Caligula is a 1979 film directed by Tinto Brass (with additional scenes directed by Bob Guccione), about the Roman Emperor Gaius Caesar Germanicus; also known as "Caligula". Caligula is loosely based on a screenplay by Gore Vidal and co-financed by Penthouse magazine. The producers were Guccione and Franco Rosselini . The film advertised itself as "the most controversial film in history. Only one movie dares to show the perversion behind Imperial Rome...".

It stars Malcolm McDowell as the Emperor and chronicals his rise and fall as the brief ruler of the Roman Empire. The film focuses heavily on Caligula's infamously deranged sexual practices, as well as those of his contemporaries.

Caligula was unrated when shown in theaters in certain jurisdictions because it contained several scenes with sexually and violently explicit content, including orgies, masturbation, fellatio, anal fisting, beheading prisoners using a lawn-mower-type device (which is unlikely to have existed in reality), and slamming an infant onto stone steps like a ragged doll. It was highly controversial, and considered by some objectors to be pornographic. It would certainly have received an X rating from the MPAA. It was censored in several countries, an original runtime of 156 minutes (which, itself, was cut down from the Cannes 210 minute version, which may still exist somewhere as a bootleg) was reduced to 102, when Guccione eventually authorized an R-rated cut, which earned the film wider distribution. Though the controversy over the film's content drew large crowds, virtually none of the most excessive scenes were included in the R version.

This version was the generally accepted "toned down" edit, shown all across the world. However, the R rated version released on DVD is not the same; the Guccione/Baragli R version used alternate angles to smooth out some of the editing, the DVD version did not, it simply cut out the graphic portions rather awkwardly.

Both the new R-rated version and a 156-minute cut have been released to DVD. The original, 210-minute version is not available.

The film was heavily panned by critics. Roger Ebert gave it zero stars, describing it as "sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash." Both Peter O'Toole and Malcolm McDowell have since expressed regret in participating in the film.

It was followed by an unofficial sequel, called Caligula II - Messalina, Messalina .

Cast

• Malcolm McDowell -- Caligula
• Peter O'Toole -- Tiberius
• Paolo Bonacelli -- Chaerea
• John Gielgud -- Nerva
• Helen Mirren -- Caesonia
• Teresa Ann Savoy -- Julia Drusilla
• Lori Wagner -- Agrippina
• John Steiner -- Longinus

External links

• Internet Movie Database entry on Caligula (uses the Italian spelling Caligola)
• The Caligula SuperSite