«Caligula: The Ultimate Cut» (2023)

 The flawed masterpiece about the orgy of power

«Caligula» was released in 1979 and it still remains a controversial film.  The film has a very good cast (including Helen Mirren and Peter O’Toole) and some of the scenes are brilliant. Still unnecessary pornography insertions and overbearing emphasis on the naked bodies ruin the viewing experience. Also, because of the poor editing by Bob Guccione, «Caligula» gives the impression of a rough screening cut and not of a coherent motion picture.

The troubled production of «Caligula» led it to be disowned by the director, the screenwriter and the actors were not satisfied with Guccione’s version. The cinema buffs heard a lot of stories about how the film can be redeemed if it was reassembled in accordance with the vision of its creators. Finally, the art historian Thomas Negovan used the original camera negatives and assembled the version, which is more loyal to the original artistic vision («The Ultimate Cut»). Was he able to flesh out a masterpiece or not?

 Well, the answer is both yes and no.  As Tinto Brass said in one of the documentaries: «In my own mind, the film should have been a film on the orgy of power. In their version it became the power of orgy. They changed perspective». Thomas Negovan was able to reverse the perspective back to the vision of the Director. Additionally, in the context of «Caligula», the orgy of power comes hand in hand with an interesting oxymoron – the anarchy of power. What is the meaning of this self-contradictory remark?

According to the dictionary anarchy means a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority or other controlling systems. Concerning the anarchy of power we must look to a quote from «Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom» («In fact, the one true anarchy is that of power»). This quote perfectly summarized the nature of unlimited and unrestrained rule, epitomized by Caligula.

 «The Ultimate Cut» presents Caligula as a sick and a deformed human being with complete disregard for any moral or political restraints. The absolute power completely «liberates» him, and he is ready to play the God. Caligula has no regard for the remnants of the Roman Republic, especially the Senate, and he consistently tests their limits. He is surprised that the senators are ready to tolerate anything in order to keep their places and to retain the possibility to plunder Rome.

The Roman Senate, which was once the house of the wisest and the ablest persons, already surrendered its real power to Augustus and, by the time of Caligula, became just a figurehead body. This Senate doesn’t have Cato, Cicero or Brutus, it has only sheep in rich clothing. They lost the ability to present a united front against a tyrant and they don’t have the guts to execute a conspiracy to murder him.

 

This narrative brings out a lot of parallels with current events in the world, including modern Russia. By the virtue of removing the tasteless pornographic scenes and putting emphasis on the corrupting nature of absolute power, «The Ultimate Cut» finds the right balance between black humor, intellectualism, cruelty and depravity. Additionally, the new cut sheds more light on previously neglected characters, including Caesonia and Cassius Chaerea, presenting them as scheming and unscrupulous persons, who are playing their own political games with Caligula.

Still, even «The Ultimate Cut» fails to bring «Caligula» to the level of a true masterpiece. The film is still uneven and it takes great liberty with historical accuracy, especially concerning the character of Claudius. Regardless, finally «Caligula» is presented as a flawed masterpiece about corrupting effect of absolute power on a society as a whole and not as a pretentious porn.