Movie Review – ‘Caligula: The Ultimate Cut’ is absolutely a movie

Caligula: The Ultimate Cut (2024) from Drafthouse Films premiered at Cannes in 2023, and Canadian distributor Unobstructed View snatched up the North American disc rights. This is a completely new edit of the infamous cult classic, Caligula (1979) originally produced by the late Bob Guccione, founder of Penthouse Magazine. Caligula: The Ultimate Cut has a new score by Troy Sterling Nies and a new animated opening by Dave McKean.

Caligula was originally written by Gore Vidal and directed by Tinto Brass, but due to extensive rewrites by the hand of Guccione in order to add hardcore sex, both requested their names removed from the final edit.  Caligula received an X rating in 1979 and in many parts of the world, the original cut is still banned.

I’ve never seen the original cut, because it’s simply not my thing. Still, I was treated to a digital copy  Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, so while I can’t tell you about the on-screen differences, I can give my opinion on this extended remix.

Caligula, played with exuberant lunacy by Malcolm McDowell, becomes emperor of Rome and allows his ambition, perversions, and brutality to shorten his reign to a mere four years, ending in his assassination. Going into the plot seems a fruitless effort because it’s complicated and requires a knowledge of Roman history that I have zero desire to pretend I have. Is it accurate? No one can say since historians posit claims written by surviving members of the Senate were put to paper long after that fact and were likely embellished to tank the legacy of Caligula down further.

As for the presentation itself, Caligula: The Ultimate Cut sounds wonderful and the images are crisp and vibrant (based on the digital print I viewed). I have no doubt viewing the 4K restoration on BluRay also looks amazing.  Storywise, there is the expected incest, debauchery, treachery, and lots of sex with people, items, animals, and the less physically abled. Viewed through the lens of 2024, however, it’s not that shocking. Audiences have since viewed Betty Blue (1986), Henry and June (1990) Crash (1996), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and that’s before the turn of the Century. Modern audiences don’t bat an eye at nudity or even on-screen sex, and while Guccione really wanted that to be the point, it takes a backseat to the mania of a young emperor experiencing unfettered power too young and too fast.

While I’m not saying that seeing Helen Mirren in the altogether should not be on your bucket list, I’m saying her scenes foreshadowed her status as an actor I will watch in anything.

With a cast also featuring Peter O’Toole, John Steiner, Mirella D’Angelo, and Sir John Gielgud, Caligula: The Ultimate Cut is the dark horse arthouse extravaganza with sex, violence, and a rather loose plot that sorta kinda comes together in the end.

If you watch that sort of thing for the plot.

And now, a pitch from Unobstructed View:

The only place to experience The Ultimate Cut and a 4K restoration of the original 1980 theatrical version will be on a limited edition numbered UHD Boxed Set available on Unobstructed View’s company’s e-commerce site. U.S. based customers will have the added option to purchase from a small allotment on Diabolik DVD. Releasing concurrently will be an additional Two-Disc Blu-ray set and a DVD version, with the Blu Ray including the restored original.

Caligula: The Ultimate Cut
Street Date: September 17, 2024.
VOD: October 18, 2024.

Caligula: The Ultimate Cut is a scene-by-scene reconfiguration of Tinto Brass’ controversial somewhat raunchy epic chronicling the Roman Empire’s most debauched emperor, starring Malcolm McDowell, Peter O’Toole and Helen Mirren. Among the new bonus features is a commentary from Ultimate Cut producer Thomas Negovan and editor Aaron Shaps. It is scheduled for theaters across North America on August 16 with Drafthouse Films handling US theatrical distribution.  It will be screened in major markets across Canada in limited release. The four-disc UHD set is loaded with new and original bonus features and includes a CD of The Ultimate Cut’s soundtrack.

Available September 17, 2024 | VOD release October 18, 2024