‘Caligula’ Director Tinto Brass Dies at 93 — SkimNews
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- Tinto Brass died at 93, with his wife Caterina Varzi and children Bonifacio and Beatrice Brass confirming the news to Ansa; no cause was disclosed.
- Tinto Brass launched his career with experimental films in the 1960s and 1970s, beginning with “Who Works Is Lost,” about an unemployed designer that screened at the 1963 Venice Film Festival.
- “Salon Kitty” represented Brass’s move into erotic filmmaking in 1976, with the historical drama set in a Berlin brothel during the Nazi era.
- “Caligula” was written by Gore Vidal, produced by Bob Guccione and starred Peter O’Toole, Helen Mirren, John Gielgud and Malcolm McDowell, with McDowell playing the title Roman emperor.
- “Caligula” was re-edited and re-cut several times before bombing at the U.S. box office in 1980, after which it built a significant cult following over subsequent decades.
- The 178-minute “Ultimate Cut” of “Caligula” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and received a warmer reception from reviewers.
Why it matters: Brass’s death puts the lasting contrast in his legacy in focus: “Caligula” bombed in the U.S. in 1980, yet later built a significant cult following, and its 178-minute “Ultimate Cut” drew a warmer reception from reviewers at Cannes in 2023.
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