Caligula (Tinto Brass, 1979)

When the Gore Vidal scripted Caligula finally was released after several years in production it earned a lot of money on the box office. The rumour says it took in around 20 million dollars that first week, before it was pulled back into what the critics hoped to be obscurity. That didn’t happen, of course. It became one of Penthouse most bestselling productions and still lives on through new releases. I sincerely think it’s a good, maybe even great, film. It’s far from perfect, but it’s also the beauty marks what makes it what it is today.

When Tinto Brass left the production, producer and professional smutpeddler Bob Guccione cobbled together the film in the way it wasn’t meant to be. He used outtakes, stuff that was out of focus, scenes where the actors and extras just was taking a break, edited scenes in the wrong order and sometimes even creating scenes that didn’t exist in the first place, from combining footage not meant to be near each other. This means the film has a very special atmosphere. Just like Robert Altman, Tinto Brass prefers to stay on a distance with his cameras, never letting the actors know what’s going on. With Guccione’s way of putting together the film it feels even more intimate, even more voyeuristic. It takes away some of the stylishness Brass gives to his films, but also adds to the quality in an odd way.

The impressive sets, reminding us of theatre stages, gives the film a dreamy, outworldly look. Most scenes are often only blocked from one side, which gives us the impression there’s an audience sitting on the other side - so basically, with it’s big and bold words and tasteless scenes of sex and carnage - Caligula IS a stage, a perverted opera with the sounds of screaming instead of singing. Malcolm McDowell, still the hottest actor of the time, makes the movie his own - but look at him, look how he always gives the other actors - from the extra to the veteran stars - attention. That’s acting my friends, not the ego show it could have been with any other actors.

I don’t give much for Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud not being aware of the pornographic nature of the film. Both are fantastic, but you need to be blind not to see what’s going on right behind their backs in a lot of scenes. There’s some graphic stuff there, both violence and sex - sometimes simulated sex, sometimes not at all. Then, I mean, this was still a sexual revolution at the cinema and it being funded by Mr Porn himself, well, how could they don’t know? I think they had a blast - and a big paycheck - and spending time with other Shakespearean actors in Rome, not bad at all. Even I would say yes to that.

Caligula could have been the first movie I saw together with G (he fell asleep), even before Night of the Lepus and Food of the Gods 1 and 2. It was in 2007 and it was the very impressive Imperial Edition from Penthouse Films/Image, which still is the ultimate release. Today I saw it on blu-ray from Arrow Video, which looked fine - but still a bit rugged and murky. But I’m not complaining. It’s after all the worlds most expensive sex film, recut a million times, loathed and loved. It’s been alive all this years, and it’s visible. Isn’t that a beautiful destiny of a film?

What’s extra fun is that many years later both Gore Vidal and Helen Mirren...and a bunch of other famous people (including the AWESOME Karen Black!)… starred in “Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula”, a special short movie/fake trailer made for the art exhibition Venice Biennale. It’s a lot of fun, check it out:

Comments

[Tobe]

I think it´s a masterpiece, and every movie with Helen Mirren in it are worth watching in my book.

[Megatron]

"I sincerely think it’s a good, maybe even great, film. It’s far from perfect, but it’s also the beauty marks what makes it what it is today."

I still haven´t seen this one.

"I don’t give much for Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud not being aware of the pornographic nature of the film. Both are fantastic, but you need to be blind not to see what’s going on right behind their backs in a lot of scenes. There’s some graphic stuff there, both violence and sex - sometimes simulated sex, sometimes not at all. Then, I mean, this was still a sexual revolution at the cinema and it being funded by Mr Porn himself, well, how could they don’t know? I think they had a blast - and a big paycheck - and spending time with other Shakespearean actors in Rome, not bad at all."

hahahhahahhaha...they probably loved it, but didn´t dare to say it openly....

"Even I would say yes to that."

So, does that mean you and Rocco Siffredi might do a film together?

"It’s after all the worlds most expensive sex film, recut a million times, loathed and loved. It’s been alive all this years, and it’s visible. Isn’t that a beautiful destiny of a film?"

When you put it like that.....you could be right, good review and thanks.

"What’s extra fun is that many years later both Gore Vidal and Helen Mirren...and a bunch of other famous people (including the AWESOME Karen Black!)… starred in “Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula”, a special short movie/fake trailer made for the art exhibition Venice Biennale."

hahahhahahha...I would love see this one, this film is even more fun to watch when you know some of the films Mirren and Milla Jovovich has done......do review of Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991), I dare you!