Directed by the great silent cinema pioneer Louis Feuillade (a man with a highly prolific career, directing everything from crime serials to romantic dramas), this is a brief and highly interesting small scale Roman epic. It isn't among the finest works of this era, but it certainly is a fascinating historical document with plenty of merits. It showcases some early use of tinting as well as the Ancient Rome epic-even if it is on a highly small scale-and is visually interesting. Using many neat backgrounds and special effects methods, Feuillade has created a historical universe here similar to the magical lands of Georges Melies. The surrealism and whimsical fantasy does not seem to be intended here, but that seems to make it all the more enchanting. I would also like to note one scene that really caught my eye in which a man is sent to be killed by lions, and we see him being thrown into the pit of lions. Real lions were used in this scene, and it thrilled me a surprising amount when I saw the man running off camera from them. Just a brief moment showing off the magic of early cinema.

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.

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).