Titus

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Summary: A Titus Andronicus Spectacle
Review: This production is "off the charts" in most every category! Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lainge (among others) are giving career performances here. The production is VERY lavish - and yet not at all over-done. Upon viewing this film I re-read the play to see how faithful the movie was - and I was astonished to realize that the film did not substantively add anything to the play. This film successfully undermines the conventional wisdom that "Titus Andronicus" is a "dismissible" play. The film is one of the most powerful productions one will ever find and is a true work of genius!

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Summary: Here is EVERYTHING you need to KNOW about the film...
Review: First off, I'll cover other reviews. Any scholar who says this play is badly written simply doesn't have the capacity for a well laid-out story. It is a thought provoking script by a brilliant man.

Second, the director has problems of her own. The opening scene with the young child is an obvious political statement that should have just been avoided. Also, the actors and actresses had a better understanding of the script than the director. Anthony Hopkins does a brilliant job except for about three or four times when you can see the directors influence through literal translations of the text.

Third, the past, present, and future settings all at once create a surreal, timeless atmosphere that ANYONE should be able to understand.

Finally, although I don't agree with the casting choice of Saturnine, the rest of the actors and actresses are VERY talented and should be commended on their understanding of the script.

BOTTOM LINE: A well written script acted out by very talented people, but directed by a liberal who had little understanding of the text. A great film with minor issues that has become one of my favorites.

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Summary: Brilliantly Executed Shakespearian Drama, With a Twist
Review: Julie Taymor's lavish arthouse film "Titus," based on one of Shakespeare's least-known plays, "Titus Andronicus," is a uniqe chimera of beauty, elegance, and social responsibility. Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare's first work not to draw directly on historical fact, lacks the depth of its immediate predecessor play, Richard III, instead succumbing to horrific violence and action without much of a point. This is probably why it hasn't been preformed or studied greatly, as it was clearly intended for a "groundling" audience, specifically to make money. The fact that it was the Bard's first true commercial success in his time attests to this fact, and the parallels between the sacrifice of content for the "bread and circuses" violence that people craved and modern, "braindead" action films today should be obvious.

Instead of turning her back on the work, Taymor openly embraced the violent nature of the play, but instead of making a blood-splattered production, she turned it into a powerful metaphor for the levels of violence and sexuality in our culture - and the lack of responsibility we take with such things.

The movie opens not in the past, but in the present - a young boy is playing "war" in his kitchen, and robots and toy soldiers explode around him and die. As a tank breaks down his wall, we are left unsure as to exactly what is fantasy and reality anymore - another brilliant take on the cause of violent actions, especially high-profile cases of violence by children, like the Columbine massacre.

The boy then enters the world of the play, where ancient Rome and modern times freely intermingle (and, despite my misgivings before seeing the film, this production choice does not detract at all from what happens onscreen). Titus (Anthony Hopkins, in the role that brought him out of his semi-retirement) and his soldiers - covered either with the grime of battle or a kind of caked-on, archaeological dirt, as if they were excavated from the ground, march into Rome, almost like the automatons the boy was playing with moments before. We learn they have just concluded a successful campaign against the Goths, and sacrifice one of the sons of the Goth's queen, Tamara (played to a "t" by Jessica Lange) as thanks. Tamara vows revenge, ends up supporting an upstart punk politician who takes over as emperor and sets out to destroy Titus' life.

This play has it all - disembowlments, rape, dismemberment, mutilation, insanity, political backstabbing, and sexual orgies. Through it all, the boy watches goggle-eyed and slackjawed, and becomes a kind of moral focal point for everything that happens around him - the lessons he "learns" (or rejects) in a strange fantasy world.

In a time when the lines between fantasy and reality become blurred, Taymor's Titus takes an uncompromising look at saturation of violence in our lives, and in the lives of our children. Because of this, it manages to take one of Shakespeare's worst works, an almost-parody of the levels of violence and action people so desperately seem to need, and makes it an incredibly moral story.

The Special Edition DVD is a two-disc set, the first disc featuring the film in glorious 5.1 surround, with some subtitle options and an interesting commentary track. The transfer is great, as should be expected from Fox, and the sound is crystal-clear. The second disc contains most of the special features, among which is an interview Julie Taymor gives at Columbia University.

As an arthouse play, and one that requires a good deal of thinking, Titus obviously isn't for everyone, but if you've studied Shakespeare, enjoy Shakespeare, or are interested in what an artistic director can achieve with some pretty crummy source material, be sure and check it out. You might want to consider renting it before you buy it, but try to stick with the widescreen version - the pan-n-scan doesn't do the beautiful cinematography justice.

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Summary: Through the Eyes of a Child
Review: The key to Julie Taymor's amazing film "Titus" is that it's the play as imagined by a child--in this case Titus' young grandson. It is made pretty clear that it's his point of view that we're seeing, which accounts for the fantastic, surreal atmosphere. It's like when you were a kid reading a book that was perhaps a little too mature for you--you don't quite understand it all, but you are drawn in by the story and try to picture it on the terms you are familiar with. Here the grandson is obviously jaded by media overload, (video games and cable TV,) and he is turned on by the mayhem. But he soon learns the difference between play violence and the hideous things he witnesses. Does he really learn, or does he become as corrupted as his surroundings? Taymor keeps you guessing. Once again Jessica Lange proves she is the scariest woman in the movies. And Anthony Hopkins is a stoic Titus who descends into a special kind of madness--and yes, there is more than a hint of Hannibal Lecter in his performance, which may be the reason why this wild film got financing (there's an hommage on "Titus" at the end of the film version of "Hannibal. Check out how the good doctor escapes from his handcuffs.) It's a throwback to a braver time in filmmaking, when chance-taking dinosaurs like Ken Russell roamed the earth. It makes me laugh that this was directed by Taymor, who conceived Disney's family-friendly "Lion King" for Broadway. This is not Will S.'s best play of course; it's like a first draft of characters and themes that would later show up In "Lear", "Othello", and "Merchant of Venice." But this movie has the poetry, and it's a bloody good show.

Rating:
Summary: Over acted, Over directed
Review: As much as I like Anthony Hopkins, I think the director should have told him, "Calm down, Tony. This is Shakespeare. If the audience can't understand the words, we might as well do something else." For me, the most important element of a Shakespeare play is the WORDS. Why do contemporary directors think they have to mesmerize the viewer with distracting staging? They put themselves in direct competition with the bard. They cannot win by putting their personal stamp on a work whose merit can stand with minimal physical glitz. Good Shakespeare could be done nude on beach with the right acting and directing. Yet, I have no problem with updated settings. They can be contemporary or fictional (e.g., Ian McKellen's Richard III and Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet). Just don't let the "theatrics" get in the way of the real "theatre", the real Shakespeare. (OK, I didn't like some of the overstaging in those productions either.) I much preferred the BBC production (of Titus), the only other one I have seen, mainly because of the over directing, over acting, and unnecessary bizarness in Titus with Hopkins. Somehow, Jessica Lang just didn't work for me as Tamara. And whoever played Saternine as a foppish twit reminded me of Peewee Herman, not an egotistcal monarch. The brother of Titus, Marcus, was the most evenly acted and fitting part. Well no, I really liked the guy how played the evil Moor, Aaron ... as well as I liked the actor in the BBC production. I would watch Anthony Hopkins in anything. Although I liked Lawrence Fishborne's Othello better than Hopkins'. And I was impressed with Sir Tony's "acting" per se in this version of Titus. I just think he should not have yelled so much. I hope he doesn't do King Lear.

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Summary: Daring, but...
Review: I studied "Titus" in college as part of a Shakespeare Tragedy course, and our professor actually was mocking some of the scenes for the overblown violence and gore. By modern standards, the story is not one of the Bard's best works, nor best known. However, over the years, I have seen some very well-done productions both on public television and onstage. So, I was anxious to see what the film version would be like. While I appreciate Julie Taymor's rather 'artsy' take on the story, the most powerful scenes are those that are played straight without all the anachronistic elements and overblown costumes and sets. Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins are perfectly cast, and give great performances. The final 'banquet' scene with the pie still has a grotesque element of humor (onstage the same scene had the audience laughing out loud). Also, getting inside of Titus' madness came across better in film - particularly his encounter with "Revenge" (although this scene still plays rather silly no matter how it is staged). Overall, 'Titus' could have been better, but it is worth a look. Not for all tastes.

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Summary: An under appreciated film gets a great DVD
Review: Julie Taymor's interpretation of the play Titus was not what I was expecting. From the opening all the way to the ending this film never ceased to shock and amaze me. It took several viewings to take it all in. This tragic story follows the descent of a Roman General (Titus) at the deceitfulness of the Queen of the Goths (Tamora) and Aaron the Moor. The performances in this are quite exceptional. Anthony Hopkins is extraordinarily powerful in his role as Titus. Jessica Lange shocked me at how well she can perform Shakespeare. And Harry Lennix stole every seen he was in as the ruthless and truly evil Aaron the Moor. This film however is not for everyone, so buy with caution.

The DVD itself is quite impressive. The video is simply put very good with only a few artifacts here and there. The sound is equally impressive with Elliot Goldenthal's impressive score coming through all channels. The special features are quite extensive also. There are two audio commentaries one with Julie Taymor and the other with Anthony Hopkins and Harry Lennix. Also included is an Isolated Score with comments by the composer. Worthwhile mention must go to Fox for including the two extensive documentaries. The Q & A session with Julie Taymor at the university was fascinating and gave a real insight into filmmaking. Also the "Making Of" Documentary provided an interesting look into how the film was made (especially interesting was the rehearsal process).

Fox has given the DVD public a great 2 Disc Set. The movie deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible as it a gripping adaptation of one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays.

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Summary: tzk tzk tzk...don't some people understand that less is more
Review: i did not get either julie's or elliot's explanation for mixing up so many historical periods. only because on rome's streets one can see maserati and fiat cars is not enough reason. too bad since julie manages to bring in some nice details--when taken individually though. also, the beginning and the end are futile addtions to an already loaded story. why does one have to feel overwhelmed (by so much noise) when the story alone would already be so powerful? i think julie came unsure to this task and thought she'd get away with it. anthony hopkins calls into discussion her style a few times--tough on different grounds.

Rating:
Summary: Rent before you buy
Review: My wife and I rented this video anticipating a nice evening watching two of our favorite actors perform together. Our bewilderment started when the movie started off with a modern day kid playing with gladiator dolls at the kitchen table and absolutely trashing the place. It was messier than the food fight in Animal House. We became perplexed when shortly thereafter was a scene of gladiators marching, amongst which were carts being pulled by motorcycles. I guess some folks have better drugs than others. It didn't take us too long to get our fill of this bizarre movie. We were so glad we didn't waste more than a DVD rental fee and either see this in the theater or buy it. So if you're considering purchasing this film, rent it before you buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Twisted.
Review: Julie Taymor sure doesn't shy away from creepy imagery. While the Shakespeare play, Titus Andronicus is already quite fascinating with one of the most hilarious scenes written in at the end - Taymor makes this film an experience you will NOT forget. If you don't like clear haunting imagery, keep your eyes squinted so you can close them when you need to! Jessica Lange is BRILLIANT...my god is this woman brilliant. Anthony Hopkins has only been better than this in the original Silence of the Lambs. He's a riot. And Alan Cumming is...well, if you know who Alan Cumming is...you know exactly what I'm talking about. The director and art design really deserve the big cake on this one...the movie is beautiful. The violence is artistic...and the acting...well, you don't even have to like Shakespeare to get it.