John Hurt's astonishing Caligula dance

[hoodathunkit]

One of my all time favourite TV series is the BBC and Royal Shakespeare Company's production I Claudius. One of the many high points is the notorious Caligula dance, performed by the late great John Hurt.

For readers unfamiliar with the production, Clauduis and friends have been summoned by the mad emperor Caligula and are trembling with terror as Caligula has a tendency to order executions on a whim.

I watched this video recently and thought that readers here might enjoy it and relate to the position of Claudius and friends. I can relate. Very much.

Anyway, enjoy

www.dailymotion.com/video/x2swvt8?retry

This clip of Caligula played by Malcolm Macdowell in the notorious film Caligula also left me feeling as though it was a preduction of future events

You have to say the words, even if you know it's a lie, or else

doh! typo - prediction not preduction - typing in haste

@hoodathunkit omg, that’s UNCANNY! An actual visual representation of the madness! A certain professor at a Californian university also sprang to mind.

I needed a laugh this morning.

I'm so pleased you enjoyed these clips Scraggythang

We all need a good laugh given the current situation :)

You might also enjoy a section from the following documentary about an abandoned 1937 production of I Claudius

In the section between 47:37- 49:47 Claudius has been summoned by Caligula - You may recognise some of the dynamics

the look on the Centurion's face as he is dismissed speaks voulmes, as does the expression on Messalina's (IMMIC) face in the Claudius dance clip

:)

It’s just too good. “I want to end your career as historian… you might write something I didn’t like!”

Caligula, the godfather of cancel culture. 😂

Wekk spotted...

I liked

I haven't been ill! I'm simply undergoing a change! It's the most momentous transformation that any human being has ever achieved

and

It is painful to be one's own mother

I can understand how that might hurt

arhh "well spotted" even (multi-tasking buter fingers)

I know a little about Caligula, his infamous narcissistic rage and some of his, uh hummm… more interesting lifestyle choices. But I have to admit, this parallel had not occurred to me! These chosen clips are genius.

And despite his very best efforts, history and popular culture have not remembered him fondly.

Bit of crazy emperor serendipity. I had just read the OP when I switched on radio 4. Sian Phillips was talking about her book. She played Livia in I Claudius and DH Peter O Toole was in Caligula. Tis a sign I tell thee! The madness will end. Not as messily as Caligula one hopes.

I loved this series and had completely forgotten this scene so thanks hood, you have cheered my day. Yes, it does have uncanny echoes of the future but I bet John Hurt had a lot of fun doing it.

I loved these clips! So incredibly accurate regarding certain dynamics.

I remember the 'transformation' scene from the BBC series, and I agree, the parallel is striking

I’ve always had a crush on Malcolm McDowell.

John Hurt spent his childhood in a not exactly liberal mining town near here. He certainly wouldn't have got away with that!

This thread title should absolutely be someone’s user name.

I really didn't think I'd ever see a drama as troubling as I, Claudius, but that clip from Caligula was terrifying.
I had to lead a discussion about gender ID with my 6th form today. I managed to dodge the awful ppt. (I refuse to teach Judith Butler's views to anyone) and we had quite an interesting discussion on free speech. It was upsetting to hear them say that FS is important, apart from the things people (other people, obvs) cannot say.
TWAW - non-negotiable. I did try a put another side, but did not get far. Perhaps I should just show them rosy-fingered Dawn. Except that would be a very violent thing to do as Hurt is neither mad nor a Roman, nor trans.

I discovered that the film Caligula was intended by the director Tonto Brass to be a dark satire about the misuse of power

Unfortunately the porn company Penthouse bought the rights to the film and completely trashed it and turned it from a potentially wonderful film into a complete turkey

They hired porn actors and filmed sexually explicit scenes which they inserted into the film without the knowledge of the famous actors involved. Malcolm McDowell said he felt as though he had been raped when he saw what happend to the film

This interesting documentary describes what happened

Tinto Brass not Tonto Brass doh!

I had never seen Malcolm McDowell as Claudius. I saw the one with Sian Phillips as Livia and Brian Blessed as Augustus. Hurt of course as Caligula. I so associate them with the roles that when I visited the Palatine Hill in Rome, I was imagining SP in the House of Livia and BB in the House of Augustus.

All life was there really. Everyone dismissed Claudius as stupid, who survived them all to rise to power.

Very interesting, op. All the machinations. Not much changes under the sun.