Tinto Brass: The Master of Italian Erotica Passes at 93

Tinto Brass, the Italian director famous for erotic films like 'Caligula' and 'Salon Kitty,' has died at the age of 93. His family confirmed the news on Wednesday to the Italian news agency Ansa. Brass was born in Milan in 1933 to a family of artists from Venice.

Before entering the film industry, Brass studied law. He moved toward cinema in the late 1950s and found work as an archivist at the Cinémathèque Français in Paris. There, he met director Roberto Rossellini and served as an assistant on the war drama 'General della Rovere.'

Brass made his directorial debut in 1963 with a film set in Venice titled 'In Capo Al Mondo.' The movie received positive reviews at the Venice Film Festival but faced immediate friction with Italian censors. This marked the start of a long career involving disputes over content.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Brass lived in London and directed several English-language projects. One of these was the 1967 thriller 'Deadly Sweet,' which starred Jean-Louis Trintignant and Ewa Aulin. The film screened out of competition at the 1967 Venice festival. A restored version of 'Deadly Sweet' played at Venice earlier this year as a tribute to Brass.

Brass gained international recognition with the 1976 erotic war drama 'Salon Kitty.' The story centers on a Berlin brothel used by Nazi intelligence and features Helmut Berger. His most famous work, 'Caligula,' was produced in 1979 but not released until 1984. Bob Guccione, founder of Penthouse, self-financed the project. Guccione clashed with Brass and screenwriter Gore Vidal, eventually taking control of the edit and adding adult content after the main cast finished filming. Actors in the film included Helen Mirren, Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, and Peter O'Toole. Brass and Vidal sued to remove their names from the credits.

In 1983, Brass directed 'The Key,' based on a novel by Japanese author Tanizaki Junichiro. The film starred Stefania Sandrelli and was a commercial success worldwide. He continued making films focused on female sexual liberation, including 'Black Angel' in 2002 and 'Fallo' in 2003.

Brass is survived by his wife, Caterina Varzi, and his two children, Bonifacio and Beatrice.