Caligula Reviews

One of the most underrated movies ever
This movie is both beautiful and disturbing and tragical
It’s much more then just a porn movie

I had heard plenty of bad things about this movie but with such an impressive cast I refused to believe it was bad... and now I can finally agree.

Like most of the viewers, it is its infamous reputation that made me watched this flick. Basically, I just wanted to check it out if it was as bad and/or as shocking as everybody was thinking. Eventually, it might sound weird, but I don’t think it was that bad at all. Indeed, since this movie dealt with Caligula, the most decadent Roman emperor, I thought this movie eventually fit the man quite well. Indeed, the main character was just despicable, mad, tyrannical, and indeed, you had a few hardcore sex scenes here and there but it didn’t really bother me. As a matter of fact, it might sound odd but I think those scenes made the movie even more surreal. I’m not saying that those inserts were a good idea but I don’t think they really ruined the movie. Basically, it was pretty much like watching ‘Gladiator’ on acid. There was also a pretty good cast (Malcolm McDowel, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren) even though they had no idea what they got into and most of them have subsequently completely rejected the movie. Don’t be mistaken though, it was still far from being a good movie. Indeed, the pacing was really terrible, the editing was amateurish and the whole thing was frankly quite messy. Still, all those flaws added to the surreal effect given by this movie. Basically, it is a completely decadent flick about the most decadent time in human history. To conclude, I might be mistaken, it might just be some total worthless trash (Roger Ebert really hated it), but personally, I think there was something still spellbinding about it and I think it is worth a look, if you don’t mind watching a totally depraved picture.

Caligula is one hell of a porn film, above any other label. Of course orgies were a common thing in ancient Rome, and in a lot more civilizations by then, and so there's absolutely no reason to produce any other, far from the truth, prudish depiction of the Roman living like Hollywood got people used to. And yes, the added sex scenes are a bit too excessive, too extravagant and too perverse, and there's controversy on that, but then wouldn't be a real portrayal of the history, specially on Caligula's reign.

this movie this a greet story

WELL WHERE DO I BEGIN,IT IS AN IMPORTANT MOVIE IN FILM HISTORY BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER MOVIE LIKE CALIGULA NOR SHALL THERE BE A MOVIE LIKE CALIGULA EVER AGAIN IN THE HISTORY OF FILM. IN CASE U DIDN'T KNOW THIS MOVIE IS PART PORN, IT FEATURES A PLOT(NOT A VERY GOOD ONE)AND BIG NAME ACTORS LIKE MALCOLM MCDOWELL, PETER O'TOOLE, HELEN MIRREN AND JOHN GIELGUD. ITS THE ONLY MOVIE TO EVER MIX FAMOUS ACTORS WITH HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY ON SUCH AN EPIC SCALE. THE FILM IS NEARLY 3 HOURS OF POWER HUNGRY MADNESS. THE STORY IS ABOUT THE RISE AND FALL OF CALIGULA AS HE BECOMES RULER OF PAGAN ROME. THERE IS ONE SCENE OF JOY IN THE BEGINNING AND THEN THATS IT BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT,AS CALIGULA GAINS POWER OVER THE ROMAN EMPIRE IT THEN STARTS TO CORRUPT HIM AND SO HE EMBARKS ON MANY ACTS OF CRUELTY, CALIGULA MAINLY KILLS HIS INNOCENT VICTIMS OUT OF BOREDOM OR JUST FOR THE FUN OF SEEING SOMEONE DIE A SLOW DEATH. MALCOLM MCDOWELL'S PERFORMANCE IS VERY BELIEVABLE AND STRIKING, HE PLAYS THAT CRAZY MOTHER FUCKER TO A TEE (WELL I SHOULDN'T SAY MOTHER FUCKER BECAUSE CALIGULA HAS A THREESOME WITH HIS SISTER AND HIS WIFE! A LITTLE GROSS AND WEIRD!), NO ONE PLAYS A VICIOUS PYSCO LIKE MALCOLM MCDOWELL. PETER O'TOOLE PLAYS CALIGULA'S OLD ASSHOLE GRANDPA WHO IS JUST AS BRUTAL AS CALIGULA, HELEN MIRREN IS PRETTY DAMN HOTT IN THIS MOVIE, IT BEING 1979, AND JOHN GIELGUD KILLS HIMSELF WITHIN THE FIRST 30 MINUTES. THE PLOT SOLEY FOCUSES ONLY ON THE ATROCITIES DONE BY CALIGULA RATHER THAN HIS LIFE STORY AND THE HARDCORE PORN THROWN IN BY PENTHOUSE CREATOR BOB GUCCIONE DOESN'T FURTHER OR HELP THE STORY ONE BIT. THE PORN IN THIS ISN'T EVEN "EROTIC" IT DOESN'T TURN U ON AT ALL, IT JUST KIND OF SHOWS IT TO U. THIS HAD POTENTIAL TO BE A VERY VERY GREAT FILM HAD IT HAVE A BETTER PLOT, MINUS THE PORN AND A LESS DEPRESSING ENDING (IN WHICH CALIGULA, HIS WIFE , DAUGHTER AND FRIEND ARE ALL BRUTALLY MURDERED, EVEN THOUGH HE DESERVED TO DIE.) ITS A GOOD MOVIE BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER, BUT ITS UNLIKE ANYTHING U HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE, IF U ARE A FILM BUFF THAN THIS IS A MUST SEE.