Titus (1999)

Director:

Julie Taymor

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Julie Taymor (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | War

Tagline:

If you think you know Shakespeare....Think again.

Plot:

This film is an adaptation of the Shakespeare play "Titus Andronicus." Titus returns victorious from war, only to plant the seeds of future turmoil for himself and his family. Who says revenge is sweet?

Plot Keywords:

Hand | Revenge | Pie | Queen | General

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Osheen Jones	...	Young Lucius
Dario D'Ambrosi	...	Clown
Anthony Hopkins	...	Titus Andronicus
Jessica Lange	...	Tamora
Raz Degan	...	Alarbus
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Chiron
Matthew Rhys	...	Demetrius
Harry Lennix	...	Aaron
Angus Macfadyen	...	Lucius
Kenny Doughty	...	Quintus
Blake Ritson	...	Mutius
Colin Wells	...	Martius
Ettore Geri	...	Priest
Alan Cumming	...	Saturninus
Constantine Gregory	...	Aemelius

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violent and sexual images.

Runtime:

162 min

Country:

Italy | USA | UK

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | France:U | Germany:16 | Italy:T | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:R(A) | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:18 | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Clear Blue Sky Productions

Trivia:

The microphone used during the election at the beginning of the movie sports the logo SPQR News, SPQR, stands for "Senatus Populusque Romanus" which means "the Senate and people of Rome." The letters were used to denote official entities. They can still be seen in many parts of the city of Rome to this day.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tamora leaves the party/orgy to join Aaron on the balcony, her hands are clasped across her chest. In the next shot she is holding a cigarette.

Quotes:

Titus: Oh villains, Chiron and Demetrius. Here stands the spring whom you have stained with mud, this goodly summer with your winter mixed. You killed her husband, and for that vile fault two of her brothers were condemned to death, my hand cut off and made a merry jest...

Movie Connections:

References Mr. Wu (1927)

Simple excellence

No spoilers here.

This is a Shakespeare play, and this one is no comedy, I must say. Shakespeare liked the Rome background, and exploited it quite, though with some anachronysms, and, in this one, a victorious general, Titus, returns to Rome amidst the succession dispute following the death of the Caesar. Soon he will be entangled in a vicious plot.

Yes, Titus is the early, sensational, Shakespeare play, but, it displays to us what can be most dreadful in human nature. A story of vengeance like I've never seen, I felt myself tossed to the pits of utter filth when I first read it. It's violent, violent, violent and simple, yet, not cheesy. It's a kind of violence that you wouldn't ever see in action-packed movies with bullets afly.

The movie can hold you to your seat if you have watched other Shakespeare play based movies previously, for it is intense. The background and costumes are not genuine Rome, they were modified to something that resembles the movie "Dune", but nothing is ridiculously anachronic, like I thought of that DiCaprio "Romeo & Juliet", which made me leave the seat in the very beginning (the "Sword" scene). This movie Titus doesn't try to be historical or actual, it's more surreal-like, with original, abridged, text. The violence is quite explicit, so have your stomach ready.

Alas, the acting is great! Totally recommended, this story is the Centaurs' Feast! Our journey shall be a very long and ominous journey, but you shall part on it with me.