Caligola (1979)

Directors:

Tinto Brass
Bob Guccione

Writer:

Gore Vidal (earlier screenplay)

Release Date:

15 February 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Adult | Drama | History

Tagline:

What would you have done if you had been given absolute power of life and death over everybody else in the whole world?

Plot:

Details the graphic and shocking, yet undeniably tragic story of Rome's most infamous Caesar, Gaius Germanicus Caligula.

Plot Keywords:

Caligula | Hardcore | Horse | Orgy | Emperor

Cast

Malcolm McDowell	...	Caligula
Teresa Ann Savoy	...	Drusilla
Guido Mannari	...	Macro
John Gielgud	...	Nerva
Peter O'Toole	...	Tiberius
Giancarlo Badessi	...	Claudius
Bruno Brive	...	Gemellus
Adriana Asti	...	Ennia
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Charicles
Paolo Bonacelli	...	Chaerea
John Steiner	...	Longinus
Mirella D'Angelo	...	Livia (as Mirella Dangelo)
Helen Mirren	...	Caesonia
Rick Parets	...	Mnester (as Richard Parets)
Paula Mitchell	...	Subura Singer

Also Known As:

Caligula (USA)
Caligula, My Son (UK)
Caligvla (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Gore Vidal's Caligola (Italy) (working title)
Io, Caligola (Italy) (recut version)

Runtime:

156 min | Spain:137 min | USA:102 min (R-rated version) | 210 min (original cut) | Italy:123 min (recut version) | USA:148 min (re-release)

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (re-release: 1999) | Mono (original release)

Certification:

Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (cut) | USA:R (heavily cut) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | Spain:X | Italy:VM18 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | New Zealand:R18 | Finland:K-18 (heavily cut) (1981) | Australia:Refused Classification (2005) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Belgium:KNT (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | West Germany:18 (nf) | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | France:-16 | France:X (DVD release) | Japan:R-18 | UK:18 (uncut version) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2007) | Brazil:18 | Portugal:M/18 (DVD rating) (uncut) | Spain:18 | Australia:(Banned) (original rating) | Australia:R (re-rating, cut) (1981) | Australia:R (Original rating) (uncut) | Australia:X (Video rating) (1984) | Argentina:18 | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2001) | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) (original rating) | Iceland:16 (cut) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | South Korea:18 (cut) | Sweden:15 | USA:X (self applied MA for "Mature Audiences") | Australia:R (cut) | UK:X (original rating: 1980) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Dear Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Penthouse Films International

Trivia:

A Yugoslavian stallion named Davide was cast as Caligula's horse, Incitatus.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Most of the penises seen in the movie are obviously circumcised. However, circumcision was not practiced in Rome.

Quotes:

Tiberius: If someone else had become emperor, I would've been killed... As you will be!
[Tiberius quickly walks away as Caligula realizes]
Caligula: Will be?
[Caligula runs after Tiberius]
Caligula: Will be, Grandfather?
Tiberius: Would be, if you were not my heir.

Movie Connections:

References The Devils (1971)

Soundtrack:

We Are One

must see

Excuse the title of this review however the bottom line is, it has to be seen to be believed. The purely supreme cast is more than likely the only thing keeping the film from being well and truly buried in a basement. Historical revelations indicate that the content of this film probably does in fact (to a degree) reflect the lunacy rampant at the time and yes that means....meaningless executions, wild paranoia, incest and of course the gratuitous sex which could probably leave some soft porn movies looking very average (provided you get the right version). No its not a true classic but it dabbles with taboo, and dares go where other films draw the line. Its one i'll watch again and one you'd have to see merely to say you saw it. 6/10 scorpio