Tinto Brass, Director of Caligula, Dies at 93

Italian director Tinto Brass, whose work ranged from experimental films to erotic dramas, has died in Rome at 93. On November 4, 2026, his wife Caterina Varzi and their children, Bonifacio and Beatrice, made his death public through Italian news agency Ansa.

Born in Milan in 1933, Brass studied law before moving to Paris in 1957 and entering the film world. He worked at the Cinémathèque française and served as an assistant to filmmakers including Roberto Rossellini. His first feature, In Capo Al Mondo, arrived in 1963; later retitled Chi Lavora è Perduto, it followed an unemployed young man and met resistance from Italian censors.

Brass made several films in London in the late 1960s and early 1970s, among them Deadly Sweet, Attraction and Dropout. The 2026 Venice Film Festival presented a restored print of Deadly Sweet, featuring Jean-Louis Trintignant alongside Ewa Aulin.

He became internationally known for Salon Kitty (1976) and Caligula, made in 1979. Caligula was released in 1984 in a version that differed from Brass’s intended cut after producer Bob Guccione took control of the film and added adult scenes. Brass and screenwriter Gore Vidal sued to have their names removed. Brass later directed The Key (1983) and films including Black Angel and Fallo. He is survived by Varzi and his two children.