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IMDbPro

Caligula

Original title: Caligola
  • 19791979
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 2h 36m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
36K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
693
37
Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
DramaHistory
A dramatization of the ascent to Caesar and subsequent reign of Caligula, one of the most notorious leaders of ancient Rome. We see his ambition, his scheming, his perversion and decadence, ... Read allA dramatization of the ascent to Caesar and subsequent reign of Caligula, one of the most notorious leaders of ancient Rome. We see his ambition, his scheming, his perversion and decadence, his brutality and his lunacy.A dramatization of the ascent to Caesar and subsequent reign of Caligula, one of the most notorious leaders of ancient Rome. We see his ambition, his scheming, his perversion and decadence, his brutality and his lunacy.
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
36K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
693
37
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Tinto Brass(principal photography)
    • Writers
      • Gore Vidal(adapted from an original screenplay by)
      • Malcolm McDowell(additional dialogue)
      • Masolino D'Amico
    • Stars
      • Malcolm McDowell
      • Peter O'Toole
      • Helen Mirren
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Tinto Brass(principal photography)
    • Writers
      • Gore Vidal(adapted from an original screenplay by)
      • Malcolm McDowell(additional dialogue)
      • Masolino D'Amico
    • Stars
      • Malcolm McDowell
      • Peter O'Toole
      • Helen Mirren
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 330User reviews
    • 130Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Photos208

    Malcolm McDowell and Teresa Ann Savoy in Caligula (1979)
    Caligula (1979)
    Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell and Teresa Ann Savoy in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
    John Gielgud, Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, and Peter O'Toole in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)
    Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Malcolm McDowell
    Malcolm McDowell
    • Caligula
    Peter O'Toole
    Peter O'Toole
    • Tiberius
    Helen Mirren
    Helen Mirren
    • Caesonia
    Teresa Ann Savoy
    Teresa Ann Savoy
    • Drusilla
    Guido Mannari
    Guido Mannari
    • Macro
    John Gielgud
    John Gielgud
    • Nerva
    Giancarlo Badessi
    • Claudius
    Bruno Brive
    • Gemellus
    Adriana Asti
    Adriana Asti
    • Ennia
    Leopoldo Trieste
    Leopoldo Trieste
    • Charicles
    Paolo Bonacelli
    Paolo Bonacelli
    • Chaerea
    John Steiner
    John Steiner
    • Longinus
    Mirella D'Angelo
    Mirella D'Angelo
    • Livia
    • (as Mirella Dangelo)
    Rick Parets
    • Mnester
    • (as Richard Parets)
    Paula Mitchell
    • Subura Singer
    Osiride Pevarello
    • Giant
    Donato Placido
    • Proculus
    Anneka Di Lorenzo
    • Messalina
    • Director
      • Tinto Brass(principal photography)
    • Writers
      • Gore Vidal(adapted from an original screenplay by)
      • Malcolm McDowell(additional dialogue) (uncredited)
      • Masolino D'Amico
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The child-birth scene where Caesonia (Dame Helen Mirren) gives birth, was an actual child-birth, which was filmed in three takes using three different pregnant women extras and later edited together. Extras assisting the births were real doctors, who said they were indeed equipped with all the modern tools they would need to ensure safety for the women and babies despite in full ancient Roman clothing.
    • Goofs
      Charea proclaims Claudius emperor after killing Caligula and his family. In reality, it was another Praetorian who proclaimed Claudius as emperor; Charea had been planning to kill Claudius as well to eliminate the entire imperial family.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Caligula: I have existed from the morning of the world and I shall exist until the last star falls from the night. Although I have taken the form of Gaius Caligula, I am all men as I am no man and therefore I am a God.

    • Crazy credits
      Due to numerous pending lawsuits and settlements at the time of the film's release, no one is technically fully credited for writing and directing the finished film.
    • Alternate versions
      The censored version of this film has been released of a few occasions in Australia. In March 1981, a censored, R rated release to cinemas was made by Roadshow. Roadshow Home Video subsequently released the same film version to video in September 1984. This version ran for 146 minutes (PAL). It was again re-released by a 'no name' video label in the late 1990's. The censored DVD version appeared in December 2004, released by Warner Vision. The uncut version has been released in Australia, this was the fully uncut, X rated 156 minute PAL version. It was released in January 1985 by 'Palace X Video' - a version that is now an extremely rare collector's item. The uncut version has since been rated R18+ by the Australian classification board in 2021.
    • Connections
      Edited into Video Macumba (1991)
    • Soundtracks
      Spartacus
      (uncredited)

      Written by Aram Khachaturyan

      Conducted by Bruno Nicolai

    User reviews330

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    "A viper for the Roman people and a Phaethon for the world"
    Maybe it helps to be familiar with the history, Art, and literature of the Ancient Rome because "Caligula" is surprisingly truthful adaptation of the chapter about Caligula in "The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars by C. Suetonius Tranquillus, the Roman Historian. If you read the chapter dedicated to Nero, you'll be even more shocked because Nero was always fascinated by his uncle Caligula (he was a son of Caligula's sister Agrippina who later became a wife of Claudius who adopted Nero and made him the heir for the title and the power of Roman Emperor). Anyway, Nero made Caligula his role model and managed to surpass his uncle's' notorious fame.

    The movie is notoriously famous for the plentiful scenes of real sex, including incest, necrophilia, rape, and orgies. The movie also includes quite nasty and gruesome scenes of torture, executions, murders, and humiliations but all of the events have been documented in the historical documents that still exist.

    I don't think of the movie as a masterpiece or even a good movie for all of its 2.5 hours. It actually reminds the life of real Caligula. In his childhood and youth, he was adored by Roman people and especially by the army and he was a promising young man. When he grew up as a heir to the cruel and suspicious Tiberius, he had to hide his feelings and go through many humiliations in order to survive. Shrewd Tiberius said about his adopted grandson that "never humankind knew the better slave and the worse ruler than Caligula" and that he was rearing "a viper for the Roman people and a Phaethon for the world."

    When the young man finally received an access to the absolute power it had absolutely corrupted him. It is also known that soon after becoming head of Roman Empire, Caligula suffered an illness and as the result of it, he became incredibly nasty, cruel, and suspicious man who had indulged in the worst acts of debauchery, cruelty, and sadism. The movie follows this pattern. I still think that it is an interesting movie with very good actors. Not every day you can see porn with Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, Sir John Gielgud, and of course, Mr. Clockwork Orange himself, Malcolm McDowell.
    helpful•106
    39
    • Galina_movie_fan
    • May 13, 2006

    FAQ8

    • Is Bob Guccione the director?
    • Did Gore Vidal disown the film because Bob Guccione and Tinto Brass added explicit sex and gore to the film?
    • Is this film historically accurate?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 15, 1980 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Gore Vidal's Caligula
    • Filming locations
      • Dear Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Penthouse Films International
      • Felix Cinematografica
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $17,500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 36 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono(original release)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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