Caligula is one of the most notorious films of all time. penthouse Magazine founder Bob Guccione wanted to make a sexually explicit adult film with high production values and well-known actors. The rise and fall of one of history’s most controversial Roman emperors seemed like the perfect subject. Its release was met with mostly negative reviews, censorship, and legal action by countries around the world. At the time, many considered it one of the worst films of all time.
The film was plagued by production problems. Gore Vidal’s original script had a strong focus on homosexuality and wanted a story that was more about a good person going mad with power. When director Tinto Brass was hired, he rewrote the script to include more female nudity and violence. Actors like Orson Welles refused to take a role on moral grounds. Others left Caligula because they were uncomfortable with the nudity and sexual content. Thieves and ex-convicts reportedly played extras and Penthouse Pets were cast in sex scenes.
Somehow it worked out. Well-known actors Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren joined the cast, and although the film was panned by critics, it left a lasting legacy. Since its controversial release Caligula has gained a cult following. The Ultimate cut premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and received mostly positive reviews.
(True to the film’s turbulent history, Brass filed legal action against Penthouse Films over the release.)
Caligula: The ultimate cut uses nearly 100 hours of original footage – much of it unused – to better fit Vidal’s original vision. This includes a larger role for Mirren’s Caesonia, which is less than half an hour long in the original release but nearly an hour long in the new cut. There’s also a new animated sequence designed to tie the overarching story together.
How well it works depends on what the audience wants from it. All the pornography that Guccione added without the actors’ knowledge has been removed. But that doesn’t mean that Caligula: The ultimate cut is safer for mass consumption. There is so much nudity that many will wonder what exactly was left out. Especially since this is longer than what was released in 1980.
Caligula: The ultimate cut is just as brutal as any other version. There’s a monstrous device that decapitates people, scenes of people being whipped while hanging, and a child being beaten to the ground in graphic fashion. There are also scenes of sexual violence. Oddly, the camera doesn’t show anything when Caligula slaps his sister/lover Drusilla (Teresa Ann Savoy).
What really stands out are the great sets. An early scene in what can best be described as a sex carnival looks like something out of a Las Vegas stage show. The costumes are beautiful and the film is full of moments that overshadow a great performance from McDowell. It all looks great, but it’s a shame that the acting and script take a back seat.
So what does this mean? Caligula: The ultimate cut for additional footage? Honestly, not much. The original was a choppy affair that suffered from pacing issues and had a promising story that went nowhere. This was mostly due to Guccione’s interference, but the film didn’t have much of a chance from the start.
Although the extended version is intended to follow Vidal’s vision, it is important to remember that the version of Caligula never existed. As soon as Brass was called in, he made extensive rewrites. Caligula: The ultimate cut is more of the same, just without the unacted sex.
Caligula: The ultimate cut will be in cinemas on August 16th
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