Titus

Titus, released in 1999, is a complex drama designed to both captivate and provoke thought within the audience. The movie, directed by the innovative Julie Taymor, is an epic adaptation of William Shakespeare's controversial, grotesque, yet powerfully symbolic play, "Titus Andronicus". Featuring an impressive cast led by Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, the movie walks a dark path through savagery, revenge, and self-destruction, staying true to its unflinching source material.

Hopkins delivers a brilliantly nuanced performance as the titular character, Titus Andronicus, a courageous Roman General. The narrative begins as we see a victorious Titus returning home after a decade-long battle against the Goths, dragging along as captives, the Goth queen Tamora (Lange), her sons, and Aaron the Moor. As a tribute to the gods, and to honor the fallen Roman soldiers, Titus sacrifices one of Tamora's sons, unknowingly inaugurating a vicious cycle of revenge that ultimately consumes him and his adversaries alike.

Titus, deeply devoted to tradition and bound by unyielding principles, soon finds himself manipulated, deceived, and thrust into a world sparing nobody from the corruption, revenge, and insurmountable despair that pervades the city. As with most of Shakespeare's tragedies, fate looms large, testing human character, loyalty, and the limits of sanity.

Jessica Lange's portrayal of Tamora is captivating, injecting depth into a character driven by rage, bitterness, and a thirst for avenging her son’s death. Lange's performance pulls the audience into the paradoxical vortex of sympathizing with a seemingly evil character, thereby bringing forth the complex nature of human behaviour, layered with raw emotions of fear, anger, and pain.

Osheen Jones plays the young boy, Lucius, Titus' grandson, who acts as the narrator guiding the audience through this grim tale. With his innocence as a stark contrast to the merciless world that surrounds him, his role carries significant symbolic weight.

Julie Taymor’s direction is breathtaking — both visually and conceptually. She mounts Titus with a daring mix of historical contexts and anachronisms, blending Roman, Medieval, and modern era elements with a mixture of stylistic fashions and props. Sculpted within the dark imagery framework, these elements serve as profound metaphors and expressions of the human condition. Her unique treatment of Shakespeare’s play turns Titus into a vivid and haunting parable of violence, consequence, and vengeance.

Taymor effortlessly employs the freedom provided by the cinematographic medium to visually convey the psychological torments of the characters, going beyond the constraints of a stage. The movie’s surreal sequences and aesthetic appeal are intensely magnetic and reflective of the internal chaos within the characters’ minds. Artful costuming, impactful set designs, and clever camera work make Titus a visually spectacular experience.

The dramatic intensity of Shakespeare’s language is preserved in the screenplay, offering the flavors of the Elizabethan era within a contemporary setting. Titus is thus a cinematic poem, bringing together old-world dialogue and narration with new-world imagery, effectively translating the strengths of both eras.

Despite being one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays, Titus presents a bold exploration of Shakespeare on screen. It may not be for the fainthearted - with its chilling scenes of violence and complex narrative. However, it’s the potency of the performances, particularly by Hopkins and Lange, combined with Taymor's imaginative and uncompromising direction, that elevates the film, making it a must-watch for lovers of Shakespeare and intensely dramatic cinema.

In sum, Titus is more than just a visual rendition of a Shakespearean tragedy. It’s a multi-layered, thought-provoking tale of political corruption, revenge, and the horrific consequences of unbridled hatred and violence. Taymor's innovative storytelling and the unforgettable performances by Hopkins, Lange, and the ensemble cast make this heavy-going Shakespeare adaptation into a singular cinematic experience. Whether you're a fan of the Bard's work or not, Titus is bound to leave a lingering impression.