History Film / Caligula

With much footage improvised and rewritten from the original draft of the film, Lui further scrambled, re-cut, and deleted scenes altogether. Many of the sex scenes shot by Brass were removed, replaced by approximately six minutes of hardcore sex shot by Guccione and Lui. In the end, the final cut of the film had strayed far afield from what either Vidal or Brass had intended.

In the unpleasant aftermath, both Brass and Vidal launched independent tirades against the film and lawsuits against Guccione, delaying the release of ''Caligula''. Vidal, who was paid $200,000 for his script, agreed to drop his contractual claim for 10% of the film profits in exchange for having his name removed from the title of the film (original billing was to have been ''Gore Vidal's Caligula''). In 1981, Anneka Di Lorenzo, who played Messalina, sued Guccione for sexual harassment and damage to her career, claiming that he pressured her to have sex with his business associates and used hardcore sexual scenes in the final cut of ''Caligula'' without her knowledge, thereby associating her with a pornographic film. After a protracted litigation, in 1990 a New York state court awarded her $60,000 in compensatory damages and $4,000,000 in punitive damages. On appeal, the punitive damages were determined to be not recoverable and the court vacated the award.

As the film entered post-production, Guccione took control of the film footage, fired Brass for running up huge costs (Guccione claims Brass shot enough film to "make the original version of ''Film/BenHur'' about 50 times over"), casting anarchists and criminals as Roman senators, and using what Guccione considered "fat, ugly, and wrinkled old women" in the sex scenes instead of his Penthouse Pets. (In actuality, the women weren't "ugly" or "old" at all, just not as beautiful as Guccione's models.) Guccione hired friend Giancarlo Lui to reedit the film. Lui was instructed to refashion the film into something more in keeping with what Vidal had first scripted, while delivering the sexual content demanded by Guccione; they shot and added hardcore scenes. Guccione's recut also removed Brass' satire and much of the humor (and context which would have indicated that the film was meant to be funny), simply painting Caligula as a man mad with power without Brass' subtext, turning the film into an erotic drama.

* {{Gorn}}: This film is infamous because of the gorn, and other things we would rather not describe. Including what the Website/IMDb Parental Guide describes as a [[SarcasmMode particularly nasty]] one: [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous A WOMAN IS]] ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous SLAPPED]]''.

Casting and logistical issues were problems. Uncomfortable with the sex and nudity in the script, the female lead Schneider quickly resigned from the film, to be replaced with Teresa as said earlier. It was soon apparent to the filmmakers that the aggressive shooting schedule developed by the inexperienced Rossellini and Guccione was unrealistic for a film of such scope. Donati had to scrap some of his more elaborate original ideas for the sets and replace them with such surreal imagery as bizarre matte paintings, blacked-out areas, silk backdrops and curtains. This resulted in significant script changes, with Brass and the actors improvising scenes written to take place in entirely different locations, and sometimes shooting entirely new scenes (such as the frolicking scene that opens the film) in order to show progress while the incomplete or redone sets were unavailable. The production was plagued by delays due to disagreements between Brass and Donati over Brass not using Donati's completed sets, as well as Brass and Guccione disagreeing over the sexual content of the film. McDowell and Brass' rewrites of the script changed the tone from a more factually based historical drama to a more surreal BlackComedy satire based on the premise that "absolute power corrupts absolutely"; Brass depicted Caligula as a man who becomes a tyrant after gaining absolute power, then after realizing what he had become, uses his political power to disrupt the political elite to the benefit of the poor citizens of Rome, leading the wealthy Romans to assassinate him.

By the time the principal photography on ''Caligula'' had completed, Vidal (having a previous issue with his involvement in the infamous ''Film/MyraBreckinridge'') was concerned about being associated with such an out-of-control production, but also disliking the political satire Brass and McDowell had inserted into the story, Vidal distanced himself from the project. Of Vidal, Brass concluded, "If I ever really get mad at Gore Vidal, I'll publish his script." (An early draft is included as an extra on the Imperial Edition DVD release.)

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The scene where Tiberius refers to the sex slaves in his bath as his "little fishies". Most viewers would think it's just another one of those over the top sexploitation scenes put in to shock audiences. In actual fact most historians will tell you he did have something like that, and they were mostly [[PaedoHunt little boys]]. So this is one case where the movie actually ''toned it down'' from the real thing.

* AdaptationDyeJob: Blonde-haired blue-eyed [=McDowell=] as Caligula, who we [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula#/media/File:Cropped_color_calligula.jpg know]] had brown hair and hazel eyes.

As the film entered post-production, Guccione took control of the film footage, fired Brass for running up huge costs (Guccione claims Brass shot enough film to "make the original version of ''Film/BenHur'' about 50 times over"), casting anarchists and criminals as Roman senators, and using what Guccione considered "fat, ugly, and wrinkled old women" in the sex scenes instead of his Penthouse Pets. (In actuality, the women weren't "ugly" or "old" at all, just not as beautiful as Guccione's models.) Guccione hired friend Giancarlo Lui to reedit the film. Lui was instructed to refashion the film into something more in keeping with what Vidal had first scripted, while delivering the sexual content demanded by Guccione; they shot and added hardcore scenes. Guccione's recut also removed Brass' satire and much of the humor (and context which would have indicated that the film was meant to be funny), simply painting Caligula as a man mad with power.

Casting and logistical issues were problems. Uncomfortable with the sex and nudity in the script, the female lead Schneider quickly resigned from the film, to be replaced with Teresa as said earlier. It was soon apparent to the filmmakers that the aggressive shooting schedule developed by the inexperienced Rossellini and Guccione was unrealistic for a film of such scope. Donati had to scrap some of his more elaborate original ideas for the sets and replace them with such surreal imagery as bizarre matte paintings, blacked-out areas, silk backdrops and curtains. This resulted in significant script changes, with Brass and the actors improvising scenes written to take place in entirely different locations, and sometimes shooting entirely new scenes (such as the frolicking scene that opens the film) in order to show progress while the incomplete or redone sets were unavailable. The production was plagued by delays due to disagreements between Brass and Donati over Brass not using Donati's completed sets, as well as Brass and Guccione disagreeing over the sexual content of the film.

By the time the principal photography on ''Caligula'' had completed, Vidal (having a previous issue with his involvement in the infamous ''Film/MyraBreckinridge'') was concerned about being associated with such an out-of-control production. Fearing the film would turn out incoherent, Vidal distanced himself from the project. Of Vidal, Brass concluded, "If I ever really get mad at Gore Vidal, I'll publish his script." (An early draft is included as an extra on the Imperial Edition DVD release.)

As the film entered post-production, Guccione took control of the film footage, fired Brass for running up huge costs (Guccione claims Brass shot enough film to "make the original version of ''Film/BenHur'' about 50 times over"), casting actual criminals as Roman senators, and using what Guccione considered "fat, ugly, and wrinkled old women" in the sex scenes instead of his Penthouse Pets. (In actuality, the women weren't "ugly" or "old" at all, just not as beautiful as Guccione's models.) Guccione hired friend Giancarlo Lui to reedit the film. Lui was instructed to refashion the film into something more in keeping with what Vidal had first scripted, while delivering the sexual content demanded by Guccione; they shot and added hardcore scenes.

In the unpleasant aftermath, both Brass and Vidal launched independent tirades against the film and lawsuits against Guccione, delaying the release of Caligula. Vidal, who was paid $200,000 for his script, agreed to drop his contractual claim for 10% of the film profits in exchange for having his name removed from the title of the film (original billing was to have been Gore Vidal's Caligula). In 1981, Anneka Di Lorenzo, who played Messalina, sued Guccione for sexual harassment and damage to her career, claiming that he pressured her to have sex with his business associates and used hardcore sexual scenes in the final cut of Caligula without her knowledge, thereby associating her with a pornographic film. After a protracted litigation, in 1990 a New York state court awarded her $60,000 in compensatory damages and $4,000,000 in punitive damages. On appeal, the punitive damages were determined to be not recoverable and the court vacated the award.

So, just to recap, costume and set designer from Roman Period Epics, Director from Italian Exploitation films, Shakespearian actors, and an executive producer with a background in porn. Where else are you gonna see that?

It all began with Creator/GoreVidal writing a screenplay about the life of the infamous Roman Emperor UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}}, based on an unproduced television mini-series by Roberto Rossellini. Though Vidal and Franco Rossellini (Roberto's nephew) originally only intended for it to be a modestly-budgeted historical drama; when they couldn't obtain funding they went to none other than the founder of ''Penthouse'' magazine, Bob Guccione. And it's actually not his first film, either. Previously, Guccione produced ''Film/{{Chinatown}}''. Yes, really.

Guccione agreed to finance ''Caligula'' on [[ExecutiveMeddling two conditions:]] 1, that it would be tarted up into a lavish, flamboyant spectacle akin to the SwordAndSandal epics of the 50s; and 2, [[HotterAndSexier that sex would be incorporated to promote the magazine]]. During the rewrites, Vidal's screenplay was rewritten to tone down the homosexual content, at Guccione's insistence.

Creator/FedericoFellini's art director Danilo Donati was hired to build the expensive and complex sets and costumes. Renowned acting talent, including Creator/MalcolmMcDowell, Creator/HelenMirren, Creator/PeterOToole and Sir Creator/JohnGielgud were cast. Maria Schneider was originally cast as Caligula's doomed sister Drusilla, but later dropped out and was replaced by Teresa Ann Savoy. After Guccione was unable to come to an agreement with more established directors Creator/JohnHuston and Lina Wertmuller, Tinto Brass, a relatively young Italian director who directed an artsy big budget [[FollowTheLeader progenitor]] to the {{Nazisploitation}} genre called ''Salon Kitty'' that Guccione had taken a shine to was made the head instead. Shooting commenced in September 1976 in Dear Studios, Rome with plans for a 1977 release.

From the start, ''Caligula'' was plagued by difficulties. According to Guccione in a 1980 ''Penthouse'' magazine interview, Vidal (whom Guccione called a "prodigious talent") started trouble with a ''Time'' magazine interview in which he called directors parasites living off writers, and that the director need only follow the directions as provided by the author of the screenplay. According to Guccione, an enraged Brass responded to Vidal's comments by throwing Vidal out of the studio. Guccione was forced to side with Brass (whom he called "a megalomaniac") because "Gore's work was basically done and Tinto's work was about to begin."

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: So, ''so'' much. In the June 28, 1976 issue of ''Variety'', an ad announcing the beginning of filming included the words, "What better proof that I am God. I have a husband. And a wife. I am all that is and shall ever be." However, nothing about Caligula's husband or his homosexuality made it into the film. So, you could have Creator/{{Malcolm McDowell}} play a character who engages in rape, torture, murder, incest, bestiality and other horrible acts, but they couldn't say he was ''gay''. The film itself became notorious for scenes of hardcore pornography, graphic violence and...poor editing.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Drusilla likes to act as a Caligula's MoralityPet, but she definitely has a scheming and manipulative side.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Drusilla likes to act as a Caligula's morality pet, but she definitely has a scheming and manipulative side.

* ReCut: The film first received one in 2007 with the "Imperial Edition" DVD and Blu-ray release, which contained both the 1979 PornWithPlot version of the film and a new edit that changes up the scene sequencing and completely removes the porn scenes shot by Guccione, intending to bring the available footage in the final cut closer to Brass' original vision. A second re-cut was announced in 2018, edited by Alexander Tsuchinski from Brass' original workprint and produced in cooperation with the Brass estate and ''Penthouse''. This new cut is meant to improve on what the Imperial Edition started, and bring the film even closer to Brass' artistic intentions (meaning, again, no unsimulated Roman hanky-panky); no confirmation has been given as to what involvement, if any, Brass will have with the new edit.

** And in the case of the orgy scene, it takes on a literal meaning.

* ReCut: The film first received one in 2007 with the "Imperial Edition" DVD and Blu-ray release, which contained both the 1979 PornWithPlot version of the film and a new edit that changes up the scene sequencing and completely removes the porn scenes shot by Guccione, intending to bring the available footage in the final cut closer to Brass' original vision. A second re-cut was announced in 2018, edited by Alexander Tsuchinski from Brass' original workprint and produced in cooperation with the Brass estate and ''Penthouse''. This new cut is meant to improve on what the Imperial Edition started, and bring the film even closer to Brass' artistic intentions (meaning, again, no unstimulated Roman hanky-panky); no confirmation has been given as to what involvement, if any, Brass will have with the new edit.
* RuleOfFunny: In ''Messalina, Messalina'' - most egregiously, the circumstances of Messalina's death are changed blatantly just to allow for a massive slapstick sequence.

* DepravedBisexual: Averted. While he had several homosexual encounters in Gore Vidal's original script, Caligula is presented as completely heterosexual in the finished film.

From the start, Caligula was plagued by difficulties. According to Guccione in a 1980 ''Penthouse'' magazine interview, Vidal (whom Guccione called a "''prodigious talent''") started trouble with a ''Time'' magazine interview in which he called directors parasites living off writers, and that the director need only follow the directions as provided by the author of the screenplay. According to Guccione, an enraged Brass responded to Vidal's comments by throwing Vidal out of the studio. Guccione was forced to side with Brass (whom he called "''a megalomaniac''") because "''Gore's work was basically done and Tinto's work was about to begin.''"

By the time the principal photography on ''Caligula'' had completed, Vidal (having a previous issue with his involvement in the infamous ''Film/MyraBreckinridge'') was concerned about being associated with such an out-of-control production. Fearing the film would turn out incoherent, Vidal distanced himself from the project. Of Vidal, Brass concluded, "''If I ever really get mad at Gore Vidal, I'll publish his script.''" (An early draft is included as an extra on the Imperial Edition DVD release.)

As the film entered post-production, Guccione took control of the film footage, fired Brass for running up huge costs (Guccione claims Brass shot enough film to "''make the original version of ''Film/BenHur'' about 50 times over''"), casting actual criminals as Roman senators, and using what Guccione considered "''fat, ugly, and wrinkled old women''" in the sex scenes instead of his Penthouse Pets. (In actuality, the women weren't "ugly" or "old" at all, just not as beautiful as Guccione's models.) Guccione hired friend Giancarlo Lui to reedit the film. Lui was instructed to refashion the film into something more in keeping with what Vidal had first scripted, while delivering the sexual content demanded by Guccione; they shot and added hardcore scenes.

With much footage improvised and rewritten from the original draft of the film, Lui further scrambled, re-cut, and deleted scenes altogether. Many of the sex scenes shot by Brass were removed, replaced by approximately six minutes of hardcore sex shot by Guccione and Lui. In the end, the final cut of the film had strayed far afield from what Brass had intended. Ironically, perhaps, it bore little resemblance to what Vidal had scripted as well.

In the unpleasant aftermath, both Brass and Vidal launched independent tirades against the film and lawsuits against Guccione, delaying the release of Caligula. Vidal, who was paid $200,000 for his script, agreed to drop his contractual claim for 10% of the film profits in exchange for having his name removed from the title of the film (original billing was to have been Gore Vidal's Caligula). In 1981, Anneka Di Lorenzo, who played Messalina, sued Guccione, claiming that he damaged her career by using hardcore sexual scenes in the final cut of Caligula without her knowledge, thereby associating her with a pornographic film. After a protracted litigation, in 1990 a New York state court awarded her $60,000 in compensatory damages and $4,000,000 in punitive damages. On appeal, the punitive damages were determined to be not recoverable and the court vacated the award.

There's also a sequel, ''Messalina, Messalina'', a slapstick comedy telling the story of Messalina's marriage to Claudius, conspiracy against him, and death on his orders. Because of the legal troubles with ''Caligula'', it was technically released first, even though it was filmed and takes place after.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Played with. The film leaves it ambiguous whether Caligula is truly going made with power or if he's an anarchist using his power to destroy the status quo.

* PraetorianGuard: After Caligula gets rid of Macro, he makes the timid Chaerea head of the Praetorian Guard and his him wrapped around his finger. [[spoiler: It doesn't last.]]

* YourHeadAsplode: [[spoiler:A baby's head is smashed on a staircase.]] Something the Website/IMDb [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080491/parentalguide Parental Guide]] makes sure to mark as "[[{{Gorn}} UNRATED VERY BLOODY DISTURBING]]".

* PlotWithPorn: Bob Guccione intended for ''Caligula'' to be the pinnacle of the 70s "porno chic" trend.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/caligula.jpg]]

* GratuitousDiscoSequence: The soundtrack is a combination of the kind of boombastic classical music you except to see in a Roman period piece, and [[TheSeventies '70s]] [[BowChickaWowWow Porn Music]].

* HeroicBSOD[=/]VillainousBreakdown: Depending on your character interpretation of Caligula, he suffers one of these following the death of [[spoiler:Drusilla]].

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: So, ''so'' much. In the June 28, 1976 issue of ''Variety'', an ad announcing the beginning of filming included the words, "What better proof that I am God. I have a husband. And a wife. I am all that is and shall ever be." However, nothing about Caligula's husband or his homosexuality made it into the film. So, you could have Creator/{{Malcolm McDowell}} play a character who engages in rape, torture, murder, incest, bestiality and other horrible acts, but they couldn't say he was ''gay''. The film itself became notorious for scenes of hardcore pornography, graphic violence and...poor editing

* HeroicBSOD / VillainousBreakdown: Depending on your character interpretation of Caligula, he suffers one of these following the death of [[spoiler:Drusilla]].

* LargeHam: Peter O'Toole chews through the scenery and nude bit actors throughout his short appearance as Tiberius. Malcolm [=McDowell=]'s portrayal of Caligula also has his hammy moments, especially towards the end when he begins to [[BullyingTheDragon mercilessly mock and antagonize the upper class and the military]].