“Titus” is a filming of
Shakespeare's
Titus Andronicus, with
Anthony Hopkins and
Jessica Lange, and directed by
Julie Taymor. The plot consists of the sufferings of a
Roman general at the hands of an
Imperial household he has mistakenly put into power, and his
suicidal revenge against them. If you enjoy stories about good people undergoing pointless
anguish, don't confine yourself to the
Chinese and
Jewish histories - come home to great Rome and Shakespeare!
Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare's goriest tragedies, and the story is put to good use in this black comedy. The sets are a hodgepodge of material from many times and many lands - living Greek and Roman frescoes, togas, and cushions in gaudy color set beside brown ruins, dusty motorcycles, and silvery duct tape. The director has put a lot of thought into the details, drawn from many periods. There is a bit of explicit sex shown at a distance in one scene - far more offensive to most viewers may be the gore, but as it's Shakespeare, it's all put to good purpose.
Don't let the artificiality of the set bother you. Presented as it is in this fantastic mixture of styles, the venerable language stands out exquisitely, like a piece of pure coal in a setting of neon plastics.
It is a fine show. I recommend this picture, and intend to see it again.