Caligula

This is truly a lost opportunity. After a massive search, a film scholar tracked down all of the original film shot by director Tinto Brass, who is still alive, and he wante4d to work with Brass to finally make a director's cut.

Penthouse, which own the rights, changed management and the new management instead turned the footage over to some people with absolutely no background in film restoration. This new team said they wanted to restore the film to the intentions of Gore Vidal's script. The main problem with that is Tinto Brass was not filming Vidal's script as it was written, as he thought it was terrible. He and actor Malcolm McDowell reworked the script into something more of an art film.

The result of this restoration is that the scenes are finally in the right order but put together with with no sense of style or pacing. Tinto Brass envisioned lots of close up and fast editing, and completed about half of the film this way. Instead we get long takes that emphasize the lavish sets and obscure the action. It looks like a rough cut that is waiting for someone to add closeups and quicken the pace. A few individual scenes work much better in the original due to better editing.

Another drawback is the overly modern score, which doesn't reflect musical trends of the 1970s, when the film was shot.

On the plus side, all of the incongruous hardcore scenes shot by Penthouse chief Bob Guccione are gone. A more coherent performance by Malcolm McDowell can be seen, though at times some of the more manic takes might have worked better to emphasize his deteriorating mental state.

Having looked at the laserdisc R-rated version, the "Imperial" unrated version and the documentary promotional short featuring Guccione and Vidal attempting to explain, I find it very hard to see the "Ultimate Cut" as the new movie it is supposed to be. It does indeed appear to be made of elements previously unseen. This was never a terrible, but an unfortunate movie, born crippled over and over. We may never see the 4 hour masterpiece that (perhaps) could have been. In this version there is much to like, much beauty and humor. Maybe not the best takes, or camera angles, but more story. The whole thing makes more sense. Not subtle, but fun. Happily the actors have loads more screen time. Teresa Ann Savoy isn't just pretty and likable. As Caligula's calculating, patient, loving sister, she helps so much! If you have ever dreamed of being a movie editor because it looks easy, this movie and its difficulties will enhance your respect for the editor's art. Enjoy it some time when the children and the easily offended are not around.

Caligula is a film with a storied history. What began as a sprawling historical epic saw much of the film land on the cutting room floor. In its place, a violent and pornographic cash-grab that bore little resemblance to the script by Gore Vidal. Though a box office success, thanks to the controversy surrounding the film, critics derided it, and the cast disowned it. Now, forty-four years later, Caligula: The Ultimate Cut intends to showcase the film's original vision-a riveting and complex historical drama showcasing the intoxicating allure of sexuality and power. The film runs nearly three hours, is entirely fascinating, and delivers a triumphant expose on how 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.' In an era of director's cuts and alternate versions, Caligula is a magnificent restoration with a triumphant zeal.

Full Review: Geek Vibes Nation.

This is a superb work of film forensics, creating a version of the film with the narrative cohesion that the original release sorely lacked. Cutting all the gratuitous porn plays a major part in giving the film that narrative cohesion and allows Gore Vidal's political themes to take centrestage. The performances truly shine, with original actors' vocal performances restored instead of the over-dubs used for some characters- especially good for Teresa Ann Savoy. Helen Mirren is given considerably more screentime, which is very welcome, and Malcolm McDowell's performance is revealed as the Oscar-worthy performance we deserved to see in 1980. The new music is also a huge improvement on the 'found' score of 1980.

However there are three exclusions that I didn't like. One was the death of Proculus, which gave some closure to the unforgettable marriage violation scene - and is an extraordinary scene in itself. I think it could have remained without the gratuitous bit with the naked ladies. The second was the scene with Ennia on the bed being 'serviced' by her male companions- it was not entirely clear what service they were providing! A re-edit could make this clearer without becoming porn. The most seriously disappointing ommission for me though was the conclusion of John Gielgud's performance - when Nerva and Caligula share a powerful moment. Given this edit's aim of enhancing the performances, it seems very strange to rob Gielgud of any screetime, given how brief his role is. Perhaps the restorers thought this moment made Caligula look too mad too early but I think it's a vital moment for both characters, and is reflected later in the aforementioned, also cut, Proculus scene. For an 'ultimate' cut I think this scene needs to go back.

In any case I think this is an amazing feat of restoration bringing this extraordinary film much closer to the one Tinto Brass and Gore Vidal intended it to be.

I watched Caligula for the first time in July 2023. Shortly after, I found out about a new version that had premiered at Cannes, but wasn't available to stream or purchase.

I did my research, found out about the man in charge of this restoration, Thomas Negovan, subscribed to his youtube and Patreon and just kept checking from time to time to see when I would finally be able to watch this.

The time finally came. This is a much better movie. It flows a lot better. Caligula's descend into madness and fear is far far better shown.

All of the new scenes are excellent. When you watch them, you realize how so many of the scenes in the original version were cut short.

For example, near the end, at the dinner after Britain's ''conquer'', in the original version he suddenly yells ''CRAWL CRAWL CRAWL!'', doesn't make a lot of sense. But in this new cut, they added the entire scene in which Caligula was playing ''Caesar says'' and commanding the people there to do different things. Such as ''Caesar says turn right, caesar says hop'' He finally snaps and that's when he screams ''CRAWL CRAWL CRAWL'' Just one of many examples.

There are however, a few things I liked more in the original. The final shot for example. It showed the blood dripping down the stairs with the dead bodies lying there, I think it is a great final shot. In this new cut they removed that.

I also miss the music from the original opening and the phrase that appears :''For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?''

The music in this new version was a bit tame in my opinion.

All the long porn scenes have been removed, no more 10 minute long blowjobs. However, I believe there were a few highly explicit very short scenes that I believe should have been left in. I think that explicitness added a lot.

I don't think it is a perfect film, but it is definitely superior to the original. You get a lot a lot more character development, overall, it just flows better.