Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Any consideration of “Caligula” needs to start with an appreciation of Rome during Caligula’s reign. For one thing: nobody, but nobody, would have been permitted to address him by that name when he was Emperor. His proper name was Gaius Julius Caesar. “Caligula”, or “Little Boots” was a nickname given him by soldiers of the legions commanded by his father, Germanicus. Caligula has, in modern times, been diagnosed as being afflicted with bipolar disorder or possibly schizophrenia. There was also the problem that drinking water in the imperial residences was provided by means of lead piping, so that he may also have suffered from lead poisoning. Lead poisoning, among other things, impairs judgement, which may go a long way to explain why the Imperial court and all Rome were (just as we see in the film) a sexual hothouse. In any event, the key events in the film, such as the goings-on in Tiberius’ retreat on Capri and Caligula’s command orgy in the imperial palace are documented by Suetonius. If you believe him. Which you should. Caligula’s successor, his uncle Claudius, was nobody’s fool, despite the way he is portrayed in this film. However, he did play the fool during Caligula’s reign and before … with the result that he outlived nearly all his contemporaries.

This film is (as any reviewer will tell you) a mixed bag. It is, basically, unable to decide whether it’s a porno flick or an historical epic. So it tries to be both. This problem was present at the inception, in Gore Vidal’s original script. Vidal has an excuse, certainly, in the actual sexual goings-on in Julio-Claudian Rome. And after. You may not like the sexual high-jinks depicted on the screen, but so what? You’re essentially looking at the kinds of things that actually went on in Rome of that period in history. The reason there’s so much carrying on about how awful this aspect of “Caligula” is comes from the fact that our society isn’t one whit less licentious than post-Augustan Rome. This film is not only daring, but appropriately daring in that it depicts Imperial Rome with all its warts intact. Well, OK, the warts are overdone. There is, for instance, a lesbian scene, which is obligatory in a standard “straight” porn flick but here it’s useless, not to mention boring. Some of the sex in general is more graphic than it really needs to be. The viewer would have gotten the idea without being pushed nearly so hard (if that is the term).

Vidal’s original concept for the film was tinkered with on an almost cosmic scale, and the number of cooks manhandling the broth is legion. Amazingly, the final result is fairly coherent. It’s also far truer to Caligula and his times than media reviewers at the time of its release (and later) wanted to admit. Most criticisms of the film I recall reading had very little background in Roman social and political history. The serious intent of the historical epic facet of “Caligula” is underlined by the stellar cast it was able to attract: Malcolm McDowell (Caligula), Peter O’Toole (Tiberius), Sir John Gielgud (M. Cocceius Nerva), and Helen Mirren (Caesonia).

The film begins during the reign of Caligula’s predecessor, Tiberius. We’re made aware from the outset of Caligula’s incestuous relationship with his sister Drusilla. Caligula is the viper Tiberius is nursing to inflict on Rome after his death as his ultimate revenge on a city that never loved him. The film depicts Tiberius’ court (in self-imposed exile on Capri) with savage strokes, emphasizing the well-known Roman fascination with bizarre variations in the human form and Tiberius’ well-known fascination with people who are (a) young or (b) very young or (c) extremely young – and (d) naked. Peter O’Toole gives one of the finest performances of his career, playing Tiberius as both canny and mad. Sir John Gielgud appears in this segment as Tiberius’ none-too-willing advisor, the philosopher Nerva (grandfather of the later [96-98 CE] Emperor of the same name). He is masterful in showing us a man driven by weltschmerz and despair to a movingly portrayed suicide. Caligula finally makes himself Emperor by smothering the old man … thus giving the Romans a devil they didn’t know in exchange for the devil they knew.

McDowell’s performance is a convincing confirmation of his acting prowess. His Caligula teeters on the edge of madness for a time before tumbling in. The progress of his reign is shown more in a series of anecdotes than in a seamless narrative. Insofar as I recall, all of these events are narrated somewhere in contemporary or near-contemporary sources, mostly Suetonius. One of the most effective scenes involves Caligula making a shambles of a wedding, in the end forcing his sexual attentions on bride and groom alike. This segment blends seamlessly the seemingly incongruous elements that typify the film: the horror of Caligula’s good-natured (but homicidal) madness, frank sexuality, informed portrayal of Roman society, and a dark (even bizarre) sense of humor. If you let it, it can be a very funny bit.

Of the women central to Caligula’s life, his sister Drusilla and his wife Caesonia, the latter is the plum role and Helen Mirren gets it. The director apparently sees Drusilla (played by Teresa Ann Savoy just that way) as a colorless appendix to Caligula’s powerful persona. Her death is one of the events, if not the event, that drive(s) Caligula over the edge. McDowell’s portrayal of Caligula’s grief is so good it’s almost out of control. Mirren’s portrayal of Caesonia makes absolutely believable the idea that Caligula would make her his Empress despite her lowly origins. (The Emperor Justinian would later do exactly the same thing with more success.) In actuality, it appears Caesonia was far less involved in her husband’s more bizarre behavior and remained more in the background.

The great centerpiece of the film is Caligula’s command orgy in the palace. Those who are curious might want to compare the more restrained version to be seen in BBC’s “I, Claudius”. The latter might appear more accurate, but the version in this film is more typically Roman – that is, way more showy.

Throughout the latter half of the film, the groundwork is laid for the eventual assassination of Caligula. Not only is he increasingly obviously loony, he is alienating his former supporters. He is eventually stabbed while attending the games (NOT at the Coliseum, which is often shown as part of Julio-Claudian Rome … but that structure was only dedicated in 79 CE).

Considering its many virtues, it’s a pity its directors contrived to make the public forget all about them by portraying (however accurately) an aspect of Roman society that didn’t require so much emphasis. Even so, apparently this was still a toning-down of the original screenplay. Gore Vidal’s script was otherwise literate and witty, and these characteristics still communicate themselves in this version.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age