For forty-five years now Caligula has been known as one of the most controversial films of all time. With blood, guts, nudity and sex galore, the pornographic epic became the stuff of legend, in which the controversy both on screen as well as behind it, led many to flock to their local cinema to catch a spectacle of the flesh. With literary legend Gore Vidal behind the screenplay and arthouse filmmaker Tinto Brass behind the camera, what had originally begun as a project intended to combine sex and art to deliver “a new kind of movie” soon dwindled into pure filth. Not only was Vidal's script discarded during the editing stage but producer Bob Guccione shot pornographic footage behind Brass' back and edited it into the film without his knowledge, crafting a nonsensical, vile feature in the process. Now, decades later, with the legend of Caligula burnt into the public conscience, comes a brand new restoration thanks to Thomas Negovan. A new cut of the same film using entirely unseen footage. For forty-plus years controversy has followed Caligula everywhere it goes and so the question remains whether any merit exists at all within The Ultimate Cut.
From almost the very beginning of the film, it becomes clear why Caligula has persisted to shock and disgust for as long as it has. Though sex and nudity are much less taboo these days there is no getting around the stir it would have caused at the time. Regardless, the amount of naked bodies and mass orgies we see throughout the three-hour runtime is enough to turn pleasure into pain for any viewer. Considering over ninety hours of footage was shot during the film's original production, one can only imagine how much more was shot. However, it is more the imagery throughout the film that disgusts these days. The original film had such abominations as a man's emasculated remains being eaten by dogs or another being forced to consume gallons of wine before having his bursting stomach punctured with a sword, whereas this new cut takes things down a notch. That being said, these scenes are not removed but instead replaced by scenes that are wicked in their way. From childbirth live on stage to Caligula forcing himself onto his general and his wife on their wedding night as a “gift from your emperor”, there is plenty in this new version of the film to churn your stomach and haunt your mind for days.
The plot of Caligula is just as loose as it has ever been, though the rearrangement of the structure and the use of footage that has never seen the light of day allows for The Ultimate Cut to provide us with a much clearer narrative, that being the one of the rise and fall of emperor Caligula. Specifically, focusing on the madness and paranoia which consumed him and eventually led to his downfall.
Given just how much footage was shot, there are the occasional scenes or sequences in which the change in pace or tone feels jarring and disconnected, leading to a narrative that can feel a little uneven at points. A good example of this is a long sequence in which Malcolm McDowell's titular character suffers from a fever seemingly out of nowhere. Just as this creates an inconsistent narrative, it too can have an impact on the relationships of the characters and the performances of those playing them. One minute a performance could be played completely straight, and the other, over the top and laughable.
However, these issues appear to be inevitable when tackling a project such as this and thankfully don't persist throughout the movie. Instead, as McDowell has said himself, this wonderful restoration has brought one of his best performances to light after forty-five years. Bringing a youthful naivety to the role of the infamous Roman emperor, McDowell captures that same inherent evil that he brought to roles like Alex DeLarge and Mick Travis. Only this time, McDowell's Caligula is surrounded by grandiose sets, a supporting cast on an epic scale, and some truly breathtaking costumes, all of which elevate the young rulers' ridiculous and ungodly rule over the Roman Empire.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut may extinguish the more controversial elements of the film, but it's still got some fire to it. Thomas Negovan and co. have crafted a brand new version of one of the most infamous films of all time and have allowed its quality to come to the forefront, all the while maintaining its sensational value. There is plenty here to continue turning away audiences for years to come but at the center of it all is a genuinely fascinating story of true evil and the depths that one man can go to with the support of those around him. A rather poignant message for this day and age.
Bringing the excellent work of Brass, Vidal, McDowell and so many more to life for the first time in forty-five years, one can't help but respect this latest restoration. Taking a famously trashy feature and crafting a newer version without repeating a single frame is something to behold and, in doing so, recaptures the spirit of the original release all the way back in 1979. That being that Caligula: The Ultimate Cut must be seen to be believed.
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