Titus
Released: 1999
Rated R for strong violent and sexual images.
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Harry Lennix, Angus Macfadyen, Alan Cumming, Colm Feore, Laura Fraser. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Matthew Rhys
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Runtime: 2 Hrs. 42 Mins.
Favorite Quote: “If one good deed in all my life I did, I repent it from my very soul.”
Summary (from IMDB): War begets revenge. Victorious general, Titus Andronicus, returns to Rome with hostages: Tamora queen of the Goths and her sons. He orders the eldest hewn to appease the Roman dead. He declines the proffered emperor’s crown, nominating Saturninus, the last ruler’s venal elder son. Saturninus, to spite his brother Bassianus, demands the hand of Lavinia, Titus’s daughter. When Bassianus, Lavinia, and Titus’s sons flee in protest, Titus stands against them and slays one of his own. Saturninus marries the honey-tongued Tamora, who vows vengeance against Titus.
The Bad Stuff:
- This movie can seem really long. You definately have to be in the right mood for very heavy Shakespeare.
- Julie Taymor is notorious for using a lot of imagery and she doesn’t break her trend. The only problem is the fact that some of the images and segments in the movie aren’t neccessary and seem to just be there to be pretty or interesting without moving the plot forward.
- Some of the dialogue is moved around from the original play, making things happen out of order. This would only bother theatre nerds, like myself.
- The language can turn some people off. If you can’t understand Shakespeare, you won’t like the movie.
- The little kid is annoying.
- The final shot of the movie goes on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. It could have easily been cut by 2 or 3 minutes.
- Tamora’s sons (Meyers and Rhys) are over-acted to the point of being distracting.
The Good Stuff:
- The acting is amazing. There couldn’t be a better cast for this movie. Alan Cumming, Anthony Hopkins and Harry Lennix really stand out with their performances.
- The concept of blending almost every time period was really cool and done very well.
- The sets and locations are interesting to look at and fit the scene very well.
- The costumes are great. They really add to the concept of the film.
I think this is one of the best Shakespeare adaptations to date. It is acted and directed in a very knowledgeable and fascinating way. If you love heavy drama and Shakespeare, I highly recommend seeing this movie.
