In the aftermath of the notorious Tinto Brass cult-favorite exploitation-epic, filmmaker Joe D'Amato came up with his own answer of sorts, focusing on the brutal reign of the impossibly cruel and pompous young emperor, played to perfection by boyishly handsome David Brandon. A feisty Moor warrior, Miriam (cult movie goddess Laura Gemser) embarks on a mission of vengeance when Caligula has a friend of hers killed - only to develop genuine feelings for Caligula. He, in turn, seems to feel genuine love for her - a rarity for a man of his "character".
D'Amato does seem to take himself pretty seriously at times, actually focusing on the story as well as the behind-the-scenes intrigues, as various men plot to dethrone their evil ruler. However, all of that is thrown out the window for sequences that are 100% pure exploitation, complete with lots of oral sex and a memorable scene involving a horse. These scenes go on for an awfully long time before D'Amato returns to the story and shows us how Caligulas' feelings for Miriam lead to his downfall.
Utter trash like this is obviously NOT for all tastes, and, in truth, I found it a little uneven. It does have its moments, of course, and the supporting cast and the music are good. But the film goes on too long for its own good, as it insists on portraying just how decadent Caligulas' empire is.
There's sex, nudity, and graphic violence aplenty, as well as an effective opening in which a would-be assassin (played by future director Michele Soavi of "Cemetery Man" fame) is punished for daring to get rid of Caligula. The demise of another character is truly one for the ages, and similar to a killing in another Euro-sleaze favorite, "Black Candles".
While I found this to be fairly entertaining, I'd still have to go with "Buio Omega" as my favorite effort from D'Amato.
Five out of 10.
D'Amato does seem to take himself pretty seriously at times, actually focusing on the story as well as the behind-the-scenes intrigues, as various men plot to dethrone their evil ruler. However, all of that is thrown out the window for sequences that are 100% pure exploitation, complete with lots of oral sex and a memorable scene involving a horse. These scenes go on for an awfully long time before D'Amato returns to the story and shows us how Caligulas' feelings for Miriam lead to his downfall.
Utter trash like this is obviously NOT for all tastes, and, in truth, I found it a little uneven. It does have its moments, of course, and the supporting cast and the music are good. But the film goes on too long for its own good, as it insists on portraying just how decadent Caligulas' empire is.
There's sex, nudity, and graphic violence aplenty, as well as an effective opening in which a would-be assassin (played by future director Michele Soavi of "Cemetery Man" fame) is punished for daring to get rid of Caligula. The demise of another character is truly one for the ages, and similar to a killing in another Euro-sleaze favorite, "Black Candles".
While I found this to be fairly entertaining, I'd still have to go with "Buio Omega" as my favorite effort from D'Amato.
Five out of 10.