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Directed by: Julie Taymor Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Harry Lennix, Angus McFayden Adapted from William Shakespeare's least-popular (some would say reviled) play Titus Andronicus, Titus chronicles the tragic events that unfold following the return of Titus Andronicus (Hopkins) a popular Roman general from a military campaign against the Goths. Capturing for the glory of Rome the fallen queen of the Goths Tamora (Lange), her three sons and Moorish servant (Lennix), Titus returns to his country to find the Emperor dead and his two royal sons quarreling over whose forehead the crown will next reside. The one that does eventually become the new Emperor (Saturninus, played by Alan Cumming) chooses of all people the Tamora for his bride, elevating a humble prisoner of war to the status of a God. Spurred by Titus' atrocities against her people (and her son, who is murdered and eviscerated to appease the Gods) Tamora, with the help of her surviving sons and servant, plots the grisly and horrific downfall of Titus and his family. Director Julie Taymor originally directed the Broadway adaptation of The Lion King, a production that was lauded for its astonishing visual style. Titus also features Taymor's eccentric visual style, which includes combining elements of ancient times (spears, Roman armor, tombs, burial rites, archery, orgies) with more modern elements (dirtbikes, tanks, 1920's-style cars, fascist architecture, newspapers, jukeboxes, arcade machines). This, when working in conjunction with the over-the-top acting in several scenes and flamboyant costuming oftentimes can lead to a sensory overload, though repeated viewings downplays the extremism that all these elements stress. In all, Titus is a beautiful film to look at. Acting-wise, Hopkins and Lange are stellar as the spurred general and queen whose final days consist of conceiving violent, grotesque ways of dispatching each other's kin (Titus' method by far, pardon the pun, takes the cake). Supporting actors Cumming and McFayden all perform admirably. Of all the characters however, the one I was most impressed with was Harry Lennix's portrayal of Aaron, the spurred and violent Moor who delivers, in my opinion, one of the greatest Shakespearean monologues ever put to film. Ultimately the greatest and most unrepetent villain I can think of, Lennix's Aaron remains one of my favorite film villains. My favorite Shakespearean adaptation ever, and one of my top 20 films of all-time. RATING: 5 PROS: Stunning cinematography, classic Shakespearean revenge, outstanding acting by all parties, monologues CONS: Overly eccentric set-pieces, musical number(s), and weird amalgalms of past and present technologies are sometimes cringe-inducing ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120866/ Mr. Sleep fucked around with this message at 05:43 on May 23, 2004 |
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May 23, 2004 01:17
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 05:21 |
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In general, I don't like adaptations of Shakespeare that transport the material to another setting/period (excluding Ran), and the mixing of different milieus in this film only agitates me more. The performances were all outstanding, and it really is an interesting story (despite the play's poor reputation), but it was too over-the-top in terms of art direction for me. Not necessarily a case of style over substance (since the style complelements the content for the most part), but just a choice of style that's difficult to appreciate.
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May 23, 2004 01:25
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Definitely my favorite Shakespeare film adaptation. Amazing visual style, and excellent performances throughout. 5/5
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May 23, 2004 08:45
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I'm watching this on TV right now. The visual style alone is worthy of a 4/5.
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May 28, 2004 07:12
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Just wanted to add that this is probably the best acting perfomance Hopkins has ever exhibited, just loving breathtaking. 5/5 vivisectvnv fucked around with this message at 04:46 on May 31, 2004 |
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May 28, 2004 20:13
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There's very little I DIDN'T like about this movie, and the casting was really perfect. Hopkins is amazing. 5.
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May 31, 2004 04:44
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Easily one of the most beautifly done movies I have ever seen. From the opening of the film to it's end, it is simply amazing. The story is brutal, the acting is superb (the moor, in particular, was excelent), and the cinematography is breathtaking. That opening march was haunting. Amazing movie. 5/5 Edit: The director's commentary is very interesting.
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Jun 24, 2004 18:14
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Aaron the Moore beats every Clint Eastwood character combined with every John Wayne character combined with Samuel J. Jackson in the Most Extreme Badass department. Worth watch for him alone. 5/5
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Jun 25, 2004 08:47
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The movie is fantastic. Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange's acting takes this to the Mel Gibson adaptation of Hamlet level. Aaron the moore is equally enthralling. The dinner scene at the end is fantastic. The way the director visualizes Titus's slow decent into madness is also impressive. 5/5
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Jul 17, 2004 10:11
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 05:21 |
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When watching actors perform Shakespeare, I always get the feeling that they're so drat pleased with themselves. "I am an ACTOR!" Other nitpicks... Tamora's sons seemed like total fruitcakes. And let's not forget Alan Cumming, whose gayness cannot be contained despite his best efforts. It's distracting. I also dislike attempts to "modernize" Shakespeare while maintaining the original language (see Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, which really bugged me). Either adapt it completely for a modern audience, or do it as it was intended. Having jeeps drive around ancient Rome doesn't work for me. It doesn't feel like updating, it feels like pandering. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the story, and found myself getting sucked in. Very nice cinematography as well. And kudos to Taymor for choosing one of Shakespeare's lesser-known works rather than the tried-and-true. I wouldn't watch it again, but I liked it. Rating: 3
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Feb 18, 2005 21:52
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