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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This isn't a great movie, but it certainly is a unique and gorgeous one. Titus is Julie Taymore's version of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, a tragedy with no heroes, no lessons, no values, but with great style, and with more than enough blood, murder, revenge, rapes, beheadings and mutilations. Taymore, who was the talent behind the style of The Lion King on Broadway, has set the story in a strange intersection of ancient Rome and fascist Italy, where spears and helmets coexist with motorcycles and armored cars, where there are newspapers, radio, aqueducts, marching legions and Thirties' debauchery.
Titus Andronicus (Anthony Hopkins) has returned to Rome after great victories against the Goths. He has lost many sons in the battles but brings back treasure and his captives, Tamora, Queen of the Goths (Jessica Lange), and her three sons. He has the eldest slain, dismembered and burnt as an offering to the gods. Tamora, implacable, swears her vengeance on Titus. Saturninus (Alan Cumming), who has claimed the imperial throne, sees Titus as a threat. Saturninus is self-indulgent, cruel and sly. He takes Tamora as his queen and sets in motion his own betrayals. Off to the side is Aaron the Moor (Harry Lennix), a man with his own need to bring down everyone and who, for his own purposes, allies himself for a time with Tamora. And there is Titus himself, full of pride and righteousness, who endures tragedy that leads to the death of most of his remaining sons, the rape and mutilation of his daughter and his disgrace. He achieves a terrible vengeance on them all.
The movie is hugely melodramatic and overstated, and that adds to its fascination. Taymore has given it a wild, odd, lush, eccentric look that carries it over the top and back again. It's a wonderful movie to see just for the visual production. Fortunately, its an excellent movie to hear, too. Hopkins, Lange and Cumming do a first-rate job of speaking Shakespeare's verse. You have to let yourself get into the rhythm and style of the words, but that's not hard to do.
Titus Andronicus (Anthony Hopkins) has returned to Rome after great victories against the Goths. He has lost many sons in the battles but brings back treasure and his captives, Tamora, Queen of the Goths (Jessica Lange), and her three sons. He has the eldest slain, dismembered and burnt as an offering to the gods. Tamora, implacable, swears her vengeance on Titus. Saturninus (Alan Cumming), who has claimed the imperial throne, sees Titus as a threat. Saturninus is self-indulgent, cruel and sly. He takes Tamora as his queen and sets in motion his own betrayals. Off to the side is Aaron the Moor (Harry Lennix), a man with his own need to bring down everyone and who, for his own purposes, allies himself for a time with Tamora. And there is Titus himself, full of pride and righteousness, who endures tragedy that leads to the death of most of his remaining sons, the rape and mutilation of his daughter and his disgrace. He achieves a terrible vengeance on them all.
The movie is hugely melodramatic and overstated, and that adds to its fascination. Taymore has given it a wild, odd, lush, eccentric look that carries it over the top and back again. It's a wonderful movie to see just for the visual production. Fortunately, its an excellent movie to hear, too. Hopkins, Lange and Cumming do a first-rate job of speaking Shakespeare's verse. You have to let yourself get into the rhythm and style of the words, but that's not hard to do.
36 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
So bizzare it makes Luhrman's R+J look tame, this is a fantastic adaptation of one of the bards lesser known plays. The most striking thing is the presentation, with dramatic (and utterly unbelievable) melding of old and new high-lighting the barbarity and decadence of the Roman setting. None of the famous gore is done away with, and the lines remain absolutely killer. Hopkins plays to type, but thats no bad thing. Often overlooked by critics, 'Titus Andronicus' translates as well here as any other Shakespeare adaptation.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Despite taking all the liberties you can imagine with Shakespeares text this is an eye popping extravaganza of a movie.Mixing ancient and modern settings it coveys decadence and bleakness with real panache.It is violent and gory and somehow conveys the essence of the play .Hopkins is exellent...totally at home with the role.Lange and Cummings are miscast but it doesnt really matter.This is for fans of bloody revenge tragedy who dont mind it full on.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Gruesome brute force!
As soon as you see the name Sir Anthony Hopkins Hanibal Lecter springs to mind and this could have been his Great Uncle! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Mc Warwick
the dialogue is fantastically poetic and a joy to listen to
.(THE FILM):
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this powerful, suspense filled story where honour and duty collide with the seduction of power and hunger for revenge. Read more
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this powerful, suspense filled story where honour and duty collide with the seduction of power and hunger for revenge. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. F. husseiny
Excellent, and weird, and snotty, and highly entertaining, and, well,...
This is a wonderful film for people who have no undue feelings of awe for the plays of Mr William Shakespeare. Read more
Published 6 months ago by count orlok
Flawless film, definitely deserves a buy.
It's just great.
All the actors are good, and the character Aaron is wonderfully evil, delivering a fabulous soliloquy near the end recounting some of his past villainy. Read more
All the actors are good, and the character Aaron is wonderfully evil, delivering a fabulous soliloquy near the end recounting some of his past villainy. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Alex Hugman
One of the best
When it comes to a powerful portrayal of a Shakespearian Character Anthony Hopkins has it sown up.
Despite the gore and blood, this has to be one of the best movies that I... Read more
Despite the gore and blood, this has to be one of the best movies that I... Read more
Published 21 months ago by cullodenmist
Fantastic!
If you thought you didn't like Shakespeare, then one viewing of this will change your mind. This is one of the best productions of a Shakespeare play that I have ever seen. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by Denise Humphries
Scary movie!
Surreal mayhem. I'd not read the play but knew it was gory. From the opening stunning intro through bloody deed after bloody deed it's spell-binding, though definitely not for the... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2009 by L. A. Tillett
Excellent
I thought that the set and direction were stunning. The casting was excellent too, and I have to disagree with another reviewer regarding Jessica Lange's performance, which was... Read more
Published on 23 May 2008 by His Dudeness
A dreadfully pretentious version of Shakespeare's most gruesome play.
It is a testament to just how awful the confusing sets and costumes are that the depth and beaty of Shakespeare's dialogue and the mastery of Hopkin's performance still only... Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2007 by Annabelle
A good adaptation
Shakespeare's bloodiest play gets the big screen treatment and is, on the whole, a compelling film to watch, with a good performance by Anthony Hopkins in the title role and also... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2007 by D. R. Clarke
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