Tinto Brass’s 1979 film Caligula became notorious for its explicit sexual content, prompting censorship in several countries and earning it the description “the empire of orgy.” The film portrays the Roman emperor’s rule as a spectacle of power, luxury and sex, with Malcolm McDowell in the title role alongside Helen Mirren and Peter O’Toole.
In Brazil, the film drew attention in 1992 when Organizações Martinez scheduled it for its late-night programming strand Tensão Total. The nearly three-hour feature was split into two parts, but a court injunction allowed only the first to be shown. That broadcast had attracted an audience rating of 16 points before the second part was blocked.
The film had also faced censorship elsewhere. Copies were seized in the United Kingdom, the United States and Italy in the early 1980s, and Brazil’s military dictatorship censored it as well. It was cleared for release in Brazil in 1982 following a ruling by federal judge Laurindo Minhoto Neto.
Caligula was produced by Bob Guccione, founder of Penthouse magazine. After the main filming, Guccione added explicit scenes, including images of oral sex and penetration that appeared detached from the rest of the film. Brass and screenwriter Gore Vidal removed their names from the credits around the time of the original release.
A restored version, Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and is set to arrive on the Filmelier+ streaming service on Thursday the 5th. The three-year restoration used 96 hours of original negatives and includes a new animated introduction by Dave McKean. The restored film, according to the source, is less shocking than its reputation suggests.
McDowell plays Caligula as a shameless, impulsive ruler, while Mirren portrays his wife Caesonia and O’Toole plays Tiberius. The film mixes elaborate, deliberately artificial sets with broad comedy and sexual imagery to mock Roman power and decadence, as well as modern hypocrisy. Its episodes include Caligula appointing his horse to the Senate, alongside a series of grotesque and provocative set pieces.
Sources: Folha Ilustrada.