Hey folks, Harry here with a review from our faithful correspondent, E. Lurio... He's been around on the net since the beginning of all the film websites and is one of those voices we've come to hear from Corona's Coming Attractions to Dark Horizons to Countingdown... And as always... I can't help but listen. This time he's writing about Julie Taymor's feature directing debut of Shakespeare's TITUS and folks... For gore hounds and spectacle freaks, this is one to sort of harbor some hopes for. The design and look of the film from every frame that I have seen is lush and artistically accomplished... Let's see what Lurio had to say...
Titus
Written and Directed by Julie Taymor
There is Shakespeare and then there is Shakespeare. First there's the famous stuff that they keep remaking, like "Hamlet" and "A Midsummer's Night's Dream," then there's the stuff they would like us to forget. According to the Internet Movie Database, there have been over 389 versions of his plays in the last hundred years. There have been 70 versions of Hamlet, 20 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream, "....and three for "Titus Andronicus." That includes the BBC's "Complete Shakespeare" anthology which had everything he did.
So what is it about "Titus Andronicus" that has put it near the bottom of the list? Horror. This is considered the bloodiest of the bards works, and to be quite frank, none of the main characters are the least bit sympathetic. Awful people doing awful things to each other.
So Julie Taymor, who directed the stage version of "The Lion King" has decided to make her film debut with what has to be the best horror film of the year. Blood, gore, spectacle, and dialogue by the best there ever was.
The film begins in a modern kitchen, where a young boy(Osheen Jones) is playing a really violent game of lets pretend with his action figures. He begins to overdo it, overturning the sugerbowl and breaking some plates, then outside the window there's an explosion, and our young friend is on the floor, only to be picked up by a strange man who takes him to the Roman Coliseum. Here The Roman army(The Croatian Militia) arrives in a puppet like dance. Thousands of them file in, in a show that seems just for him. But it's not. The general, Titus Andronicus(Anthony Hopkins) is back from the wars, with his twenty-one sons, only four of which are alive.
He also brings back lots of booty, Tamora(Jessica Lange) the queen of the Goths, and her three sons, the eldest of whom is sacrificed to the ghosts of the seventeen. Tamora pleads for his life but to no avail. Our hero watches as this all takes place.
Caeser dies offstage, and his heirs, Saturninus(Alan Cumming) and Bassianus(James Frain) lead their respective mobs through the streets in scuzzy cars from the 1970s. This is Shakespeare, liberties like that are taken all the time.The throne is offered to Titus, but he refuses and gives it to Saterninus, who demands Titus's daughter Lavinia(Laura Fraser) for his bride. But she's betrothed to Bassianus, and they flee. Titus is in hot pursuit, but his youngest son(Blake Ritson) tries to intervene. So daddy kills him. Saturninus lets her go, but decides to marry Tamora instead, so she and her two remaining sons(Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Matthew Rhys) move into the palace and plot revenge.
Aaron(Harry J. Lennix) the Moor decides, because he's a villain, to help the boys with the carnage they plan for the fun of it. Soon Bassianus is dead and Lavinia dismembered. Two of her brothers (Colin Well and Kenny Doughty) are framed for it, a third, Lucius (Angus MacFadyen), is banished, and Titus is left with a crippled daughter, his brother Marcus(Colm Feore), our hero, and a thirst for revenge.
The stylistic tone of the movie changes from scene to scene. It's as if Fellini did one scene and Spike Jonez another. The acting is astounding. Everyone has a blast chewing the scenery, especially Hopkins, who gets to do his Hannibal Lecter routine, and Lennix, who shows a true joy that is rarely seen in films.
If you like slasher flicks, or spectacle in general. You have to see this.
Lurio
