At a time when he was suffering personal and financial difficulties, Fellini agreed to take on this project on the life of Casanova for producer Dino de Laurentiis, despite his personal abhorrence of the legendary lothario. The lead role was eventually filled by Donald Sutherland, who Fellini memorably described as “a sperm-filled waxwork with the eyes of a masturbator”, and who noted at the time, “I’m not playing Casanova. I’m playing Fellini’s Casanova, and that’s a whole different thing”. Sutherland was absolutely correct in that while the film follows the character on a series of assignations, they are depicted as joyless, as is Casanova himself, a portrait entirely at odds with his mythic stature in this heavily stylised and often overlooked film.

Screening as part of the Federico Fellini retrospective, April 4th to 30th.