Tinto Brass, an Italian film director who became prominent in erotic cinema, has died at age 93. His family announced his passing to Italian news agency Ansa on Wednesday.
Born in Milan and raised in Venice, Brass began his career in cinema after relocating to Paris, where he worked as an editor and archivist at the Cinémathèque. He later returned to Italy to work as an editor and assistant director under Roberto Rossellini. His unconventional filmmaking style quickly distinguished him, leading to a commission from Umberto Eco in 1964 to create two short films exploring visual language for the Triennale di Milano. Warner Bros. reportedly considered him to direct A Clockwork Orange, but scheduling issues resulted in the project going to Stanley Kubrick instead.
During the 1970s, Brass shifted his focus toward erotic cinema. While his films in this genre were characterized by explicit content, they often contained political commentary examining connections between sexuality, power, and money. Brass maintained that he pursued erotic filmmaking because he viewed eroticism as central to human expression and as a tool for portraying women authentically.
Brass directed the 1976 film Salon Kitty, a work inspired by the true story of a Berlin brothel utilized by Nazi intelligence operations. The film’s success attracted producer Bob Guccione, who engaged Brass in 1979 to helm Caligula. The production featured established actors including Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole, and John Gielgud, with a screenplay by Gore Vidal that Brass substantially modified. Following production, Guccione added unsimulated explicit material without directorial approval, leading both Vidal and Brass to distance themselves from the final version. The film was released in the UK and US in 1980, with Brass receiving limited credit. A revised cut without Guccione’s additions was released in 2023, though without Brass’s involvement.
Brass spent his later years in Isola Farnese near Rome. He was married to Caterina Varzi since 2017, who manages his film archive. In an earlier interview marking his 90th birthday, Brass expressed a desire to have his ashes scattered in the Venice lagoon.
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