The first thing you learn about Tinto Brass’ Caligula is that it’s shocking, disgusting, immoral. If you learn anything else it’s the specific description of the acts committed onscreen. Keep going and soon enough someone dismisses the film––less as shocking, disgusting, and immoral, more as a slog. Such bad reputation’s persisted for nearly 45 years, making so much more commendable Thomas Negovan’s efforts to give Caligula new life. Hence Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, which uses more than 100 hours of footage, a new prologue illustrated by Dave McKean, and a fresh score from Troy Sterling Nies to create a 173-minute revision. Ahead of Drafthouse Films’ August 16 release, there’s a new trailer.
Says none other than Malcolm McDowell about a work that’s long followed him, “Caligula is certainly among the most demanding and challenging roles I’ve ever undertaken, so it was a great surprise to learn and then see that the work would finally be rewarded in a complete reconstruction that honors the serious intentions of the talent in front of and behind the screen. I never thought my full performance would ever be seen or Helen Mirren’s moving, commanding Caesonia would at last be unearthed. It is an unprecedented odyssey.”
Watch the preview below:
