Review of Caligula (1979) by Iris S — 30 Dec 2007

There's nothing wrong with it, per se. Actually, there is a lot wrong with it.

Despite boasting a good cast (Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole), this movie really hasn't got much too it. It uses sex to boost itself, despite not aiming to be a porn movie. It fails miserably. We can use incest to shock viewers. But, unlike Gladiator, where Commodus' attraction to his sister is merely implied, but still taken into account, we have it shoved shamefully into our faces here. Also, believe me, I had no desire to see one of my favourite actors with his fist up someone else's ass.

There is little historical accuracy here. Many more reserved viewers would have turned off after twenty minutes, but I sat through almost two hours of this crap. Am I masochistic? Oh yeah, we have that in here too.

In the end, it's a porn movie. And not even a good one.