Caligula: The Ultimate Cut is a restored and in some ways almost completely different version of the film. Whether or not this truly represents Gore Vidal’s original screenplay and the original Director Tinto Brass’ original vision is not truly knowable because two years after production wrapped, Bob Guccione shot some pornographic scenes with Penthouse Pets to fulfill his vision of creating a high budget adult film and upon learning of his actions, many of the creative people behind the scenes and in front of the camera divorces themselves from the project and the film was critically panned in it’s original 1980 theatrical release.
Yet for better or for worse, Caligula was a box office success earring more than 100 million dollars during it’s theatrical release and ushering the idea of the adult themed, but non pornographic drama film like 1981’s Excalibur, which is arguably still one of the best adaptation of Mallory ever produced for the big screen. In fact Actress Helen Mirren is featured in both Caligula and Excalibur. Could we have had Game of Thrones on HBO, which introduced adult themes into televised fantasy drama, without Caligula. Probably, but I do think Caligula is highly influential and has been worthy of reappraisal for decades. In 2007 the Imperial Cut presented a restored longer edit of the film, but never has someone taken an existing film and using alternate takes, adding more than thirty minutes of recently discovered never before seen footage and either recreated or composed a new score to create an Ultimate Cut of Caligula that is in many ways it’s own separate feature film.
The results is something kind of eerie. The new music combined with this new edit provides a surreal quality that takes the viewer into what could be an alien world when one considers the practices and decadence of the Roman Empire as well as their exotic rituals. Imagine everyone speaking in Latin, Greek and perhaps Aramaic and I think the average 21st century time traveller would feel lost and alienated. They certainly would appear alien to the Romans just by the fact of our health practices would make one look uncannily healthy in comparison.
The music in particular works fantasticly when we see the island of Capri, where Tiberius has lived outside of Rome in decadence. However, other times I feel that the score actually hindered certain parts of the film, and thus I found myself wishing I could mix and match musical cues and certain pacing from the previous version and intermixing it with this new edit because in some ways, this new version is actually way too long and at times around the middle can become extremely boring.
Well, I do not think most of the sex scenes ever did anything to forward the story in any meaningful way they did at times work well in the original editing such as in the orgy scene where the Romans marched by this barge, and in the original cut despite however, tasteless someone might find it, the manner by which the film was edited and paced combined with the original music works better than this new version in this Ultimate Cut.
There are two feature-length audio commentaries with the films, editor, producer and reconstructionist as well as one with an author and producer talking about the new version of the film. However, I found it difficult to sit through because quite honestly, I think that the new version is simply too long.
On the second disco containing the 2007 version of the film there is a comparison that shows the original 1980 theatrical version that is restored with the new version from 2007 which was also restored along with the ultimate cut and one can appreciate the work that has been done as a result when you compare it side-by-side.
The film also stars Malcolm McDowell in the title role as well as Peter O’Toole as Tiberius and sir John Gielgud. Both versions are presented in their original theatrical aspect ratios and while both look good in 1080p full HD, the new version looks better. It would appear any debris or deficiencies in the 2007 version were not fully restored. An atmospheric English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is provided for the Ultimate Cut while an English DTS Stereo Soundtrack is available for the 2007 Immortal Edition. English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired are provided as an option for both versions. None of the extra value features that were found in the 2007 release are included in this one.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut is available now at retailers on and offline courtesy of Unobstructed View.
(C) Copyright 2024 By Mark A. Rivera
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