Cinema5 things you need to know before seeing Caligula: The Final CutReissue of the 1979 film premieres in Brazil on December 5th and promises a more refined approach to the controversial filmtoday at 2:29 pm

Originally released in 1979, the film Caligula shocked the public with a mix of epic narrative and scenes of explicit content, which made it one of the most controversial of its generation.

Now, in celebration of 45 years of production directed by Red Brass, Giancarlo Lui and Bob Guccionethe A2 movies prepares a new version for the feature film.

The reconfiguration promises to correct the narrative problems and adopt a more refined approach to the film.

Caligula: The Final Cut was created from a large amount of raw material under the supervision of the historian Thomas Negovan. The film premiered at the Cannes festival in May and officially hits Brazilian cinemas on December 5th.

Below, see what you need to know before watching the Caligula: The Final Cut

1. Plot

In the plot, the young man Caligula (Malcolm McDowell), haunted by the murder of his family, seizes the throne of the decaying Roman Empire by eliminating his adoptive grandfather (Peter O’Toole), plunging into a cycle of corruption, violence and insanity.

The production is a treatise on the devastating effects of power and corruption, with intense performances by McDowell and of Helen Mirrenwho lives the seductress Cesoniaaccompanied by lush sets created by the two-time Oscar winner, Danilo Donati.

2. New version with changes

Caligula: The Final Cut was created from 96 hours of raw material, with unreleased scenes recorded in 1976. In this way, the new version maintains the same narrative structure, but does not use the same order of scenes as the original production.

Furthermore, the film avoids the most controversial parts, excluding the explicit sex scenes added after the dismissal of Red Brassreplaced by Giancarlo Lui at the request of the producer Bob Guccione.

In the original assembly, Guccione added separately filmed pornography scenes, mixing exaggerated eroticism with the plot about the excesses of the Roman Empire. The sequences directed by Lui they destroyed the film, which began to be criticized for its narrative disconnect, which was changed in the new version.

3. Soundtrack

Another notable change is the soundtrack. The original content was replaced by a new production, created by the composer Troy Sterling Nies. The change brings a track that intensifies the epic tone of the work, bringing it closer to contemporary productions with a similar theme, such as Gladiatorand ensuring a more contemplative and less frenetic pace.

4. Resolution

The 4K restoration brought a significant improvement to the visual quality of the film, which, until then, was only available in low-resolution versions.

Additionally, the team used artificial intelligence to refine scenarios and recover previously unusable audio tracks.

These strategies guarantee a better experience for viewers, who will be watching a film recognized for its elaborate and exuberant costumes.

5. Reactions

Red Brassthe original director, disapproves Caligula: The Final Cut. The filmmaker has no involvement with the project and even threatened to sue the film’s producers.

On the other hand, the protagonists Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren declared support for the new edition.

In addition to the two, the film features names such as Teresa Ann Savoy (Drusilla), Peter O’Toole (Tiberius) and John Gielgud (nerve).

The film will arrive in Brazilian cinemas on December 5th, distributed by A2 Filmes.