The final screenplay focuses on the idea that 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'.
The director, Tinto Brass, extensively altered Vidal's original screenplay, however, leading Vidal to disavow the film. Gore Vidal originated the idea for a film about the controversial Roman emperor and produced a draft screenplay under the working title Gore Vidal's Caligula. Producer Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse magazine, intended to produce an erotic feature film narrative with high production values and name actors. The film stars Malcolm McDowell in the title role, alongside Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, John Steiner and John Gielgud.
Caligula ( Italian: Caligola) is a 1979 erotic historical drama film focusing on the rise and fall of the eponymous Roman Emperor Caligula.
