Caligula: The Final Cut gives up explicit sex to focus on the protagonist’s tragedy

Caligula: The Final Cutwhich premieres in Brazilian cinemas starting this Thursday, December, appears as an attempt to rehabilitate a deeply controversial and complex work. Originally, the film by the Italian director Red Brass (Monella the Mischievous), released in 1979, was marked by a disjointed mix of explicit sex and historical drama, resulting in a product that generated more discomfort than reflection.

The intervention of producers, especially Bob Guccionecreator and founder of the North American men’s magazine Penthouse, by adding pornographic scenes, distorted the narrative proposed by the screenwriter Gore Vidaltransforming the tragedy of the Roman emperor into a sensationalist spectacle, in which sex took center stage, obscuring its historical and political content.

The new version, produced and restored by Thomas Negovanseeks to correct these deviations, offering a more cohesive and faithful approach to the original proposal. In the story, haunted by the murder of his father, the young and suspicious Caligula (Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange) takes the throne of the decaying Roman Empire by eliminating his adoptive grandfather (Peter O’Toole, Lawrence of Arabia), plunging into a cycle of corruption, violence and insanity.

The main virtue of the new editing is its ability to rescue the epic narrative and the complexity of the main character, played masterfully by McDowell. Caligulawith his path of insanity, cruelty and corruption, stops being just a figure that generates shock to become a tragic and multifaceted character. The emperor’s rise to power and his fall are presented with a clarity that was lacking in the original version, in which scenes of explicit sex and gratuitous violence had diluted any narrative depth.

The work of Thomas Negovanby reorganizing the more than 96 hours of material filmed by Brassrescues the epic spirit of the script Gore Vidal. While the previous version seemed more concerned with shocking the viewer, the new edition prioritizes the construction of a solid and intense narrative. The film is now more about the character’s psychology and the destruction caused by madness and absolute power, with a dose of eroticism that, although still present, is more discreet and integrated into the plot, rather than being an end in itself.

The composer’s soundtrack Troy Sterling Nies It’s another new addition. It replaces the original and imposes an epic tone, more appropriate to the historical context of the plot. Instead of a frenetic, distracting pace, the music now underlines moments of dramatic tension and larger-than-life elements of the narrative, comparing favorably to contemporary historical-themed films such as Gladiator (2000). This change in sound approach helps transform the film into a more cohesive and less irritating work, giving it a rhythm that favors immersion in the universe of ancient Rome.

However, it is important to highlight that Caligula: The Final Cut It’s still not an easy film to digest. Its graphic violence and nude scenes, although more organic and justified by the plot, continue to challenge the viewer. Eroticism, although more subtle and integrated, can be disconcerting for those used to a more conventional approach to the historical genre. However, for those looking for a more faithful portrait of one of the most eccentric and tyrannical emperors in history, this version is undoubtedly a significant advance.

Caligula: The Final Cutis the version of Caligula which probably comes closest to the vision idealized by Red Brassrescuing the epicenter of the plot and the depth of the text Gore Vidal. By eliminating excessive explicit sex and paying greater attention to the protagonist’s psychology and his tragic trajectory, the production of Negovan manages to balance violence and eroticism with the dramatic weight necessary to tell this dark story. That way, Caligula: The Final Cut presents itself as a more mature and well-structured work, worthy of being appreciated by those looking for something beyond mere scandal.

Rolling Stone Brazil film special

Cinema is the theme of the new printed special from Rolling Stone Brazil. In a magazine dedicated to lovers of the seventh art, we interviewed Francis Ford Coppolawho turns 85 amid the release of his new film, Megalopolisa bold and million-dollar undertaking financed by himself.

Unshakable in the face of controversial reactions to the novelty, which took around 40 years to get off the ground, the filmmaker defends the cinema industry’s boldness in being creative and opens up, in plain Portuguese, about Brazil’s influence in his new film: “Alegria” .

The special also features conversations with Walter Salles, Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello on I’m Still Herea chat about soundtracks with the maestro João Carlos Martinsan exclusive list with the 100 best films in history (50 national, 50 international), another list with the 101 greatest soundtracks in the history of cinema, a warm-up for Oscar 2025 and the release radar of Globoplay, Globo Filmes, O2 Play and O2 Filmes for the coming months.

The movie special Rolling Stone Brazil It is already on newsstands, but can also be purchased at the Perfil publisher’s store for R$29.90. Check it out:

READ ALSO: I’m Still Here reopens family album stained by the military dictatorship; read the review

Which 2025 release are you most looking forward to? Vote for your favorite movie!

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