Tinto Brass, Director of Caligula, Dies at 93

Italian filmmaker Tinto Brass has died at 93, his family announced, ending a career that included more than two dozen films and made him best known internationally for Caligula. The family’s announcement was reported through Italian media. ANSA reported that Brass died in Rome on November 4, though that date and location were specified in only one account. Brass was born Giovanni Brass in Milan on March 26, 1933. He studied law before turning to film, working at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris and assisting directors including Joris Ivens and Roberto Rossellini. His feature directing debut, In Capo al Mondo, was released in 1963 and later retitled Chi Lavora è Perduto. He went on to direct experimental films and works that explored sexuality and power. Among his best-known titles were Salon Kitty, The Key, Miranda and Paprika. Caligula, released in 1979, became the most prominent and contentious project of his career. Brass directed most of the historical drama, starring Malcolm McDowell as the Roman emperor, but producer Bob Guccione took control during postproduction and added explicit sexual material. Brass and screenwriter Gore Vidal distanced themselves from the...