Fellini’s Casanova

Casanova travels to one of Venice's islands to engage in a sexual encounter with a fake nun, driven by the pleasure of a voyeur. He is frustrated that the man hosting the event shows no interest in Casanova's alchemy research and schemes. As he leaves the island, Casanova is rowing back to the mainland, feeling unfulfilled and scheming anew.

Casanova is arrested, judged, and imprisoned by the High Court in Venice due to his notorious debauchery. During his incarceration, he reflects on his romantic and sexual escapades, including his affair with a dressmaker and a young woman named Anna Maria who suffers from fainting fits.

Casanova escapes prison through the roof and chooses exile from Venice to avoid further punishment. His escape marks the beginning of his travels abroad, as he is taken into the court of Madame d'Urfé in Paris, who is intrigued by his supposed alchemical knowledge.

At Madame d'Urfé's court, Casanova is remembered for his alchemical knowledge, and the Madame attempts to transform her soul through ritual intercourse with him. Meanwhile, Casanova entices his brother's girlfriend, causing personal complications amidst his flirtations and schemes.

Two years later, Casanova moves to Forlì and becomes involved with a hunchback, Du Bois. During his stay, he takes charge of a beautiful young woman named Henriette, with whom he shares a bond, but she disappears unexpectedly at the request of an emissary from a distant court, who advises Casanova not to follow her.

While in London, Casanova is robbed by two women, which leads him to attempt drowning himself in the Thames River. His suicidal moment is interrupted by a vision of a giantess and dwarves, and he becomes captivated by watching them and their antics at a frost fair.

Casanova attends a wild and bizarre party hosted by Lord Talou in Rome, where he wins a bet by demonstrating his endurance through multiple orgasms within an hour. The event exemplifies the decadent and hedonistic lifestyle Casanova immerses himself in.

In Dresden, Casanova falls for Isabella, an alchemist’s daughter, but she fails to meet him. He instead gets involved in an orgy at a hostel where he is stranded. During this time, he has a brief encounter with his estranged mother in a theater, revealing unresolved family ties.

Casanova moves to Württemberg, where he faces frustration in his pursuits as a writer and inventor amid the court's chaotic orgies. It is here that he shares a dance and an intimate encounter with Rosalba, a mechanical doll, blending his fascination with technology and passion.

Now elderly, Casanova serves as a librarian to Count Waldstein at his castle in Dux. His life has become tiresome and ridiculed, and he spends his days reminiscing and recounting his past, feeling drained and weary of his earlier adventures.

In a reflective dream, Casanova is transported back to Venice, where he chases the ghosts of his past lovers who ultimately vanish. He encounters a mystical stagecoach inviting him to join its passengers, symbolizing his longing for reconciliation and escape.

In his final reflection, Casanova meets Rosalba, the mechanical doll, once again. They dance together, symbolizing a form of eternal connection, blending his lifelong fascination with love, illusion, and companionship in his twilight years.