3/30/09
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Anthony Hopkins as Titus clearly delivers a strong performance as the honorable general whose conflictions emerge from the Goth Queen made into the Empress Tamora played by the wonderful Jessica Lange. The visuals were the best part because of the violent and epic style that combines time periods, making the Roman Empire resemble Mussolini's day.
ReplyDeleteThe director’s decision to mix time periods and cultures in the film demonstrated that even though time progresses and things change, people will always want revenge. This is a powerful message and theme that will remain timeless no matter what historic period we’re in. This film is a great example of how the desires we have as humans, such as revenge, have the ability to transcend any time period.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christian that the different use of visuals and time periods made the movie elegant and left the audience with question. As Christian and JB said they did not like the use of visuals from different time periods, I felt like Taymor did a good job with sticking with the Shakespeare theme of love, comedy and death. A scene where a modern prop was used was when Titus and his men used modern hi-tech bows to shoot arrows into the palace where Tamora's sons were at.
ReplyDeleteYep, hatred, grudges, and revenge will always stick with human beings forever. Even when the most calmest and religious person (there are times when grudges are left in thoughts and revenge is uncontrollable). Though I am religous, I feel like it will never stop. But I do believe that it will someday..just when that one day comes. That is just how it is since humans are created to be so powerful and even more clever than any other creature in this universe. Overall, the film was entertaining and very modern. It was kinda confusing at the beginning with the child eating his breakfast and then started going crazy over this toys. Still was a great film..really good actors and costumes incorporated.
ReplyDeleteTitus Andronicus is certainly as intense, in its way, as anything in Shakespeare, but it was a very early work, and a clumsy one in some ways compared to his later achievements.Titus isn't a bad film, by any stretch, and it's certainly strange, original, inventive.
ReplyDeleteI actually think that the time changes fortify the theme and idea that no matter what time period it is, as long as human beings exist, there will be anger, jealousy, revenge within them. Also- I was pretty disappointed in the characters of this movie compared to other Shakespeare films. Alan Cumming as Saturninus seemed a little too weak of a character for an Emperor role. Overall it was an entertaining movie, but definitely not my favorite.
ReplyDeletei really enjoyed this film. i completely agree with chicolax2 on the time changes of this film. yes it was strange and not a normal shakespeare film but it took a major risk and i think it came out on top. the acting was excellent. yes, Alan cumming could have been stronger but i think it still worked. it showed the strength of the queen and his weakness for her. the score that went along with the film just made is stranger with is industrial medal music. but for some reason i really think it worked and i really enjoyed this film, possibly more then any other one we have watched.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is definitely one of the stranger and most disturbing movies we have watched thus far. I remember closeing my eyes on some scenes and feeling my stomach turn as I watched Emporess Tamora eat her too sons. The dorector's use of the multiple eras was confusing at first but once I got accustomed to how they were portrayed, I enjoyed it. I completely agree with Linz in the idea that the director emphasized the use of multiple eras to portray the idea that people of today and 100s of years ago do not change and will want revenge.
ReplyDeleteWhen you watch this movie you forget that it is based on a play by William Shakespeare. This was one of the most violent plays we have seen yet portrayed with murderous revenge. I think this movie followed Shkespeare's version well and was very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins definately looked the part of Titus and did a great job playing the vengeful Roman general. Yeah it was a little weird but in the end I thought it really conveyed the atmosphere and spirit of the original material, and everyone loves a good revenge story.
ReplyDeleteI think that Julie Taymor did an excellent job directing this film. The whole story is inherently evil. I thought that the different angles and lighting had a huge effect on the mood of each scene. Most of the film was dark and gloomy to help emphasize the series of revenge inspired events. I found it interesting that there was some modern day technology integrated into the film. The “hog” motorcycles pulling the “chariots” throughout town was a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteJust like a lot of shakespeare's plays this reenactment had to do a lot with revenge. First it's revenge of titus' sons death to tamora's sons deaths. This film is dark, and the plot of the story was intensely evil. The time change throughout the movie brought the movie back with a modern touch, I thought it was a very good movie.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this film, Julie Taymor did a great job depicting the evil in this movie, with the different angels, lighting and effects from the actors. Revenge was a big factor played in this film, as well as the setting being directed towards the gloomy side of things. I also liked how there were some modern day spins into the movie.
ReplyDeleteI liked the historical ambiguity of the film. It kept the audience wondering where, when and what they were watching. It seemed like a world of its own with no time in history, but rather just the human emotions and fears that resonate in people whether it is ancient Rome or Chico in 2009. I liked when the brothers were campaigning in the streets with cars and flags. It reminded me of the Nazi Regime that resembled the evil of the movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm reposting my comments to this film from another computer: what I originally said how struck I was by the supernatural feeling of Traynor's film. It fits. For those who were confused or appalled by its violence, it is a very violent movie, and to show it in any other way would be a disservice to the playwright. When I see a modern production of this caliber, I cannot help but wonder just how the horror (or rather the spectacle) of the deeds the play protrays was communicated to Renaissance audiences? This element seems to argue for the quality of acting, the suspension of disbelief, and the cultivation of the imagination. While audiences today are addicted to and expect spectacle and special effects from their theater and their movies, in this instance, it is warranted.
ReplyDeleteLinz makes an interesting point saying that the mixing of time periods and styles shows that people will always want revenge regardless of the time. I wonder if this is what the director was meaning. It certainly makes the film more interesting, and adds a comedic effect. A sort of silliness comes from the blending of styles. The election scene is certainly not meant to be serious. Also it would have been very difficult to film this play in an epic manner similar to Gladiator or Troy. The same meaning can be expressed through this sort of portrayal, which is the main point of the play anyways.
ReplyDeleteThis film was interesting to say the least, much of what was in the reading was put into visuals and it was not a very pretty picture. The constant struggle for blood in this film demonstrates the true nature of human beings and this was the main theme Shakespeare was trying to demonstrate. By far, it was the most violent film of the semester, and even Richard III doesn't come near to the amount of blood shed in this film. Sure, maybe the same amount of people died in each film, but the manner in which they died, and scenes such as raping a girl, cutting her hands off and tongue? Not to mention feeding a mother her children in a pie at dinner, that gave me a chuckle...
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie. The change in eras reinforced that times do not change and classic brawls (presented as themes) will always exist. The theme that was portrayed the most to me was the fight for power and the characteristics that one should possess to hold it. Being the first born or being the better, more naturally-born leader? This theme is brought up alot today, as well in religion, politics, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was really disturbing. It does have a lot of similarities with other Shakespeare movies (ie- dealing with revenge, murder). Anthony Hopkins was great as Titus. The dinner scene was was gruesome and comical. I really like how the director stopped time when Titus' son spit on the emperor.
ReplyDeleteThis film was somewhat disturbing, yet I found that it followed the play for the most part. This bloody, gory play had to be adapted into film without losing the violence and madness, and Taymor does a good job in that aspect. Hopkins as Titus must navigate through so many obstacles, and does a good job despite the negativity surrounding the film. The use of darkness truly reflects on the theme of the play, and the horrible actions that are to take place.
ReplyDeleteJulie Taymor dives right into moviemaking with Titus, a spectacular adaptation that manages to find beauty and humor in the piles of carnage. Taymor, throws all her theatrical sensibilities at the story. Armies are exquisitely choreographed, blood is shed so beautifully that it hardly seems real, and characters are costumed in symbolic combinations of ancient Roman and 20th-century garb. She plays up the dark comedy at every opportunity, lending a carnival flavor to the story's most gruesome moments. While Taymor does not take any kind of irrational delight in these scenes they are powerful nonetheless. The supporting cast help make the endless treachery credible.
ReplyDeleteJulie Taymor dives right into moviemaking with Titus, a spectacular adaptation that manages to find beauty and humor in the piles of carnage. Taymor, throws all her theatrical sensibilities at the story. Armies are exquisitely choreographed, blood is shed so beautifully that it hardly seems real, and characters are costumed in symbolic combinations of ancient Roman and 20th-century garb. She plays up the dark comedy at every opportunity, lending a carnival flavor to the story's most gruesome moments. While Taymor does not take any kind of irrational delight in these scenes they are powerful nonetheless. The supporting cast help make the endless treachery credible.
ReplyDeleteI think Taymor did a good job of recreating Shakespeare’s Titus even though I can barely stand the play. It is gruesome terrible and over the top I can’t believe Shakespeare is the author of Titus and a Midsummer’s night’s dream they are like black and white. The acting is great the plot is vicious, taymor does a good job of not making the movie too over the top I liked it even though it is a cannibalistic story of vengeance- not my favorite!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to enjoy the fact that the director chose to put a weird mix of modern and future tech setting mixed with the old Rome feel but i just couldnt. I believe that like Romeo and Juliet did it would have been successful, but the fact that Taymor included the strong mixture of people getting around on horses with an extreme sense of wealth in getting around on cars with roads through the streets of Rome was too much of a contradiction to Shakespeares original expectations in the play. I enjoyed the other aspects of this film like the fact that the father tricked going insane and then manipulated his enemy to get what he wanted. Revenge. Do any of you believe that this could have been considered a love story as well between Titus and his role as a General to his soldiers and his ability not to let it go.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was my favorite out of all the Shakespeare movies that I have watched so far.I loved the fact that the film portrayed a more dark, disturbing side while still following the criteria of the original play. Anthony Hopkins was great, along with the majority of the cast.
ReplyDeleteI only saw the clips posted from the film, but the story is very dark and disturbing. Anthony Hopkins plays a creepy-cannibalistic human too well. I am not sure if I could sit through the whole film without getting sick to the stomach.
ReplyDeleteI loved the way Julie Taymor was able to make this legendary story so modern. She was able to show the relationship between today's kids and violence and how that hasn't changed in the past 1,500 years or so. I loved that Anthony Hopkins played Andronicus and Jessica Lange played Tamora, two not so different actors playing two extremely different characters. I also loved that Taymor wasn't afraid to use blood, but sometimes it looked a little too comedic (like when Tamora got stabbed in the throat). I didn't like, however, the choice to break Lavinia's neck rather then stab her, which is what it says in the script. Maybe that was to show a more realistic choice of the time, but the noise just freaked me out.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the choice to kill Lavinia by breaking her neck was a nice alteration because it seems like the quick type of death a father would want for his beloved daughter. This version makes it seem almost as though killing Lavinia was more putting her out of her misery, than taking away his pain and shame. I thought it saved the Titus character from seeming unfeeling and self involved.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is sooooo strange and one of the most disturbing we have watched so far. Yes it was modernized and that was a nice change however I did not find it as a "good" film. This movie displays a sense of creepiness and an awkward feeling. THe main character did a great job fulfilling his role.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think that the context of the play was lost in how odd the movie was
DeleteI agree with Chelsey this movie was very strange for me as well. I thought Anthony Hopkins was one of the positives of this movie, he did an awesome job, like always. The movie was very gloomy and weird which in some ways I liked and some I didn't. Some of the other readers said above that the time period and culture conflicting issue of the movie was to show that time does not matter, humans are humans and are going to sin, get jealous, be impatient, and etc no matter when or where it is taking place. That is so true, I think that whatever feelings or mistakes that people are making today, were made a long time ago as well.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how this movie was made to feel so modern. This is a very hard thing to do with Shakespearean plays because they are very old and the language is very different as well. Overall though, I really don't like this play because it is so dark and gruesome. Not my type of movie at all.
ReplyDeleteIt was kind of cool the change in the time period. Anthony Hopkins as Titus clearly delivered a strong performance as the general. The visuals were the best part because of the violent and epic style it was bloody and i liked it.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins rules as Titus! He is an amazing actor. I really did not enjoy this play or movie though. Too dark and gloomy. I agree with Julia M about the choice to break Lavinia's neck rather than stab her. I did like how the director Taymor used modern and different time cultures.
ReplyDeleteThis was a much different movie than the other shakespeare films we have watched. I had a hard time following it, however i did feel that the main character did a great job at playing the part of Titus. It was also interesting how the director used the choice of time period considering when Shakespeare originally had it set.
ReplyDeleteThis movie gave me sort of an eerie feel after it was over. The revenge was portrayed really well, and the ending scene was really powerful with all the killing and gore. I physically felt sick after seeing the pie sitting in the window and the texture and thinking of it as being the brothers. The director did a good job of showing the never ending cycle of revenge that Shakespeare portrays in a lot of his plays.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was very interesting. Anthony Hopkins is a great actor and he did a great job as Titus. I thought the director of the movie did a really good job adapting the movie to Shakespeare's play. He did make the movie a little more modern and related it to the times.
ReplyDeleteI thought Titus revenge on Tamora was quite elegant. He is able to get her to eat the flesh of her own sons and then stabs her in the back. I think this was justified considering the pain she caused Lavinia. This whole last scene, practically turns the whole palace into a morgue. It also kind of signals the rebirth of Rome in that a bunch of the top people including the emporer and empress are slain and a whole new leadership is brought in.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins does a great interpertation of Titus in this production. His role of being the revenagful father allows the whole film to flow appropriately. The story was difficult to follow at times and it was a touching story of love, revenage, and violence.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I was the only person in the class with knots in my stomach over this movie, but man was it hard to watch. Anthony Hopkins, you could say, did a great job of portraying the brutal gruesomeness of the characters in this play. Queen Goth and Anon were simply devils and I was sure happy to see them put to death in the end, along with queen Goth's sons. This movie reminded me of the type of sin that takes place among those in power, making me all the more happy our gracious Lord is the true ruler of earth. One confusing scene in this movie would be the beginning. What was the meaning of the young boy playing with his toys and smashing them in his food..it gets me?
ReplyDelete-Brigg
The Director did a very different version of the play because he had the setting in "Ancient Rome," but introduced modern themes to it by using things like Motorcycles; but yet again he keeps it "Roman" by placing the 25 soldiers that died in battle into traditional crypts.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins performance as Titus was the greatest performance I have seen in a Shakespeare film so far. This was a great film and I was very surprised with how dark and violent the plot was. I thought that the scene where Titus' daughter is raped then has her hands and tongue cut out, then tree branches stuck where her hands used to be is one of the most brutal scenes I have ever seen in a movie.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very hard to watch. It was horribly violent and for the most part made me want to get up and leave. The only good thing to say is that Anthony Hopkins did an amazing performance, he was definitely the right choice for the role.
ReplyDeleteL.
I heard that Titus was suppose to be Skakespeare's most violent play, and Julie Taymor's film certainly lived up to that title. This film was very interesting in both the dark traditional plot and modern twists. Though very long, the story and visuals kept my interest, and the ending pie scene reminded me of the play Sweeny Todd. Also, Anthony Hopkins always does a great job in any role, and his Titus was perfect.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was quite captivating. However, it does have a lot of likeness with other Shakespeare movies (ie- dealing with revenge, murder). Anthony Hopkins played a great as Titus. I found the dinner scene both gruesome and comical.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting movie. It was more gory than I expected, but that definitely made it better. I really like the way the director was able to create specific emotions without actually directly stating what the emotions should be. I thought the actors in this movie did a great job. This movie definitely kept me on my toes, but I enjoyed watching it.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was actually very disturbing and violent but I actually liked it. There was a lot of good imagery and scenery when switching between the different time periods. The switching of time periods showed that people don't change and have the same hatred and envy for each other. This was one of my more favorite shakespeare movies that we have watched this year.
ReplyDeleteAfter the dinner scene where Titus feeds Queen Goth her sons and all hell breaks loose, the director pulls the camera back to show the movie we have been watching is inside a large stadium and the actors we have believed to be “real” in the film are actually actors acting in front of a large audience of people.
ReplyDeleteThis changed the feeling of such a dark and disturbing scene into more of a play-type setting. Plus Queen Goth had it coming. After her sons destroyed Lavinias life and put those branches in her nubs. Freaky stuff.
JR
Even though this movie had some parts where I had to cover my eyes because it was too violent, I still really enjoyed it. The plot was very interesting and had a lot of twists to keep my attention.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the movie, karma definitely was waiting to take a toll on evil people. The ending of the film was the best at pulling it all together. It used a lot of weird things to show the torture and killing of the characters.
This movie was violent, but it was a different and freaky kinda violent. For example, when the girl gets her tongue and hands cut off and they replace it with tree branches. I really enjoyed this movie.
I found that this film could confuse some audience members due to the combination between the era of the Roman Empire and the present day. I believe that this combination could either aid the audience in understanding the film and their enjoyment of the film, or confuse the audience entirely. I also found some of the scens to be violent which could also attract some audience members who have become accustomed to seeing violent elements in movies more and more frequently in modern day cinema
ReplyDeleteThis film was nothing what I expected it to be. The setting of Titus was very out of place. There were many aspects in the film in which modern civilization was incorporated into the film, where it did not "fit" the time period. The characters all did a good job with their parts, although the movie was not one of my favorites. The setting was very dark and gloomy, putting a down-setting on the film the whole time.
ReplyDeleteThis film was by far my favorite shakespeare film. It had such a different style and look to it, aswell as making it extremely gory.
ReplyDeleteWe watched the movie on Titus Andronicus and it was really well and cinematographic movie. There are a lot of people and I loved how it started off with the little boy, and into the old world of when it was actually going on. Titus is a great warrior and has fought for Rome for a long time. He has seen many battles and his family is a legend in Rome; however after Caesar dies the people choose him to rule the Roman people and he refused. Everything begins to be destroyed after he chooses the oldest son to take charge. The new leader wants to marry his daughter and Titus accepts even though the other son of Caesar was already in love with her. The new queen is plotting destroy the kingdom and she is crazy, she kills the kings brother and has her two sons rape and cut off the hands and tongue of Titus daughter, most of Titus family is killed and his two sons art tortured and killed after being framed. Titus even sacrifices his hand to have the two sons killed. This movie is very bloody and some parts were really disturbing. I enjoyed the amount of drama though out the movie, the way it is also modernized I enjoy a lot. It reminded me of the new Romeo and Juliet that we watched and it was a great way to bring the Shakespeare to life in a modern film. My favorite scene though the whole movie is the beginning when Titus is giving the speech, it was so powerful and meaningful.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Titus I had the most worst feeling in my stomach. It left me feeling sick and appalled. I hate watching films that make me feel uneasy. I felt that this film was very gruesome and disgusting. I am still not sure how to feel about the film. I felt that the worst part of the whole film was the part when Titus's daughter was raped by the Queen Goths sons in the woods and also how they cut off her hand and made sticks for her hands. That scene was very disturbing. Along with the last scene of Titus killing the Queens sons and then putting them into a pie, then feeding the Queens sons to the Queen. It was just a very disturbing film. So I am very glad that I don't have to watch that film again anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins was excellent as Titus. His humor and performance made the movie very interesting. At the end when he made the two sons into pie, and then fed it to the mother and the rest of the people at the dinner table was absolutely disgusting. The way he danced around and sang about them eating it was hilarious, giving the ending a light mood.
ReplyDeleteThis film was gross to watch and I did not really enjoy it. It was disgusting, and pretty unfortunate. Knowing that the daughter got raped really scared me, and I would have preferred to not have that image in my head. Clearly.
ReplyDeleteJulie Taymor's version of "Titus" is a gut wrenching, uncensored, and foul movie that may be one of the best screenplay's for a Shakespeare script. Anthony Hopkin's puts on a chilling show that will have people twist and turn in their seats. It is a story of revenge that reveal's everything in a disturbing manner. Especially when Titus feeds the queen her own sons in a pie with no remorse.
ReplyDeleteBy far the most action-packed and suspenseful shakespeare film I have ever seen...Easily surpasses the the reading.
ReplyDeleteThis film was awesome for how outlandish and violent it was. Titus is obviously a very violent play and Taymor takes it to a new level, really over playing the sadistic violence showed in this play. The acting was good and the movie was well made. It's definetley not a film for everyone, but is still a good film.
ReplyDeleteI love this rendition. It's so bold and breathtaking. This movie, I suppose because of Julie Taymor, just blew me away visually. The color contrasts, backgrounds, costumes and makeup were just entrancing. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot as well, strange and disgusting as it may be.
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite movie we watched all year because of the revenge. The roles were played very well and the ways the revenge took place were very different from what usually would happen. I have never heard of someone to use the meat from a human and bake it into a pie. In some parts it was a little hard to follow but after seeing the end, everything gets tied together and it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThis film was not very enjoyable and became disturbing in some instances. I would never of thought the Shakespeare would have such a dark and twisted play.
ReplyDeleteThis film was clearly very intense and very visual when it comes to many scenes. In a way i think it was how the play should be shown on film but is also very hard to watch if you are not prepared to watch such violent scenes
ReplyDeleteThis was by far the most disturbing and graphic film of the semester. However I feel that the films various forms of intese violence well represented the blood lust of ancient Roman culture. The director defiantly managed to make the film very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteThis movie had some very disturbing scenes that were hard to watch. I think the director did a good job in expressing the emotions of the story in each character.
ReplyDeleteMP said...
ReplyDeleteI thought that this movie was extremely ironic. Examples of the Irony was when Tamora eats the minced meat pie and the meat in the pie is her two sons. This disgusted me so much. The fact that the meat was human is gross, and then that it was her children makes want to throw up. I understand that what Titus Andronicus was seeking out his revenge, but still it was extremely disgusting.
Alex Johnston...
ReplyDeleteI thought Titus was the most interesting film we watched all year. The way that Anthony Hopkins played Titus was scary good, and the idea of grinding up Tamora's sons and feeding them to her was gross but in a way funny.
This movie was well-done, albeit visually graphic and very intense. It was a bit too intense for my taste, (especially the part when Tamora ate her own sons) but the movie certainly had a comical tone to it as well. Acting in the movie was very good (Anthony Hopkins as Titus) as well.
ReplyDelete-Jordan Williams
I felt that Anthony Hopkin did a great job at interpreting the character of Titus in this film. He really a reveled being the revengeful father who shows compassion and his love but also has a violent side.
ReplyDeleteHopkins is a great actor and he played Titus well. I like how the play was set in a neo-achient greek setting. I thought that it was visually impressive and set well agianst the story as a great backdrop.
ReplyDelete+MJH+
i thought the movie was well directed with great actors, i also like where the film takes place and the music used with the 2 brothers in their stronghold
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite yet! It was weird and gory, but I thought it was hilarious. I loved the theme of revenge throughout the story. I thought the acting was well done, too. My favorite part was the end scene when the mom ate her sons' flesh. It was way over the top, but I found it amusing.
ReplyDeleteWell this film was.... so gory. WOW!!! the way Julie taymore directed this was amazing. She did an amazing job of making this horrible story so good. I really enjoyed the gory part but wow it was also repulsive at the same time haha.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the movie there is a lot of hatred and revenge between characters especially between Titus and his family and Aaron, Tamora and her two sons. To me revenge is the largest theme of the movie and is the basis of the plot. Chiron and Demetrius’ rape of Titus’s own daughter Lavinia is by far the most ruthless and sickening scene of the play. To me this was by far my favorite shakespeare film we have seen so far
ReplyDeleteAlthough in the beginning Tamora seems like the victim at the beginning when Titus kills her eldest son, but because of this she vows for revenge against Titus. First off she is cheating on Saturninus with her lover and partner in crime Aaron. When she instructs her sons to rape Lavinia is explains to Lavinia how she does not believe in pity, at that moment is when we learn just how sadistic she really is. Tamora will not stop until all the Romans are dead, if the play had gone her way and she successfully killed Titus and all his followers I’m sure that Bassianus would have been next. Because of this I would claim that Tamora is the true villain of this play.
ReplyDeleteBeing that there was so much death and fighting in this movie it was also surprisingly funny also. The scene in which Tamora eats a pie made out of her two sons was very weird/disturbing but at the same time funny. this movie was made very well and was enjoyable to watch
ReplyDeleteI loved how well the violent parts of this movie played out. To me this film really does a good job of showing how shakespeare uses a lot of killing in his plays in order to make them more powerful.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very visually appealing and well done, however I thought it was very hard to follow. Also it was a very sadistic and bloody play; this is best seen in the character of Tamora. She starts off somewhat weak and in chains but throughout the movie becomes more and more powerful and more and more evil as her revenge plan takes more lives. Overall I liked this movie even if I didn't always understand it.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my least favorite films in the class. I thought it was very brutal. Although the film did portray the intensity of the play. There was a lot of revenge and it was a little difficult to keep all of the hatred straight.
ReplyDeleteMackenzie Reilly
With Hopkins playing Titus, the movie followed with great acting and great filming. With the blood and sadistic scenes i enjoyed the play very much. The part i didn't enjoy was the fact that to follow this movie i had to read and watch this film more than once
ReplyDeleteI originally though Julie Taymor's adaptation of the play was going to be wilder and stranger than the play, but instead it turned out that it really was just that weird. The second Titus comes out from the kitchen wearing a chef's outfit I lost it. Shakespeare really understood comedy at its best.
ReplyDeleteI was taken back by how raw and vulgar the movie was with Anthony Hopkins. About halfway through I wondered to myself if Quentin Terentino directed the movie. I had a hard time trying to figure out the significance of the young boy at the beginning destroying the kitchen table and then traveling to Shakespeare's time frame and being part of the story. At the end I thought was he was supposed to represent the audience. He was aware of somethings going on and then wasn't their for others and he heard about them, the same way we find things about in plays and movies. And at the end, not being part of the play, he walks away.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed that fact that, much like Richard Loncraine’s Richard III, Titus was set in a more modern era, so that the viewers could better relate to the material. I believe that Taymor did a great job of mixing the Elizabethan Roman times with Mussolini’s Italy, so that it still felt like an authentic Shakespeare, but also had a modern twist.
ReplyDeleteThe motif of revenge is what drives this play and what makes it good. From the very beginning when Titus Andronicus sacrifices Tamora's son, its just a blood bath of the characters defending the ones they love and care about. This film shows the true colors of the characters, meaning no matter how pure or how a good a person is, it is raw human instinct to enact revenge on someone who has wronged you. Also, in this wonderful version of Titus Andronicus by Julie Taymor starring Anthony Hopkins as Titus, the film is set in a more modern time rather than back when Shakespeare wrote it. The point I make, is no matter the time period or the person Julie Taymor makes it clear that revenge is inevitable and present in all time periods and with all people
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stuck with me after watching this film was when Titus feeds the queen her own sons flesh, ive never seen nor heard such an act.
ReplyDeleteThis film truly captured one of Shakespeare's most violent plays. It was way to gory and grotesque for my taste. Especially the scene where Lavinia is raped and her tongue and hands are cut off. The drama truly builds when she opens her mouth and exposes the blood.
ReplyDeleteNicola Lore
Anthony Hopkins brings a little too much Hannibal lector to his role as Titus and makes me believe that he wanted to take part of the pie eating in the last scene. But other than that great film. Some of the imagery was too bizarre such as the hookah pipe coming out of the giant fake boob's nipple but its kind of a crazy play so go with it.
ReplyDeletethe movie titus is unbelievably brutal and graphic. The opening scene with the young boy playing with toys seems to have nothing to do with the course of the film itself, but anthony hopkins descent into a very lucid madness is masterfully portrayed and very well done
ReplyDeleteThis movie was by far the most disturbing shakespeare film that i had ever watched. I couldn't help but imagine what audience members would have felt while being confronted with the sheer horror of each characters exploits on the stage. Today it seems that audiences are somewhat desensitized to violence, with movies such as Hostel and Saw grossing millions. i couldn't help but feel that this play was Shakespeare's take on a horror film.
ReplyDeleteTaymor tells Shakespeare’s story of a revenge play fairly accurately through her modern interpretation. We still see the same main themes and overall concept of revenge being depicted. It’s modern setting in about the 1930’s was interesting yet a little confusing. I completely second Julia M’s analysis as she said it shows the way violence has not changed over the years. Even when making the weapons more modern and the laws more strict, it still has the same presence.
ReplyDeleteThis movie weirded me out. The visions that Titus supposedly had, made it seem like the movie went on a bad acid trip. What happens to Titus' daughter also; it just creeped me out.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins as Titus did an astonishing job as acting as a general of Rome. In the scene with Titus getting revenge on Tamora was quite disturbing, the fact that Titus is able to make her eat the flesh of her children and then later gets stabbed in the back by Titus
ReplyDeleteThis was my type of play/film. Revenge, war, and blood and gore! I loved how titus played the crazy man at the end of the play who has lost all hope, but there is a twist. He had a plan for the queen of goth's and that was to feed her her own flesh and blood (her two sons)
ReplyDeleteThis movie was awesome! This play was awesome! When I first read it I couldn't even believe how violent it got and it made me excited to see how the film was going to portray it. I thought Anthony Hopkins was a great choice for the role of Titus along with the other actors. The scene that was the most epic for me would have to be when Lavinia has were cut off and she was left to die in the forest. When I read that part of the play I didn't image in quite the way the director made it. It was more intense and nasty. I couldn't believe they actually stuck branches in her arms. Overall this was my favorite movie and play thus far.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was AWESOME when the goth sons aka rapist and the murderer were hung upside down and Titus was like, "Ready your throats." and cut their necks open. And Lavinia filled a bowl of their throat blood so they could make a bone dust/blood paste to go with their flesh meat to make a pie for their mom to eat! Was glad to see Lavinia get closure.
ReplyDeleteJulie Taymor's film of Titus Andronicus is a highly disturbing watch. It portrays Shakespeare’s play very well in that manner. One application, in the film, that may have added to this disturbing revenge was the uncertainty of what era the events were set in. This film shows us that no matter what decade you are in there will always be revenge, hatred and violence. We are only human right?
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite movie yet, I loved the time era confusion, I feel like it made the scenes more memorable. If the movie didn't have the random modern items in the scenes, the scenes would not have had the lasting impression that they did. I also enjoyed the casting, everyone fit the role perfectly unlike some of the earlier films we have watched.
ReplyDeletei loved this movie basically because of the end. it was pretty long but the last scene was epic. this play is by far the most violent and twisted out of the ones i've read from shakespeare. it's imaginative and awesome!
ReplyDeletethis movie was so intense. seeing Lavina being mutilated was to much for me, but did the play justice. the ending as well wasn't necessarily a happy one, but happier than the middle and did take the norm for revenge plays back in that time.
ReplyDeleteI found this film to be very disturbing. There were many scenes throughout the film that i found were weird and bothersome. For example, when the Tamora's sons raped Lavinia, cut her tongue out and replaced her hands with sticks, it was very disturbing. I understood the plot of the film, but the film and all its gory scenes made me very much dislike this film. I just found it too weird for me.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very intense from the very beginning. We see the theme of revenge everywhere in this play and becomes very gruesome at some points. From the very beginning when the queen's son is sacrificed we see her immediately come to power when she marries Saturninus. The king is very weak and we see that Tamora is the one getting her way and is almost the one ruling the people and does whatever she wants
ReplyDeleteJust like everyone else is saying on this discussion board this movie was disturbing. Yet the disturbance is almost the main thrill of it. It is like a train wreck you don't want to watch it but your also glued into watching it because it's something you have never seen before; so tragic and unreal.
ReplyDeleteThis film by far has been the darkest adaption of Shakespeare's films we have gone over so far. Reading the text i couldn't believe what i was reading. I could just imagine Titus with a mischevious demeanor and casually serving Tamora sons to her. Anthony Hopkins has been known to play morbid characters before, and I felt he fit the role very well. He provided great insight on just who Titus was and the background of character.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what most people have posted about Titus. Titus Andronicus is by far Shakespeare’s most gruesome play. Bitter feuds, mutilations, rape, murder, and cannibalism this definitely reveals the darker side of Shakespeare’s imagination. Furthermore, this adaptation in particular was the most graphic of all the remakes.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking, still out of all the Shakespeare reading Titus is still my favorite. There was something about reading and the film that just came together perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThere is no denying the shock value this play possesses, it seems as though almost every scene there is a rape, bloody murder, or some other form of grotesque mutilation. Underneath this gore there is still reason to be shocked. This play is just so well done and has such an interesting plot line, Shakespeare really went all out, as to be expected. He toys with so many controversial subjects that during the time of their original release could easily leave him shunned from the theater. He does just enough of shocking the audience, and at the same time covering up the aspects that could really lead to his demise. The film to be perfectly honest horrified me. However, I would imagine Shakespeare's original performance was less shocking in the images and relied more on the dialogue, which could easily be glossed over by an audience member that doesn't receive the luxury of subtitles.
ReplyDeleteHeyHay
ReplyDeleteThe violent tale of Titus Andronicus shocks my eyes as I scan the synopsis. Imagining these words being visually depicted in a classroom of young adults is even more disturbing. The plot follows Titus Andronicus as he feigns insanity as the tumultuous world around him mirrors the degradation of his mind and bloodline. This movie was terrifying, I am glad I read the text beforehand.
Titus Andronicus is certainly as intense, in its way, as anything in Shakespeare. Even though this movie was a bit distrubing, Titus isn't a bad film, by any stretch, and it's certainly strange, original, inventive. Taymor tells Shakespeare’s story of a revenge play fairly accurately through her modern interpretation. We still see the same main themes and overall concept of revenge being depicted.
ReplyDeleteTitus Andronicus is seemingly insane, is even a murderer, however to what extent can he be considered a just murderer? In many ways he is. Obviously chopping off your hand seems ridiculous and insane, however provided the situation and what happened to his daughter, what he did seemed noble and courageous. At first, he truly seemed insane, however it was all an intelligent scheme to kill those whom had killed family of his. In the end he served justice in a grotesque and brutal way serving the evil queen her dead and deceitful sons.
ReplyDeletethis play was the best shown through the movie. The Actor of titus was so emotion and fitted the part perfectly. i truly was one with Titus's emotions because of the acting job in this movie. Titus tries his whole life to defend his country from evil and then gets turned on by it and it destroys his life before his eyes.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is the most goriest of the Shakespeare plays that I ever heard of. The theme of revenge can't describe all the gruesome actions that happened in this play. The scene that really bought my eye was when one character said that the queen was a beast because it's true. She was a beast the whole time for taking revenge to a whole new level.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was sick but Hopkins did a great job at portraying the gruesome nature of the play. I definitely was not expecting the intensity seen in the film.
ReplyDeleteTaymor tries to create a timeless fantasy world by adding modern day technologies and strange images to the story of Tidus. It is a very strange movie, but also one of the most entertaining film adaptations of Shakespeare I have seen.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was beyond strange. While reading the synopsis I thought it was extremely bizarre, however, the movie was just gruesome! I did enjoy watching the modern twist on this revenge play and I felt that Anthony Hopkins did a great job as Titus. I did not exactly understand the importance of the young boy throughout the movie, but his emotions really added extra suspense to the scene. Although it was slightly shocking watching all the rape, murder, and betrayal, the movie really caught my attention and was very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteRjack (CSUC) said...
ReplyDeleteTitus Andronicus is by far Shakespeare’s most gruesome play. Bitter feuds, mutilations, rape, murder, and cannibalism this definitely reveals the darker side of Shakespeare’s imagination. Furthermore, this adaptation in particular was the most graphic of all the remakes i've seen.
Such a bloody movie but i loves every bit of it. I loved the ending and how justice came through even though it wasn't in anyway i would of handled the situation but i did think it was well suited for the bad guys.
ReplyDeleteThis film takes quite an interesting twist to the Shakespeare play known as Titus. I really enjoy the World War II are they attempt to have it held in and Anthony Hopkins filled the part perfect. Also this film depicts some of the more graphic things that Shakespeare developed in his plays and I was quite amazed at this but did enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very bloody and disturbing, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I thought the setting was very interesting and the performances very believable.
ReplyDeleteTitus Andronicus was one of the more brutal films we watched in class. I've always categorized Shakespeare as a writer of romance, but this play showed a different side to his works. Act five of the play ends with a mass killing of many of the main characters of the play. Two of the characters were killed and cooked into a meat pie that would later be served to their own mother as dinner. While he could have just slaughtered them, Shakespeare really took it to the next level of showing no mercy by cooking and serving them as dinner. Shakespeare's twisted side is shown multiple times throughout act five with each kill of a character.
ReplyDeleteHands down the best movie we have watched this semester. A dark film about romance and revenge, Julie Taymor's version does an excellent job portraying the original. Im still not clear on the significance of the young boys role throughout the film but overall I thought it was an awesome story. You cant get much better entertainment than a disgruntled person killing his enemies, cooking them into a meat pie, and feeding it to their mother. It's pretty disturbing but feels so right after witnessing them rape and dismember his daughter.
ReplyDeleteDefiantly the best film we watched in class all semester. This film was filled with action and blood and kept me on my seat all throughout the movie. The movie was crazy because there was so much killing and evil plotting involved in this movie. Titus seeks revenge and ends up killing the Queens son's and serves them to her for dinner. This by far was one of the darker sides of shakespeare because even in modern day films don't even get that dark. I personally enjoyed this film just due to all of the action it kept me edging to find out what was going to happen next in this film.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Titus Andronicus was a great film showing the dark side of human nature and what people are capable of. Even though the rape of Lavina was disturbing it was necessary to set up the end of the play. I enjoyed the last scene, I'm not sure if the film makers meant Tamora's death to be humorous but I laughed. I thought that the setting of the play was a little weird I did not really understand it.
ReplyDeleteI thought Anthony Hopkins did a great job as the character of Titus Andronicus. His character had to navigate through many obstacles and get revenge on a lot of people throughout the film. Taymor did a great job of recreating the Shakespeare film. Overall, the movie was a good film that got a lot of peoples attention and showed a lot about the characters, visuals, and epic terror scenes.
ReplyDeleteI found this film very entertaining and barbaric. It had elements of hatred and conflicts between two families. This play showed Shakespeare's revenge mentality that he writes so vividly about in his plays. I found this the best out of his revenge plays because of how graphic it is.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this film was very shocking because of all of the violence with no remorse. From the beginning and through to the end there was gore and violence. As the audience of the film, it was difficult to get a break from the disturbing scenes. Throughout the movie I could not help but cringe, especially at the disturbing scene where Chiron and Demetrius were egged on by their mother, Tamora, to harm Lavinia in terrible ways. The aftermath when they taunted Lavinia was even more terrible. It seemed that each character continued to outdo the last in their revenge techniques, ultimately leading to Tamora unknowingly eating her sons, and Titus Andronicus killing his daughter. Unlike many other Shakespeare stories, this had no happy endings and left me with a disturbed feeling.
ReplyDeleteI was glad Anthony Hopkins was in film, the play its self is interesting enough and his personality brought even more to the character he portrayed. The film had some twisted scenes, like when Titus is painting a picture using his own blood as the paint. Also when he lures the two brothers in to the trap when they are disguised as rape and murder and then slits their throats. While it is a very violent scene, the way he goes about it is quite comical.
ReplyDeleteThis film had more blood and gory scenes than anything we have seen all semester. Anthony Hopkins did an amazing job in this film, and really made it a great film. Some of the scenes were so repulsive and hard to watch put it added a lot of intensity to the film. The ending when he kills his own suffering daughter and the rest of the people at the table really says something about revenge and getting back at someone.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I want to say Anthony Hopkins defiantly made this film for me, and you can tell he is the twisted Shakespeare originally had in mind. One scene that I did not see coming that literally will stay with me for the rest of my life is the dinner scene at the very end of the movie. I did not see that coming at all and then all of a sudden I want to say in a matter of 30 seconds 5 people died, very violently I might add. In a way this ending was very satisfying to me, and since I have never really heard of the play before I was a giant surprise to me. Shakespeare intended this movie to be extremely violent so I am glad they ended the movie the way they did.
ReplyDeleteI'm half and half on this film. I thought it was extremely disturbing. There was so much blood, and the things they did like cutting off the hands of the girl, and her tongue. On top of that how many people got their heads chopped off?? And then Anthony Hopkins going nuts on everybody. He killed his own daughter! All I can say is thank god I'm living in a different time.
ReplyDeleteSo now here's the other half. I thought the modern twist on it was awesome. It definitely made the movie way more crazy and twisted. The costumes were pretty funny, especially the two sons'. They looked like Swedish Michael Jackson's. Most of all though, Anthony Hopkins was so dedicated to his role that he most definitely made the movie worth seeing.
This movie has to be my least favorite movie of all time. It was a well done production of Titus Andronicus and all of the actors did an incredible job; I just personally could barely stand to watch the violence, betrayal, cruelty and utter destruction of the characters. Shakespeare really took the audience for a wild ride with this play and this film adaptation did not disappoint the scale the play was at in any way.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was extremely disturbing, but so was the play, so I think that Taymore did a great job. The scene where the dead bodies were put into the pies was so disturbing and twisted, which is exactly how it should have been.
ReplyDeleteI loved all the bloody scenes because I feel like that was the way Shakespeare intended his viewers to see the play. I enjoyed the fact that the movie had a mixture of modern and ancient things in it, like chariots and cars. I like how Taymor made the two sons seem like "punk rocker" types because it really helped to show how ignorant they were.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was done very well but was also a little bit gruesome. The whole film was a strong performance that I found to be just a tid bit too much. Even though the play is a strong performance itself, I felt like with the added imagery due to the film thaat it was just a little too strong.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I found this movie to keep me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, I like how the movie began and ended in a weird way. It added a cool effect to the film. A lot of the inbetween was disturbing to me. Like the part with the pie of her son's. But as disturbing as it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was also cool to see another side of Anthony Hopkins, one of the all time great actors.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins rules as Titus! He is an amazing actor. I really did not enjoy this play or movie though. Too dark and gloomy. I agree with Julia M about the choice to break Lavinia's neck rather than stab her. I did like how the director Taymor used modern and different time cultures.
ReplyDeleteI think that this film was easily the most entertaining film of the symester. It was like watching Hannible, but with a sense of humor. I agree with mhallgren with respect to the films presentation. I liked how Taymor chose to represent the film through both roman and modern interpretations.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film I feel that the director did a great job at adding a artistic twist to this classic play. I thought that the choice to have Anthony Hopkins play the roll of Titus was a great choice, Hopkins made the film seem slightly like a horror film similar to Hannibal. The film was slightly confusing at times but overall this was a great film and one of my favorite films that we have watched this semester.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find myself liking or enjoying this film. It made me terrified in some ways with all the gory scenes of hand being chopped off, tongues being cut out and people stabbing each other at the end. Although, I thought the directer did a really good job at portraying the play with its characters and settings. Also I am glad that vengeance was sought upon on some of the characters, leaving some dead and some victorious in a way. For example, Lucius becoming the new emperor in the end.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was one of the hardest movies i had to watch in my entire life. It started out pretty boring but later on it became interesting but it was very disturbing. I was kind of disgusted with some the scene and couldn't watch it. This movie had too much blood for me and I almost couldn't handle it. I would never want to see any movie like this ever again period!
ReplyDeleteI found Titus Andronicus to be one of Shakespeare's best revenge-tragedy plays. I particularly enjoyed the roles portrayed by the only two females in the film. Although they seemed polar opposites of one another, their differences were minute. Both of them were powerful in different ways and both of them sought revenge. Not to mention, they both encountered their demise in the last scene. Lavinia was passive, yet powerful, and Tamora was just blatantly powerful and manipulative.
ReplyDeleteI found this film to be intense! Taymor's use of modern elements placed into the original time setting of the play is a very clever way to accent this already very complex play. I also thought the film starting and ending in a similar strange place was very clever and added a good effect. Although I thought the film was slightly hard to fallow at times over all it was very good.
ReplyDeleteWow. This film was practically a horror film. Extremely well written, but boy Shakespeare had a bit of a dark-side early in his writing. Then again he needed to gain some reputation and nothing gets people into seats like a good tragedy.
ReplyDeleteThis personally wasn't exactly my favorite film this semester. I think I understand the use of modern elements mixed with the original setting. It made more sense after I had watched it, but I found the film a little hard to follow during the beginning. Needless to say a lot of people found this film disturbing, which it was, but I noticed that my interest in the characters started to increase when things really started going down hill. I wanted to see how a girl could cope with losing her man, her hands, and her tongue, once her uncle found her. The same with the rest of Titus' family. What can I say? Shakespeare knows how to suck the audience in.
ReplyDeleteI personally did not like this movie, I think the director tried to take a modern approach to the film and it just ended up looking like a bad acid trip. The characters in the play were all good but their roles were overshadowed by how odd the director was portraying everything. I don't mind that the play was gruesome but some parts were a little over the top.
ReplyDeleteI personally did not like this movie. The story itself is horrifying and confusing enough without the random mixes of eras.I did not like how Taymoore handled the maming of the girl. As far as the acting goes, I think the cast was superb. I just didn't like how it was directed.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the play is concerned, this play is horrifying. Shakespeare definitely knew how to bring in an audience and make them watch horror.
I can see why this Shakespearian play was not one of the favored ones of the audience. I did not really like the film either, mostly because of how gruesome it was. The canabalism, along with all the murders, and violent scenes made it hard to enjoy watching.
ReplyDeleteThis film was one of the more powerful films created by Shakespeare. This is because it created a niche when compared to his other films. This film displayed gruesome violence. This to me spiced his films up as a whole. It show diversity in his creation methods.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was one of the closest films to the actual writings of Shakespeare. When Shakespeare wrote these tragedies, this is how I envision some of the bloodier parts playing out in his mind. I think Taymor did an incredible job directing this film to really get the audience thinking about what the characters were thinking and also what they were about to do. I don't think it was too gory of a film, the parts that were bloody, were bloody in order to emphasize the point Shakespeare was trying to get across.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film showed the dark side of Shakespeare that needed to be let out. The casting of Anthony Hopkins was perfect for this. I believe some people might think this was too gory but I think for at least one of the plays to be gruesome this was the right choice.
ReplyDeleteThis movie gave me chills to my spine! Despite of all the creepy and gory scenes, I thought that Julie Taymor's Titus to be quite intriguing. I really enjoyed all the artistry scenes and portrays Shakespeare's the theme of revenge awesomely well.
ReplyDeleteI agree fully with YY about the intensity and chilling scenes in this movie much of the film was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the battle that Titus had struggling on dealing with his new found role not being King. Great film
DeleteAnthony Hopkins is an awesome actor! He fit the role quite well. This film was slightly more gore than most . Good film
ReplyDeleteAnthony Hopkins made this movie in my view his portrayal of Titus was chilling as was the whole movie. The movie did a really good job of the portrayal of the more violent parts of the movie and effectively made the movie chilling and as creepy as it was originally intended to be. I also think the scenery was very effective to the movie and added to the emotions of the movie.
ReplyDeleteI love that Taymor picked Anthony Hopkins to play Titus because he is a great actor and did a wonderful job at depicting Titus's character. The movie was gruesome and violent, much like Shakespeare's play. Personally, I like Shakespeare's plays that focus more on comedy and love rather than violence and revenge, but this movie was pretty entertaining. This probably had to do with the gory nature of the film. I think that it was more intense than most of Shakespeare's violent plays.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the way they mixed sets and scenes from various times in history. The gore really added to the intensity of the film. Anthony Hopkins did a great job as Titus in the film. I thought he really showed the craziness of Titus well. Pretty gory but still a really good film.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film. Anthony Hopkins makes a great Titus and provides to be a ruthless warrior throughout the whole film. I was very confused when he gave to crown to the new King because in the begining I thought that Titus wanted the crown. There was a lot of killing and fighting in this movie so it was fairly entertaining throught.
ReplyDeleteTitus was a very weird play. It features Julie Taymor in her directed that we've seen this year. This play is also another great revenge play. What i thought was interesting was how the director used various time periods to shake up the play such as Ancient Rome and WWII Italy. It was a rather different approach.
ReplyDeleteTitus, directed by Julie Taymor, was one of my favorite movies that we watched during class. Anthony Hopkins took on the role of Titus beautifully as the movie had plenty of entertaining fight scenes.
ReplyDeleteI thought the movie was put together quite well. Anthony Hopkins did a terrific job acting and the set really helped the film come to life. It reminded me somewhat of Romeo and Juliet, how Taymor took a more classic play and made it weird enough to make it his own while still keeping to the movies origins. That being said, while I can appreciate the film I certainly didn't like it. The scene where the woman is raped and has her hands cut off was disconcerting, and too creepy/gory for my taste. The weirdness of the play kept me from really sitting back and enjoying what I was watching. It was still a decent movie though, just not a personal favorite if you will.
ReplyDeleteI found this film to be a very powerful adaptation from the original play. The addition of the young boy was very interesting because his youth and innocence in contrast to the horrific events made them even more disturbing.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very intense and contained a lot of gore. When reading certain scenes in the book, they weren't nearly as dramatic or jaw dropping as actually seeing it portrayed on film. I personally enjoyed this film and found it one of the more entertaining ones to watch from our class so far.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of this film was extremely different and made the first couple minutes very confusing and tricky to follow. The costumes were a little crazy sometimes, and I found it interesting that they had cars. The film was very long and very gory which made it seem more focused on violence rather than the play which seemed to focus more on humor.
ReplyDeleteI personally was not a fan of this film. It was way too long and way too violent of an interpretation of the play which I felt focused less on violence. The mixing of time periods was also very confusing. Some costumes were very modern, while some were ancient. Same goes for the architecture and setting, sometimes there were cars and modern looking buildings used in the scenes.
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite Shakespeare Film. What I really liked was how it kind of mixed the modern age with Shakespeare's time. The story was probably the most gripping due to all of the drama involved and how insane everyone really was. It was definitely the most gruesome story and the weirdest bad guys. I will say that it is a movie I recommend for Shakespeare lovers.
ReplyDeleteAnother Taymor film comes and again it's a very artistic piece. I will give her credit where credit is due and congratulate her on taking on of Shakespeare's less reputable plays and turning it into something watchable. It does really help with Anthony Hopkins playing Titus Andronicus though. Here's to you Taymor!
ReplyDeleteIt was shocking to me to find out that this was one of Shakespeare's less reputable plays because I found it to be one of his most interesting and admirable.
DeleteThis was one of my favorite Shakespeare films that we watched this semester. Anthony Hopkins did an excellent job of depicting the character of Titus Andronicus. This heroic and honorable character made the movie what it was. I really enjoyed watching what step he was going to take next to protect his family.
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