Caligula (Tinto Brass, Bob Guccione & Giancarlo Lui 1979)
“I can smell death … but whose?” (That’ll be your career, Malcolm)
Notorious. That’s what Caligula is. Why? Because it’s a $22 million dollar porno, with a top-draw cast (Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O’Toole & Helen Mirren), and a script by none other than Gore Vidal. So why the notoriety? Hardcore scenes of full penetrative sex, that’s what. Bob Guccione is the publisher of Penthouse, and Caligula was his baby… his dream project. His dream. Our collective nightmare.
The story concerns Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, who was the third Roman Emperor, reigning from 16 March 37 AD until his assassination on 24 January 41 AD. It is well documented that the first 2 years of his reign were relatively calm, but then he went bananas, divulging into cruelty (killing off his ‘enemies’ for his own amusement), extravagance (heavy drinking), and sexual perversity (you name it).
There are also tales of his incestusous relationships with his sisters Agrippina, Julia Livilla & Drusilla. Drusilla is the only one who makes it into the film, and is played very well indeed by the extrmely beautiful English-born actress, Teresa Ann Savoy. It’s a pleasure to see her cavorting around naked, and she could actually act! Incidentally, she worked with Tinto Brass some years earlier on his sleazy film ‘Salon Kitty’.
Malcolm McDowell is suited to the lead role… to be honest I bet he couldn’t believe his luck! Gielgud looks rather disgruntled throughout, and Peter O’Toole looks hammered! I think his alchoholism peaked in the late seventies, and it looks like it peaked right here in Rome. Bear in mind that the much troubled-production began in 1976, yet the film was actually released in 1979. Also, Guido Mannari’s role of Macro is hilariously dubbed-over by ‘voice-over king’ Patrick Allen. Nice touch.
The budget bloated from $17 million to $22 million during filming in Rome, and it’s not difficult to see where the money went. Some of the sets are garish, cheap-looking pieces of work, where as other set-pieces are rather lavish and outrageously over-the-top.
The production was a complete nightmare, with Tinto Brass hating the script, some of the sets, the high level of sexual content, in fact, everything. He wanted too much power, and set about re-writing the script. As a result, production was delayed, and this inflated the budget considerably. The situation, like Brass, was spiraling out of control, and as filming nearly ended, Guccione fired Brass, took control of the footage, and hired Giancarlo Lui to edit the film. It was around this time that Lui & Guccione then sneaked on to the set to re-shoot material, this time with full penetration to some of his beautiful Penthouse pets.
There are various versions of Caligula in existence. The earlier UK cut release removed the hardcore scenes, and re-edited the movie in an attempt to make it almost watchable. It was a sloppy edit, and that
149 minute version barely made any sense (indeed, does any version?). But the full 150m uncut version is
a fascinating watch. What were they thinking? How did they expect to get away with it? DID they get away
with it?? There is also an infamous 210 minute version made. Three & a half hours… of THAT?!
Finally the uncut ‘as good as it’s going to get’ version was re-issued in 2008. And if you want to watch 2 and half hours of orgies, masturbation, fellatio, cunnilingus, anal fisting, incest, rape, mindless bloody violence, full penetration, urination and castration, then this is for you! The funniest scene is where Caligula’s sister Drusilla dies… so he tries to grope her back to life! Caligula. An epic of pornographic proportions.
Not for kids.
