Caligula
Dir Tinto Brass & Bob Guccione / 1980 / USA
This big budget sleaze classic has had quite a history with the Australian censors.It was first Refused Classification in March 1980
with a print running 4250.2mtr (155m 21s). The reason given for the
ban was sex and violence, which were described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Roadshow eventually had a 4073.5 (148m 53s) modified version granted an R18+ in March 1981. The censors awarded the rating with the following statement attached:
Registered subject to the special condition that all advertising clearly indicates that this film is a "modified version".
In May 1981 Roadshow appealed to the Review Board to look again at the Censorship Board's decision. They were obviously not objecting to the R18+ rating, so I can only assume that it was the special condition that they had a problem with. Telling the public the truth that it was censored was not going to be good for business. As it turned out the review failed and the film was released theatrically with the warning attached.
In May 1984 Palace Home Video received an X18+ rating for a 143min
tape. It was accompanied by the warning that the film contained sex and
violence that was:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The X rating had only been introduced four months earlier and there was a
brief period where it was considered not just for sex films, but for
material that was too extreme for R18+. During this time violence could
exist in the X18+ category, and films such as CALIGULA, JUNGLE WARRIORS,
PINK FLAMINGOS, LA BETE, and ROSEMARY'S
KILLER were awarded this rating. The guidelines were swiftly tightened up
to remove violence, though pro-censorship groups will try and tell you
otherwise.
Also in May 1984 (the week after the above rating) Pakenham Video
Library were awarded an R18+ rating for a version that also ran 143min. t
was accompanied by the warning that the film contained sex and violence
that was:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
It is unclear why in the space of a week one version was awarded an X18+,
whilst the other an R18+.
In September 1984 Roadshow Home Video received an R18+ rating for a 146min (v) video. The exact running time is actually 143m 19s, which makes it look like it is the same as the Theatrical Version. The tape cover even carries the same "modified version" warning.
January 1985 again saw the film rated X18+. Once more the applicant was Palace Home Video, though the running time was now 156min (v). This looks to be the fully uncut version. Thanks to Sarge for providing a cover scan and a running time to prove that this was indeed released. The label was called Palace X Video, and it ran 155m 53s. The cover states:
Finally-the UNCUT version of Caligula, the most expensive and explicit multi-million dollar "X" certificate film in cinema history.
October 1985 saw the NSW and Queensland Police both receive X18+ ratings for the 156min (Palace X Video?) version.
In the late 90's the Roadshow tape was joined by a No Name label VHS. However at 141m 09s the runtime is even shorter, and the film is followed by the Vestron Video logo. This would seem to indicate that this version is a copy of a US tape.
In April 2003, the Victorian Police submitted to the OFLC a 123min (v) VHS tape that contained dupes of BAISE-MOI, and A DOCUMENTARY ON THE MAKING OF GORE VIDAL'S CALIGULA (contained on the U.S. Image DVD). Although the tape was Refused Classification, it is hard to judge how much (if at all) this was due to the documentary. The fact that it contained BAISE-MOI would have been enough to see the tape rated RC.
The film was rated again by the OFLC on December 14th 2004. The applicant Warner Vision were awarded an R18+ (Nudity, Sexual References, Adult Themes) rating for a DVD version. It made its Australian DVD debut in March 2005 as CALIGULA: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (only 5 years late, but never mind) with a reported running time of only 101m 40s (NTSC). The only extra are some Filmographies. Avoid!
In November 2005 the film was once more Refused Classification. Again the DVD is described as CALIGULA: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. The applicant was the ACT Office of Fair Trading. It is legal to sell or rent X18+ films in the ACT, and Adult stores generally follow the rules. If they don't they get a visit from the ACT Office of Fair Trading, which looks like what has happened in this case. It should be noted that in all the other States it is illegal to sell or rent hardcore, though it is perfectly legal to purchase them by mail-order from the ACT or NT. The truth is that most States generally turn a blind eye to stores stocking hardcore. So we have the current bizarre situation where X18+ is legal and strictly policed in the ACT and NT. Whilst in the States it is illegal, but films that go beyond X18+ are easily available. If the ACT Office of Fair Trading were to raid a store in Sydney or Melbourne then an uncut copy of CALIGULA is going to be one of the tamest films they would find.
The DVD taken by the ACT Office of Fair Trading is obviously the 'Unrated Version' and not the 'R Rated Version' passed in December 2004. This confirms that the X18+ that the uncut film held in 1984-85 has now officially been changed to RC. In the early days of the X18+ rating is was possible for a film such as CALIGULA to hold such a rating even though it contains hardcore sex and violence. The guidelines for X18+ were eventually tightened so that there is now zero violence allowed. However, since the ROMANCE controversy in 2000, actual sex is allowed in the R18+ category. Obviously the Classification Board still does not consider the uncut CALIGULA "serious" enough for such a rating.
 (Scan by Stephen F) |
Roadshow (Australia) VHS 143m 19s |
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