‘Caligula’ passes the censor

Press, 29 September 1983, Page 14

‘Caligula’ passes the censor

mhemcr

hans petrovic

Perhaps the most notorious and sexually explicit major feature film ever made, Bob (“Penthouse”) Guccione’s film, “Caligula,” has finally been passed by the New Zealand censor.

The “international version” of his Roman erotica carries an RlB certificate with censor riders on vio-

lence and offensive content. It will be released on November 4.

“Caligula” is the bizarre but true tale of the young Emperor whose reign began benignly in 37 A.D. and ended in cruelty and violence four years later. It is not, however, a romanticised picture postcard version of Imperial Rome. How to insure the privacy of filming such controversial material was a major security problem during production. The answer was to close the lavish Roman sets to all.

As a result, rumours circulated as to the enormous sexual content of the film

from the first day of shooting: Was it true the extras were auditioning for their roles in the erotic scenes? Were they really participating in the orgies that were so much a part of Caligula’s day? And were the major stars joining them?

The story of the depraved Roman Emperor Caligula was the perfect vehicle for Guccione’s first attempt at film production. At last, the erotic decadence of Ist Century Rome has been dramatised on the screen as realistically as its opulence and splendour were shown

in epics, like “Cleopatra” and “Ben Hur,” he says.

To raise the level above some cheap “porno flick,” Guccione spent SI7M and hired major actors for the key roles in the film. Malcolm McDowell is the mad Emperor Caligula; Peter O’Toole portrays the wicked Emperor Tiberius, mentor of Caligula; John Gielgud is the noble Roman Senator Nerva, friend and confidante of Tiberius; Helen Mirren, one of England’s finest Shakespearian actresses, plays Caesonia, Caligula’s wife and mistress. A host of Penthouse beauties from England, Europe and the United States portray the women, mistresses and brothel occupants of Imperial Rome. Malcolm McDowell spent five months filming in Rome. One of his more formidable scenes was shot in bed with a horse.

In the film, Caligula awakens from a nightmare to find not his mistress

beside him, but Incitatus, his horse (whom, legend says, he later made a proconsul). The eight-year-old stallion had to be tranquillised, then brought to bed where an understandably nervous McDowell was waiting. To calm both human and animal soothing lullaby music was provided during the scene.

Peter O’Toole spent three hours a day being transformed from a lean, blueeyed blond into the aged, diseased, wicked-looking 77-year-old Emperor Tiberius. Helen Mirren, who portrays Caesonia, was brought to the “Caligula” project by Malcolm McDowell.

“My most difficult scene was a menage a trois with Malcolm and Teresa Ann Savoy, who plays his sister, Drusilla,” says Ms Mirren. “We were comforting the Emperor after he had a nightmare and got carried away — as did most Romans of that time.”