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"Mightus
'Titus'"
by Scott Mantz
"Titus"
Anthony Hopkins,
Jessica Lange
Directed by Julie Tamor
Take heed, O'
moviegoer! Like you, I am forever condemned to ponder whether or
not William Shakespeare would have approved of Hollywood's approach
to his greatest works. For one thing, it's hard to say which style
he would have appreciated the most. There's the straightforward
approach ("A Midsummer Night's Dream"), the MTV approach ("Romeo
+ Juliet"), the teen-comedy approach ("Ten Things I Hate About You"),
and the complete-text approach (Kenneth Brannagh's "Hamlet"). Whatever
the case, it's still pretty impressive that Shakespeare is busier
in death than most other Hollywood screenwriters are in life.
Well, all I
gotta say is, thank God for movies (and Cliff's Notes). I'd much
rather experience "Shakespeare's Greatest Hits" Hollywood-style
than suffering through it like I did in high school, especially
when an innovative director like Julie Tamor comes along and tries
something completely different. Well, if it's different you want,
then it's different you got. While "Titus" is certainly one of Shakespeare's
least memorable and most ridiculous plays (he wrote it years before
he became The Bard), this adaptation is far and beyond one of the
most stylistically impressive films I've seen in a long time.
After returning
from his victorious battle against the Goths, Titus Andronicus (Anthony
Hopkins) is given the chance to become the new Roman Emperor. Instead
of seizing the opportunity, he adheres to tradition and turns the
seat over to the egotistical Saturninus (Alan Cumming), son of the
previous Emperor. That mistake proves to be deadly, and Saturninus
chooses Tamora (Jessica Lange), Queen of the Goths, to be his bride.
Tamora is hungry for revenge against Titus for the sacrifice of
her eldest son to the Gods. What follows is a downright bloody mess
as the quest for revenge gets way out of hand.
If you thought
"Julius Caesar" and "Hamlet" were violent, then you obviously haven't
read "Titus Andronicus". Think of it this way. If Shakespeare was
alive today and was writing a Hollywood screenplay for action-producer
Joel Silver, then "Titus" might have been the likely result. It's
far from boring, and it goes straight for the jugular (literally)
in terms of it's violent subject matter and dysfunctional characters.
Between severed hands and tree branches as appendages, trust me
when I say that this is not a date flick. You may even want to consider
seeing this film on an empty stomach.
While "Titus"
approaches absurdity in it's storyline, it makes up for it big-time
with its unique visual style. The film starts out with a young boy
playing with Roman action figures. A real Roman warrior breaks in
through the wall and carries him out into the Roman Coliseum. It's
not hard to figure out that the boy represents the audience, and
we go along for the ride. Ultimately, the boy begins to part in
the actions that surround him. Also, Tamor blends ancient Roman
architecture with modern times, as councilmen drive around in classic
cars, wield shotguns, and address citizens with an electric PA system.
What ultimately
makes "Titus" so engaging is its performances. As with everything
he does, Anthony Hopkins puts in a powerful turn as a man on a downward
spiral into insanity. He is bound by tradition and honor, but this
ultimately works against his favor. You witness his descent into
madness, whether it's by his indifferent reaction to his daughter's
fate or by his devil-may-care attitude when severing his own hand.
Jessica Lange is superb as the vengeful Tamora. She's distraught
over the sacrifice of her eldest son and displays a liberated attitude
in her quest to get even. Finally, Alan Cumming puts his stage experience
to good use and hams it up as the spoiled Saturninus, providing
some much-needed comic relief to the violent epic.
The moral of
the story? One could argue it's that every action is followed by
an equal and opposite reaction. Which in turn is followed by another
reaction, and yet another reaction, and so on, and so on, etc.,
etc. Or it may be that giving up power leads to more dire consequences
taking it on. Whatever the case, it's intriguing that Julie Tamor
decided upon "Titus" as her first film. As far as delivery is concerned,
she's off to a great start. While it may not be as accessible as
some of the other more audience-friendly Shakespeare adaptations,
there's still plenty going on to keep your attention--and turn your
stomach. I wonder what she does for an encore?
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