Titus (1999)

"...wild ride...  Chicago Tribune
"...coup de cinema...  The New York Times

Editor's Note Based on Shakespeare's TITUS ANDRONICUS (one of the Bard's lesser-known and most gruesome works), director Taymor (Broadway's THE LION KING) brings this adaptation to life with dazzling imagery and haunting immediacy. Titus (Hopkins) is a victorious Roman general who makes two mistakes: supporting the wily Saturninus (Cumming) as the new Emperor, and wronging Tamora, Queen of the Goths (Lange), by killing her eldest son. Murder follows murder as the tides of fate change, as Tamora is aided by her two reckless sons and her Moor lover, Aaron (Lennix). The body count is raised higher and higher until Titus finally holds a very special dinner banquet. Taymor's bold visual sense verges on absurdity, but her sense of morality, as well as powerful acting by Hopkins and company, combine to tell a powerful, violent tale.

	Alan Cumming
	Anthony Hopkins
	Colm Fiore
	Jessica Lange
	Conchita Airoldi - Producer
	Elliot Goldenthal - Musical Score
	Julie Taymor - Screenplay
	Julie Traynor - Director
	Luciano Tovoli - Director of Photography
	William Shakespeare - Based On Play By

Variety
"...A conditional victory....Distinguished by some outstanding [acting] and an arresting stylistic approach..." p.79-80

Rolling Stone
"...Taymor's visual and visceral flair makes Titus a grabber..." 02/17/2000 p.64

Entertainment Weekly
Rating: B -- Recommended 09/01/2000 p.63

Total Film
"...Harry Lennix truly impresses, oozing a dignified menace..." 10/01/2000 p.93

Box Office
"...[Taymor] allows her mind to roam, finding metaphors to visually represent mood....A stunning vision..." -- 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/2000 p.57

Los Angeles Times
"...A dynamic film....Directed with unflagging energy....Hopkins gives a towering portrayal of a tragic hero in the robust, straightforward style of the classically trained Shakespearean actor..." 12/24/1999 p.C22

Chicago Sun-Times
"...Taymor lavishes great energy on staging and photography..." 01/21/2000 p.29

ReelViews 9 of 10
One of the clearest indications that Titus succeeds is that, despite its nearly three-hour running time, there are few dead spots. Taymor's visual flourishes prove to be an effective compliment for Shakepeare's text, rather than a distraction. This is the best film adaptation of the Bard's work since Kenneth Branagh's brilliant, unabridged Hamlet. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
It is a tragedy without a hero, without values, without a point, and therefore as modern as a horror exploitation film or a video game. It is not a catharsis, but a killing gallery where the characters speak in poetry. Freed of pious meaning, the actors bury themselves in technique and the opportunity of stylized melodrama. Anyone who doesn't enjoy this film for what it is must explain: How could it be more? This is the film Shakespeare's play deserves, and perhaps even a little more. - Roger Ebert