CALIGULA: The Ultimate Cut

Coming back to Caligula after so many years, and now in this longer uncut form, via archivist and producer Thomss Negovan who with his tram went through 90 hours of previously unseen footage, I was mostly (if mildly) surprised I remembered as many set pieces and scenes as I did (though perhaps some of that comes from a few viewings of The Cinema Snob review from years back more than the film proper, but I digress this early).

(Interesting Trivia to insert here, perhaps why there are two different entries on Letterboxd and Imdb, this version is "from scratch" re-edited and even has alternate takes and this is also meant to more closely resemble Vidal's script. OK, makes sense why it feels like the same... but different all the way through!)

It is not a difficult film to follow though in any version; what was problematic before for me was not feeling put off by the rampant sex, incest, disembowlments and overall violence (I grew up with the Internet, my guys), rather that I found much of the execution of it, with the exception of McDowell's performance, as unengaging in its repetitive decadence and exploitation. Some of the editing also previously struck me as sloppy, and of course Brass never got to finish a Final Cut as it were since Guccione owned it all. Like, there should be a way to make this more dramatically spiky and less like the overstuffed porno it may be, yes?

As it turns out, the makers of the Ultimate Cut manage to create the best possible version out of all the material available, and it turns out to be a... good movie. Not more but not much less either. Perhaps a lot of this is due to the newly created musical score by Troy Sterling Nies; it's constantly evocative of something dark and brooding, and then it will become searing and with choral arrangements for the most dramatic moments (ie right before intermission).

While I do miss that one orchestral classic number that I most associate with the film by Prokofiev (you know which one if you have even seen the old DVD menu for this, and who here has not), there's something about having a much sharper piece of music throughout as the story also goes to far more epic lengths while still being demented (or really about a form of dementia), and to giving us more time with McDowell - and seeing it on a theater - that makes the depravity more impactful. And when it gets to the more notorious and mortifying scenes (ie the rape scene is what shocks me most today, mostly for how it moves from real shock to the absurd and back again), they land too.

I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed actors I found somewhat tiring in previous viewings, like Peter O'Toole and Gielgud (and in particular this time special MVP John Steiner as Longinus... such a fun name to say, you know). The former especially serves well by seeing this on a big screen, on 35mm (thanks you Drafthouse Films), as his performance is so BIG that there must have been something lost seeing it on a TV screen.

Or maybe as I get older I appreciate the bigness and syphilis-fueled grandeur and camp of his work in the role (and he isn't in that much anyway). But this speaks to how there is something to his scenes that also makes the film worked so much better for me: those early scenes are proof already to Caligula that things are decadent and extended in Rome, that everyone will do what Caesar says, past the point of no return. So, why not go a little further? Why not make everyone jump when he says and to get the palm fronds as proof of his conquest of Britain? What conquest? Who cares!

I should note again I am not someone who can recite the original film scene by scene, yet I was struck especially once we get past the Intermission - and thank goodness this has one for time to think after such a moment as what happens to poor Little Boots's sister - there are things that seemed fresh and unearthed. When Caligula is in the main city in disguise and then gets caught up in that prison, and gets everyone inside to bow to him almost by luck, that was fresh. And there is time to see Caligula in his power-mad fervor just stare off into space in the quiet of his domain, and it gives the film more space to breathe.  I'm not sure I'll ever find Savoy more than adequate (she sticks out even more in this cast this time as fairly weak), Mirren is having fun and I dug her here more as well. 

I thought by this second half, "you know, this isn't only sufficient as a guilty pleasure or camp, this is just a pretty good Roman epic!" Perhaps there is, too, the aspect of seeing this in 2025 and at a time when America has its own sort of Caligula (only imagine if Little Boots became Old Demented Boots near 80) and that despite everything that comes out very clearly being ever-increasing levels of jerk-offery and stupidity, this is who is in charge. Maybe DT is more vindictive and vengeful, but you can see a good lot of that in Caligula himself (and you know if it existed today the White House would proudly show off that one beheading slicing dicing machine for like members of the Jan 6th committee or some shit).

Point being, this movie is full of outrageous acts and a megalomaniac at the center who sees himself as in a line of God's. What's different, naturally, is there is no con job with Caligula; he really is that brazen and overcome with his power, and more than anything because he sees (until it is too late) that he can get away with whatever up to an including arresting and killing off anyone who doesn't catch the grape in their mouths when he demands it (but if that bird comes into his bedroom, woops not good!)  

Does it still shock?  Again, it's 2025, I'm almost more taken aback by acts of kindness and empathy than being cruel and mad and vindictive.  All of the sex and debauchery still is sweaty and hairy and messy, however I suspect there isn't as much of it as I can recall (or that it doesn't cut haphazardly to those moments where it's an entirely different crew), and McDowell is always at the center and is phenomenal holding it all together.

He has the magnetism of a star, but it is a real performance and one where he gets to have some shades (his "what, me" innocent act with O'Toole is a delight in their scenes) and his Caligula has this confidence that makes it clear why the Romans around him want to see what he does next and why we do as well.  And that confidence ultimately leads to some... very dark and ugly places.

I can't go into the "oh, sure, this was a masterpiece all this time, now here it is," as there's still writing that demands to mark as important and intelligent at times when it hits as erudite and some acting that just doesn't work.  And yet the revelation here - aside from how well it plays on a big screen with good sound and clear projection (on 35mm there is a nostalgia as well) is that there can be a version of this film that fills its three hours and doesn't drag (much) and keeps you hooked until it's final blood-splattered moments (and quickly cleaning up the blood because what else can you do but clean up when the new rules are made?)