Over the top...

Julie Taymor's direction is stylish and beautiful in the thankless task of directing William Shakespeare's least appealing play. Titus is a memorable film in its originality and bold artistic choices, Taymor rarely holds back in her feature film debut. Anthony Hopkins, the best actor of the past fifteen years, is again magnificent in his role and is complimented by a solid cast throughout the film. Technically and artistically this film is very accomplished... but the story, and the treatment of it, is depraved and knows it.

Some critics will say that the play, and this film version of it, both accomplish exactly what they set out to do. They are correct. The problem lays in what it sets out to do. The play was Shakespeare's first tragedy and was written at an early age... it shows. The film is Julie Taymor's first... and it shows. She is a renowned theatre director, and tries valiantly to transfer her style to the silver screen. The story is aware of its gore and horror... it is a commentary on itself. Titus is a general who, upon his return from a victorious battle, finds himself the object of a vicious and vengeful plot at the hands of the emperor's new wife. Jessica Lange plays the wronged lady who wishes to destroy Titus for his order to sacrifice her first born son. The lengths to which she travels for her revenge is a bloody and torturous mile. The problem with the play is that it is sarcastically over the top and is intended to mock the viewer who enjoys it. The problem with the film is that is transforms the play into a hideously over the top version of itself. Some may applaud the audacity. I think Shakespeare's joke is magnified and is telling of our society today. Our extravagance has extended to making an epic out of a play that I think Shakespeare would disavow any knowledge of . Titus was Shakespeare's sell-out play, intended to get noticed by the masses... he wrote his masterpieces later in life. The film mixes imagery of Nazi Germany, Jazz, Modern Day and Roman debauchery. The film knows no bounds. This film takes too many liberties and pushes over the edge a film that teeters on the brink of ludicrous. Viewers that are familiar with the play may be intrigued by the treatment... those that are unfamiliar will be turned off. There are reasons that Shakespeare's first tragedy has not been much admired over the centuries, and this film magnifies those reasons.

The film is bold, beautiful and original... and for that I give it praise. However, I think it would be impossible to make a legitimate film based on Titus. Imagine, if you will, a screenwriter pitching to a studio and using the phrase, "It's like Pulp Fiction meets Scream meets Silence of the Lambs except with a ridiculous plot and a lot more blood, gore and horrific violence." There's the rub.

© Written by TC Candler

How We Rated This Film TC Candler - D+ Richard Propes - C+ Jacob Hall - B

Richard Propes' Comment

Writer/director Julie Taymor attempts to accomplish too much with source material from Shakespeare that is, truly, a tall order. Taymor staged Broadway's "The Lion King," and her gift for staging is evident here. Unfortunately, the acting itself also feels very staged and this doesn't translate well to source material that is unattractive, violent and edgy. "Titus" is early Shakespeare and, yes, even with Shakespeare you can see his growth as a writer over the years. He trusted his voice the more he wrote, and this film's lack of a voice is symbolic of Shakespeare's only dependency on devices and novelties over authenticity.

Jacob Hall's Comment

n/a