2024-08-12

Caligula "The Ultimate Cut" (1979/2024) - a good movie, finally?

The old, new "Caligula" is about to be released, containing previously unseen footage. Does the "ultimate cut" turn the infamous trainwreck that is the 1979 version finally into a transgressive masterpiece?

There were several conflicting goals during production of the original version, and it ended up as a mess with some porn scenes. Director Tinto Brass, and part of the cast distanced themselves from the result, and tried to have their names removed from it.

Reconstructed by Thomas Negovan, this new 2024 version of Caligula aims to stay close to the original, unaltered script, written by Gore Vidal. It does not contain scenes that were added after director Tinto Brass had finished his work, and is, according to the trailer, "created entirely from unseen footage".

No director is listed in the credits - Tinto Brass is listed as "principal photography". Feedback from the initial creators of the original version remains limited so far. According to sources, Brass has distanced himself from the new "ultimate cut", which might be unnecessary, but also makes some sense. While Caligula actor Malcom McDowell has shown big appreciation, now that his enthusiastic performance gets considerably more screen time.

It remains to be seen if the new "Caligula" has captured the spirit of the Gore Vidal script, or has a spirit of its own. In any case, the trailer already shows some fantastic new material, making it highly interesting for the connoisseur and the cineaste. And maybe it's even a really good movie. 

It's out pretty much right... now.

Caligula The Ultimate Cut final international preview trailer 2024:



Original 1979 trailer:

 

*

Additional sources:

Mark Kermode reviews Caligula: The Ultimate Cut - Kermode and Mayo's Take
published Aug 9, 2024

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080491/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula..._The_Untold_Story (Caligula 2) 


No comments:

Post a Comment