LIONS!! Cool, certainly, but unfortunately not enough to make this a must-see film! The film begins with Emperor Héliogabale (or "Elagabal" or "Heliogabalus") putting on a weird fashion show. Then you see him act cruel and petty until eventually his own soldiers kill him. But, most importantly, there is NOT ONE BIT OF ROMAN ORGY to be found in this film! Anyone wanting to see nudity or debauchery should look elsewhere! Overall, the film looked nice but came off as episodic and disappointing (not just because of the lack of salaciousness).