Slutty celluloid

>> The much-maligned Caligula gets rereleased

by MATTHEW HAYS

It's an awfully bitchy way to start a review, but it's impossible not to ask the question. That is, why on earth a distributor would want to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the premiere of the epic Caligula with a rerelease of crisp new prints?

But someone did, and here it is--all 156 minutes of it. The question becomes pressing when one considers the history of the film. It first made headlines when it was announced that Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione wanted to produce a film version of the historical story, explicit violence and sex intact. Critics balked, while major stars were signed on for various roles (including John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren and Malcolm McDowell). Every effort was made to keep the set shut and airtight, as speculation grew as to exactly how far the stars were going in their participation in representations of a spectrum of sex acts. When the film was released in '80, it was met with across-the-board critical disdain while virtually everyone involved attempted to distance themselves from it. Since then, Caligula has mainly become noted as a must-rent video for the horny teen set.

So how does the film measure up, 20 years later? Suffice to say, things really haven't changed all that much. It's not like anyone is really going to argue that this is an overlooked classic. Still, the film does hold some interest in its crossover status. Guccione wanted to marry mainstream epic filmmaking technique with explicit porn-like takes on sex. And much of the film is quite audacious, including sequences involving rape (both same-sex and opposite sex), fisting, orgies, lots of full-frontal nudity (both male and female) and that famous lesbian love scene. Most of the ultra-smutty stuff is done by extras (some of them from the Penthouse stable), but there are representations of the Nasty involving big names. It is weird to watch an A-lister like Mirren taking it up the bum from McDowell.

Guccione does appear to be somewhat prophetic, however. He appeared to anticipate pornography's recent greater mainstream acceptability, and the fascination with porn by broader audiences (witness Boogie Nights, Showgirls and The People vs. Larry Flynt). Beyond the Felliniesque costumes and sets, contemporary audiences might get the erotic thrills from Caligula they were promised with the tame-by-comparison Eyes Wide Shut. :

Caligula reopens this Friday, January 14